Mentally ill parolees: housing.

(1) Existing law authorizes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to obtain day treatment, and to contract for crisis care services, for parolees with mental health problems, and requires the department to provide a supportive housing program that provides wraparound services to mentally ill parolees at risk of homelessness using funding appropriated for that purpose. Existing law provides that an inmate or parolee is eligible for participation if he or she has a serious mental disorder, as defined, has been assigned a release date from state prison, and is likely to become homeless upon release or is currently a homeless parolee. Existing law requires providers to offer various services, including housing location services and rental subsidies. Existing law requires a service provider to comply with specified requirements, including, among others, that the service provider has prior experience working with county or regional mental health programs. This bill would require a service provider to also demonstrate an existing relationship with a supportive housing provider. The bill would specify that a program participant is not required to receive other services for mentally ill parolees as a condition of eligibility to receive rental assistance through the program. The bill would require a service provider to exercise due diligence in providing any mental health or other contracted services and to notify the department of a participant's participation in those services. The bill would require a service provider to offer rental subsidies that are equal to or greater than fair market rent, as defined. The bill would also prohibit the department or a service provider from limiting the duration that a program participant may receive rental assistance through the program, except by the length of the person's parole. (2) Existing law requires a service provider to identify and locate supportive housing opportunities prior to a program participant's release from state prison or as quickly upon release from state prison as possible, or as quickly as possible when a program participant is identified during parole. Existing law requires a service provider to report specified information to the department, including the number of program participants served and the outcomes for program participants, including the number of participants who returned to state prison. This bill would require a service provider to identify and locate supportive housing opportunities no later than 9 months after the program participant has agreed to participate in the program. The bill would require that the housing located provide the program participant with a lease where he or she has all of the rights and responsibilities of tenancy. The bill would require a service provider to use a portion of the program payments received to provide interim housing, as defined. The bill would also require a service provider to report to the department the percentage of program participants currently living in permanent housing and the number who are arrested and residing in county jail. The bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive, and clarifying changes.