Slate of homelessness bills head to governor’s office
By Gary Warth
Sept. 1, 2026
A large bond measure to fund affordable housing, money for recovery programs and new rules affecting vehicles used for habitation were among a slew of bills relating to homelessness that were proposed by California legislators this year.
The proposed bond measure already has been approved, and more than a dozen other bills that were approved by the state Assembly and Senate are heading to the office of Gov. Newsom, who will either sign or veto them.
The California legislation session ended Aug. 31, and bills that had not passed both houses by that day may die but could be revived in another session. Here is a rundown of bills related to homelessness that passed both houses.
SB-417 The Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026
Senate Bill 417, introduced by Democrats Monique Limón of Santa Barbara and Robert Rivas of San Benito County, was approved by Gov. Newsom on June 25.
With the passage of SB 417, the bond measure will be on the Nov. 3 statewide general election ballot. If approved by voters, the state will be authorized to issue $11.3 billion in general obligation bonds to fund programs related to housing and homelessness.
Of the proceeds from the sale of these bonds, $5.1 billion would be deposited in the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Fund while other dollars will fund affordable rental housing and home ownership programs such as the Multifamily Housing Program, the CalHome Program and the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program.
AB-1556 The Supportive-Recovery Residence Program
Assembly Bill 1556 was introduced by San Francisco Democrat Matt Haney and passed the Senate 40-0 on Aug. 27 and the Assembly 78-0 on Aug. 28.
AB-1556 would allow recovery residences to receive state funds while also satisfying core components of California’s Housing Fire policies that do not require sobriety as a condition for housing.
Under the bill, residents would not be evicted solely because of a relapse, and anyone who is evicted will receive a “warm handoff” to alternative housing or appropriate levels of care.
The bill cites a 488% surge in overdose deaths among homeless Americans between 2010 and 2020 as a need for more recovery funding.
Opponents of the bill argued that some requirements would be overly burdensome and costly for smaller, grassroots or volunteer-run recovery residences, which could cause them to close and inadvertently reduce the overall supply of recovery housing.
Haney had introduced two earlier bills that would have provided state funding for recovery residences. Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed AB-255 last year, and AB-2479 died in committee the previous year.
SB-989 Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program
Senate Bill 989, introduced by Democrats Catherine Blakespear of Encinitas and Tom Umberg of Orange County, passed the Assembly 73-0 on Aug. 25 and the Senate 40-0 on Aug. 28.
The bill relates to the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, which was established in 2023 to help people with psychotic disorders through medication, services and housing.
In a press release following the Senate vote, Blakespear said the bill is designed to increase access to court-ordered mental health treatment for people who need it.
“SB 989 helps provide the access to mental health treatment that is needed by many to stabilize their lives and quit living on the streets and frequenting emergency rooms and local clinics,” Blakespear said. “We need to ensure that everyone who is eligible for CARE Court is getting the opportunity to access it.”
SB-989 is designed to improve access to CARE Court by authorizing first responders to request counties to review and file CARE Court petitions on their behalf rather than requiring them to file directly with the court.
First responders often encounter people with serious mental health problems, but don’t have the time or resources to file petitions for them to enter CARE Court, the press release states.
CARE Court began in eight counties in 2023 and was fully implemented in all California counties by December 2024, but participation has lagged far below initial projections, according to the press release, which cited a CalMatters article that found only 3,817 CARE Court petitions had been filed in the state through the end of January, much lower than the 7,000-12,000 a year first expected.
SB-16 Mental health: involuntary commitment
Senate Bill 16, introduced by Encinitas Democrat Catherine Blakespear and Republican Diane Dixon of Orange County, passed the Senate 29-2 on June 6 and passed the Assembly 74-0 on Aug. 31.
SB-16 would require county behavioral health directors to formally establish and implement explicit procedures for designating and training professionals authorized to perform involuntary mental health evaluations.
Under the existing law, county behavioral health directors are authorized, but not required, to develop the procedures.
AB-647 Abandoned recreational vehicles
Assembly Bill 647 passed the Assembly 68-0 on Jan. 26 and the Senate 39-0 on Aug. 20.
AB-647 was introduced by Los Angeles Democrat Mark González and would allow any state agency to tow abandoned recreational vehicles in the counties of Alameda and Los Angeles.
AB-630, a González bill signed into law last year, limited the towing authority to only the counties of Alameda and Los Angeles, but otherwise was identical to AB-647.
Throughout the state, public entities are allowed to tow and destroy RVs valued at $500 or less while anything of greater value has to be sold at auction. AB-630 raised the threshold from $500 to $4,000 in Alameda and LA counties.
González had argued that the $500 threshold allowed people to buy the old RVs and return them to the street, where they may be used by drug dealers, prostitution rings and other criminal activities.
