On Thursday, Supervisors Les Baugh (Shasta) and Bob Williams (Tehama; RCRC Chair) welcomed participants to the No Place Like Home (NPLH) program workshop in Redding. This public workshop is the first in a series of four being held around the state to discuss the revised program guidelines released by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on April 28, 2017. These regional workshops are being held by HCD to identify any remaining issues with the structure of the grant program.
This framework document outlines the policies and processes for implementation of all aspects of the program, such as how money will be dispersed to applicants. A number of revisions have been made to the original guidelines released in December 2016 based on feedback from multiple workshops held earlier in the year.
Legislation signed into law last year enacted the NPLH program, which provides $2 billion in bond funding to counties for permanent supportive housing of homeless persons experiencing serious mental illness. Specifically, the program will provide funding to all counties through three different funding paths: Competitive, Over-the-Counter, and Technical Assistance. NPLH will be funded through portion of Mental Health Services Act funding, also referred to as Prop 63 funding, which is funded through a 1 percent tax on personal incomes above $1 million.
A list of upcoming public workshops and the draft revised guidelines can be accessed here. The public comment period for the draft guidelines will end May 30, 2017.