New Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) Begins its Work

New Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) Begins its Work

In 2021 AB 1220, a bill sponsored by Assemblymember Luz Rivas was signed into law, renaming and restructuring the State’s Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council and creating a new advisory body made up of stakeholders. The newly named California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) is tasked with identifying resources to prevent homelessness, creating State agency partnerships, promoting system change, and making recommendations to the Legislature.

Cal ICH is co-chaired by the Secretaries of Business, Consumer Services and Housing and the California Health and Human Services Agency, with representatives from 18 State departments and agencies and two outside members appointed by the Legislature who represent community organizations. View the members here. The advisory committee must include two representatives from local Continuum of Care agencies, a survivor of gender-based violence who is formerly homeless, out of State stakeholders with expertise in homeless solutions and best practices, and representatives of committees on African Americans, youth, and survivors of gender-based violence.

On November 3, 2021, the Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Action Plan Implementation Progress Report, which highlights the State’s efforts in responding to homelessness. Later this year, the plan will be updated to integrate the new departments that joined the Council as a result of the newly-passed legislation.