Opponents of the bill argued that the definition of “abandoned” was vague and the new law could force homeless people from their vehicles and into the street where they would face harsher conditions.
AB-630 was opposed by Disability Rights California, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, ACLU California Action and the California Public Defenders Association, but it had strong support from legislators and passed unanimously in the Assembly and Senate.
While it was limited to just two counties, the bill was seen as a possible model for other areas to follow, and it was supported by the cities of San Diego, Riverside, San Francisco and the California Contract Cities Association and Big City Mayor’s Coalition.
AB-1165, California Housing Justice Act of 2025
Originally introduced in February 2025 by Los Angeles Democratic Mike Gipson, Assembly Bill 1165 passed the Senate 30-3 on Aug. 26 and passed the Assembly 59-13 on Aug. 27.
AB-1165 would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to create finance plans to solve homelessness and the housing unaffordability crisis and to create related statewide performance metrics.
The Department of Housing and Community Development is responsible for administering the Multifamily Housing Program, the Housing for a Healthy California Program and the California Emergency Solutions Grants Program, among other duties.
AB-750, California Housing Finance Agency: credit enhancement mechanisms study
Assembly Bill 750 passed the Assembly 64-6 on Aug. 27 and passed the Senate 40-0 on Aug. 28.
Introduced by Democrats Sharon Quirk-Silva of Fullerton and Matt Haney of San Francisco, AB-750 focuses on expanding the authority of the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to provide financial assistance for housing projects.
The bill would authorize HCD to make loans or grants to rehabilitate housing projects and it introduced the concept of “challenged developments,” which are defined as being at least 15 years old, serves low, very low or extremely low-income households and has insufficient access to private or other public resources and other qualifiers.
AB-1924 Statewide homelessness prevention strategy
Assembly Bill 1924 was introduced by Democrats Jesse Gabriel of Encino and Sharon Quirk-Silva of Fullerton and passed the Senate 40-0 on Aug. 25 and the Assembly 77-1 on Aug. 26.
The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop a statewide homelessness prevention strategy by July 1, 2028.
Elements in the plan would include a homelessness prevention action plan for certain state agencies and evidence-based model homeless prevention practices. The bill would require the department to review and update the strategy in the Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.
AB-2146: Coordinated Entry System study
Assembly Bill 2146 was introduced by Democrat Catherine Stefani of San Francisco and passed the Senate 38-0 on Aug. 26 and the Assembly 66-9 on Aug. 26.
AB-2146 would require the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to complete a comprehensive statewide study of the coordinated entry system and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing by July 1, 2028.
The bill would require the council to consult with a geographically representative group of stakeholders and require the council to post the report on its website and submit it to the Legislature and any relevant policy committees.
AB-2162 Housing: county funding allocations: nonminor dependents and young adults
Assembly Bill 2162 was introduced by Los Angeles Democrat Isaac Bryan and passed the Assembly 78-0 on May 26 and the Senate 39-0 on Aug. 20.
AB-2162 would revise reporting requirements and eligibility age for young adults receiving certain funds from the state Housing and Community Development Department.
Existing law requires the department to provide, under the Transitional Housing Program and the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program, funding to counties to help young adults ages 18 to 24 secure and maintain housing, with priority given to young adults formerly in the state’s foster care or probation systems.
The bill would extend the eligibility ages from 24 to 28 years old for both programs.
AB-1573 Land use: housing elements: target population
Assembly Bill 1573 was introduced by Los Angeles Democrat Isaac Bryan and passed the Senate 37-0 on Aug. 20 and passed the Assembly 78-0 on Aug. 24.
AB-1573 would expand the definition of “target population” in a city or county’s housing element to include victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
The Planning and Zoning Law requires a city or county to adopt a general plan for land use development that includes a housing element containing specified information, including an analysis of its special housing, emergency shelter, and supportive housing needs.
Existing law defines the term “target population” to include certain persons, including persons with low incomes who have one or more disabilities and individuals eligible for specified developmental disability services.
SB-1091 Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program
Senate Bill 1091 was introduced by Central Valley Democrat Anna Caballero and passed the Assembly 62-12 on Aug. 25 and passed the Senate 37-1 on Aug. 27.
SB-1091 would establish the Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program to fund the purchase and rehabilitation of unrestricted housing and attach long-term affordability restrictions on the housing.
The new law also would safeguard against the displacement of current residents and require the Department of Housing and Community Development to issue a request for qualification to select a private sector entity or consortium to manage the program for five years.
By targeting properties at risk of market speculation where investors might flip buildings and raise rents, the bill is intended to protect and expand the state’s affordable housing supply and stabilize low-income residents by preventing their displacement.
