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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
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HB 2533: homeless services; office; board
Sponsor: Representative Gress, LD 4
Committee on Government
Creates the Office of Homeless Services, the Arizona Homeless Services Board and the Property Loss Homelessness Compensation Fund to assist in providing homeless services in Arizona.
History
Established in 2002, the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) is responsible for: 1) establishing policies, procedures and programs to address the affordable housing issues confronting Arizona, including issues of low income families, moderate income families, housing affordability, special needs populations and decaying housing stock; 2) providing, to qualified housing participants and political subdivisions of Arizona, financial, advisory, consultative, planning, training and educational assistance for the development of safe, decent and affordable housing, including housing for low and moderate income households; and 3) maintaining and enforcing standards of quality and safety for manufactured homes, mobile homes and factory-built buildings. Programs administered by the ADOH include rental development, rental assistance, home ownership assistance, housing rehabilitation, foreclosure prevention and homeless prevention (A.R.S. § 41-3953).
Provisions
The Office of Homeless Services (Office)
1. Establishes the Office to assist in providing homeless services in Arizona. (Sec. 2)
2. Instructs the Governor to appoint a director to the Office. (Sec. 2)
3. Compensates the Office Director and its personnel within a range determined by the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA), unless modified by the Legislature. (Sec. 2)
4. Directs ADOA to prescribe Office personnel's duties. (Sec. 2)
5. Requires the Office to coordinate homeless services in Arizona and manage a homeless management information system (System) in Arizona that operates as outlined, along with the approval of continuum of care organizations approved by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. (Sec. 2)
6. Specifies that the System must do all the following:
a. share data with service providers in Arizona regarding individuals who are experiencing homelessness or who are at the risk of becoming homeless;
b. be effective as a case management system;
c. include an effective authorization protocol for encouraging individuals who receive homeless services to provide accurate information to providers, with an exception for domestic violence victims; and
d. meet federal requirements. (Sec. 2)
7. Allows the Office to apply for federal programs to provide monies for the Office. (Sec. 2)
8. Outlines Office Director duties. (Sec. 2)
The Arizona Homeless Services Board (Board)
9. Establishes the Board consisting of seven members as outlined. (Sec. 2)
10. Requires Board members to serve four-year terms, with the exception of the Office Director and as outlined. (Sec. 2, 3)
11. Allows Board members to serve more than one term. (Sec. 2)
12. Instructs the Board to select a chairperson, a vice chairperson and a four-member executive committee (Committee) from among its membership. (Sec. 2)
13. Outlines procedures for Board meetings. (Sec. 2)
14. States that Board members are not eligible to receive compensation but are eligible for reimbursements of statutory expenses. (Sec. 2)
15. Directs the Office to provide staff and administrative support to the Board. (Sec. 2)
16. Defines Board duties. (Sec. 2)
17. Requires the Committee act in an advisory capacity for the Board and make recommendations regarding the Board's duties. (Sec. 2)
18. Prohibits the Committee from making decisions independent from the Board. (Sec. 2)
Board's Annual Report
19. Instructs the Board to submit an annual report to specified governmental entities by and beginning on December 31, 2027. (Sec. 2)
20. Requires the annual report to include the following:
a. Arizona's year-to-date progress towards reaching a functional zero level of homelessness;
b. the percentage of individuals experiencing homelessness under outlined categories;
c. the cost per bed for each new shelter, transitional housing or permanent supportive housing compared to the average cost of a similar facility during the last three years; and
d. the annual operating costs per bed of a homeless shelter, including utilities, staff and maintenance. (Sec. 2)
The Property Loss Homelessness Compensation Fund (Fund)
21. Establishes the Fund consisting of legislative appropriations, grants, gifts, contributions and devises. (Sec. 2)
22. Details that the Office administers the Fund. (Sec. 2)
23. States that Fund monies are continuously appropriated. (Sec. 2)
24. Allows Fund monies to be used for any of the following:
a. providing interest-free loans to businesses in Arizona that enter into an agreement with the Office to use loan monies for documented costs of property loss or for documented costs to mitigate property loss as a direct result of the presence of a homeless shelter near the business; and
b. compensating individuals or businesses in Arizona that are located within one-fifth of a mile of a homeless shelter that experience property loss as a result of the presence of the homeless shelter. (Sec. 2)
25. Allows the Office to adopt rules, policies and procedures to carry out the purposes of the Fund. (Sec. 2)
26. Requires eligible applicants to submit a loan application on a form prescribed by the Office and be residents of Arizona. (Sec. 2)
27. States that a business that receives compensation or a loan from the Fund must be in good standing with the Arizona Department of Revenue. (Sec. 2)
28. Instructs a business to repay the loan no later than one year from the date on which the loan is disbursed to the business. (Sec. 2)
29. Specifies that any repaid loans must be deposited in the Fund. (Sec. 2)
Ombudsman
30. Requires the Office Director to employ an ombudsman to assist with the duties of the Office. (Sec. 2)
31. Requires the ombudsman to:
a. provide training and information to Arizona agencies, private entities, individuals, service providers and other interested parties regarding the rights and privileges or an individual experiencing homelessness and the services available to them; and
b. develop a website to provide information on rights, privileges and services in a form that is easily accessible. (Sec. 2)
32. Allows the ombudsman to:
a. decline to investigate a complaint or continue an investigation of a complaint;
b. conduct an investigation on their own initiative;
c. conduct further investigation on the request of the complainant; and
d. recommend that a complainant pursue other available remedies before pursuing a complaint with the ombudsman. (Sec. 2)
33. Directs a service provider in Arizona to display an ombudsman program information poster containing relevant information that is easily visible to all volunteers and staff. (Sec. 2)
34. Makes the Office responsible for providing service providers with informational posters that must include a telephone number and a link to the website. (Sec. 2)
35. Instructs the ombudsman to notify the complainant and the Office whether they will investigate a complaint and the reason for their decision. (Sec. 2)
36. Requires the ombudsman to determine, if they investigate a complaint, whether a service provider's act or omission regarding a particular client:
a. is contrary to state or federal law;
b. places a client's health or safety at risk;
c. is made without an adequate statement of reason;
d. is based on irrelevant, immaterial or erroneous grounds. (Sec. 2)
37. Directs the ombudsman to prepare a written report of the findings and recommendations to the claimant, the Office and the appropriate county or district attorney or attorney general, if the ombudsman finds a complaint violates state or federal law. (Sec. 2)
38. Permits the ombudsman to make recommendations to the Office to consider policies or procedures that may need to be addressed, modified or canceled necessary to carry out their duty. (Sec. 2)
39. Requires the ombudsman to provide an annual report by and starting on October 1, 2027, to the Office for inclusion in the Office's general report that includes all of the following:
a. the total number of complaints filed with the ombudsman;
b. the number of complaints the ombudsman investigated; and
c. recurring issues among complaints.
Miscellaneous
40. Details that the purpose for establishing the Office is to assist and coordinate in providing homeless services in Arizona. (Sec. 4)
41. Defines pertinent terms. (Sec. 2)
42. Terminates the Office on July 1, 2030. (Sec. 1)
43. Repeals the Office on January 1, 2031. (Sec. 1)
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47. Initials ML HB 2533
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