(a) (1) The California Housing Finance Agency, with the concurrence of the State Department of Health Care Services, shall release unencumbered Mental Health Services Fund moneys dedicated to the Mental Health Services Act housing program upon the written request of the respective county. The county shall use these Mental Health Services Fund moneys released by the agency to provide housing assistance to the target populations who are identified in Section 5600.3.

(2) For purposes of this section, “housing assistance” means each of the following:

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(A) Rental assistance or capitalized operating subsidies.

(B) Security deposits, utility deposits, or other move-in cost assistance.

(C) Utility payments.

(D) Moving cost assistance.

(E) Capital funding to build or rehabilitate housing for homeless, mentally ill persons or mentally ill persons who are at risk of being homeless.

(b) For purposes of administering those funds released to a respective county pursuant to subdivision (a), the county shall comply with all of the requirements described in the Mental Health Services Act, including, but not limited to, Sections 5664, 5847, subdivision (h) of Section 5892, and 5899.

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 303, Sec. 585. (AB 731) Effective January 1, 2016.)