SB-692 Vehicles: homelessness
Senate Bill 692 was introduced by Alameda County Democrat Jesse Arreguín and passed the Assembly 70–0 Aug. 19 and the Senate 40-0 on Aug. 24.
SB-692 would adjust rules on how local governments handle abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperable vehicles. The new rules would not apply to vehicles that have signs of human habitation.
The bill would authorize a city or county to dismantle an abandoned vehicle if it cannot be towed or otherwise moved and it has been declared a nuisance or hazard. A notice would be required to be placed on the vehicle at least 15 days before it is dismantled.
SB-479 Homeless adult and family multidisciplinary personnel teams
Senate Bill 479 was Introduced by Alameda County Democrat Jesse Arreguín and passed the Assembly 76-0 on Aug. 19 and the Senate 40-0 on Aug. 24.
SB-479 would allow a city to establish a homeless adult and family multidisciplinary personnel team if the city is designated as a local health jurisdiction. Counties already have the authority to establish the teams.
A multidisciplinary personnel team consists of two or more professionals from different disciplines such as medical or social work who work together on a common goal. Team members can share information, expertise and other responsibilities to provide comprehensive care or services.
A homeless adult and family multidisciplinary personnel team will be able to assess and link homeless people to housing and support services families faster and allow team members to share confidential information, according to language in the bill.
AB-2766 Public postsecondary education: student housing: foster youth and homeless youth
Assembly Bill 2766 was introduced by San Francisco Democrat Patrick Ahrens and passed the Senate 38-0 on Aug. 19 and the Assembly 77-0 on Aug. 20.
AB-2766 is designed to support current and former foster youth and homeless youth attending public colleges and universities by improving housing stability and increasing resources.
The schools already are requested to give priority to current and former foster youths and homeless youths, and AB-2766 would make the priority a requirement.
The bill also would require the schools to include in housing applications questions designed to identify students who may be eligible for priority housing. Housing-related costs would be deferred for eligible students.
AB-2122 Infractions: warrants and penalties
Assembly Bill 2122 was introduced by Democrats Ash Kalra of San José and Josh Lowenthal of Los Angeles and passed the Assembly 55-18 on June 22 and the Senate 26-11 on Aug. 26.
The bill would remove the misdemeanor classification for failing to pay bail installments or fines if the original charge was an infraction, and remove the authorization to issue an arrest warrant for failure to pay a bill installment.
Proponents argue the current law creates a two-tiered system that could jail people who are unable to pay fines.
While AB-2122 does not directly mention homelessness, the National Alliance to End Homelessness said it could have tremendously beneficial impacts on people experiencing homelessness because they may be jailed because of bench warrants that they may not even know about.
SB-802 Housing finance and development: Sacramento Regional Housing and Homelessness JPA Act
Senate Bill 802 was introduced by Sacramento Democrat Angelique Ashby and passed the Assembly 78-0 on Aug. 26 and the Senate 33-0 on Aug. 27.
The bill would require Sacramento County and the cities of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova Citrus Heights and Folsom to participate in and work together to establish a joint powers authority designed to make a meaningful difference for people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness across the County of Sacramento.
Bills not passed
Many bills, including some that could have had a significant impact on funding, never made it to the governor’s desk before Aug. 30.
Some were held under submission and received neither approval or rejection from a committee, meaning they could be revived or reintroduced at another session.
AB-1899 Office of Youth Homelessness Prevention
Assembly Bill 1899 was introduced by Los Angeles Democrat Jessica Caloza and passed by the Assembly 74-0 May 22 but was held in suspension by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Aug. 13.
The bill would create an Office of Youth Homelessness Prevention under the new California Housing and Homelessness Agency.
The bill’s language states the mission of the office would be to prevent and homelessness among California youth and reduce youth homelessness to functional zero.
AB-1708: Prioritizing smaller cities for homelessness funding
Assembly Bill 1708 was introduced by Los Angeles Democrat José Luis Solache Jr. but was held under submission by the Appropriations Committee on May 14.
AB-1708 would prioritize cities with fewer than 300,000 residents for Round 7 Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funding.
The bill would require continuums of care to accept applications exclusively from smaller jurisdictions during an initial 30-day period before opening funding to other entities.
After its introduction, the bill was amended to state that the HHAP program already has benefited smaller jurisdictions participating in regionally coordinated homeless action plans, and it detailed previous distributions as 30% for continuums of care, 42% to cities with more than 300,000 residents and 28% to counties.
Opponents had argued the bill could reduce the flexibility of continuums of care to allocate funds to where they are most needed, including large urban areas with large homeless populations.
In San Diego County, 17 of 18 cities fall under the population threshold.
SB-1016: Expanding access to court-ordered mental health evaluations
Senate Bill 1016 was introduced by Encinitas Democrat Catherine Blakespear and passed the Senate 26-9 on May 27 but was held under submission by the Assembly on Aug. 13.
SB-1016 would affect the petitioning process for CARE Court.
Under existing law, the CARE Act authorizes specific people to petition a civil court to create a voluntary CARE agreement or a court-ordered CARE plan to be provided by county behavioral health agencies to provide health care to adults experiencing a severe mental illness.
If the court finds the petitioner has shown that the respondent is or may be eligible for the CARE program, the court is required to order the county behavioral health agency to submit a written report that determines whether the respondent meets or is likely to meet the criteria for the CARE process.
The bill would require the written report to include conclusions about whether the respondent is likely to need a higher level of care than is available under the CARE Act and, if so, recommendations about the necessary steps to obtain the additional care.
AB-673 Unaccompanied homeless pupils: Unaccompanied Youth Transitional Housing Program
AB-673, proposed by Riverside Democrat Corey Jackson was held under submission by the Senate Appropriation Committee on Aug. 13.
AB-673 would require the State Department of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services and county offices of education, to administer competitive grants to be known as Unaccompanied Youth Transitional Housing Program.
The grants would be used to enable school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to partner with local nonprofits to offer 5-year grants to fund transitional housing projects for unaccompanied homeless youths 16 and 17 years of age.
Grant funds would be used for, among other things, referrals to residential facilities with single-occupant units, clothes, nutritious meals, stipends for public transportation and educational support services.
The bill would also require funding preference under the program to be given to local educational agencies that partner with nonprofits that demonstrate certain characteristics, as provided.
AB-1204 Local control funding formula expanded to include homeless students
Assembly Bill 1204 was introduced by San Diego Democrat David Alvarez and passed the Assembly 61-1 on Jan. 26 but was held under submission in the Senate on Aug. 13.
AB-1204 would add homeless students to the categories of students who are included in a funding formula to determine a school district’s eligibility for supplemental and concentration grants, among other formula adjustments.
The eligibility criteria already includes English learners, foster youth and pupils who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
SB-866 Planning and zoning: annual report: emergency shelter
Senate Bill 866 was introduced by Encinitas Democrat Catherine Blakespear and passed the Senate 26-9 on May 27 but placed under submission by the Assembly on Aug. 13.
The bill would require additional information about housing needs in an annual report.
Under existing law, each county and city is required to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for development that includes a housing element. The entities’ planning agencies also are required to provide an annual report to the state Department of Housing and Community Development that includes their progress in meeting its share of regional housing needs and the number of units approved and disapproved in the prior year.
The bill would require the report to additionally include specified information regarding the special housing needs of families and persons in need of emergency shelter. The bill also would require the report to include a list of any federal, state, or local funding that has been allocated from specified programs and a description of any actions taken to conduct outreach to individuals who are unhoused to inform them about those resources.
ASB-866 Planning and zoning: housing element: unhoused population
Senate Bill 866 was introduced by Encinitas Democrat Catherine Blakespear and held under submission on Aug. 13.
SB-866 would require most jurisdictions in the state to include in their housing elements an itemized list of available resources for unhoused individuals including housing, mental, and behavioral health services, and a description of actions taken by the local government to connect unhoused individuals to these resources.
The housing elements also would include key actions that will be taken to reduce homelessness.
It also would require the jurisdictions to have updated, disaggregated data on their homeless populations, including the number of people, the average length of time they were unhoused, moments into and out of permanent housing and the number of people who became homeless after exiting jails, prisons or hospitals.
The bill’s requirements would not be placed on the 14 cities that receive HHAP funding.
AB-1606 Personal Income Tax Law: Corporation Tax Law: credits: cleanup costs
Assembly Bill 1606 was introduced by Sacramento Democrat Stephanie Nguyen and held under submission May 14.
AB-1606 would provide a tax credit of up to $20,000 a year to cover the cost of businesses that clean up homeless encampments on their property.
The bill was seen as providing financial relief for small businesses and as a public health and safety measure. It was supported by the California Apartment Association, California Business Properties Association, California Business Roundtable, California Chamber of Commerce, California Retailers Association, and the National Federation of Independent Businesses, California
The California Tax Reform Association and the California Federation of Teachers opposed the bill and the Franchise Tax Board estimated a revenue loss of $7.2 million in fiscal year 2026-27, a loss of $16 million in FY 2027-28 and $17 million loss in FY 2028-29.
AB-2351 General plan: annual report: shelter beds
Assembly Bill 2351 was introduced by Alameda County Democrat Mia Bonta and held under submission on May 14.
AB-2351 would require detailed information about shelter beds to be part of a public entity’s general plan as a way to improve accountability, tracking and transparency on the city’s or county’s capacity to serve its homeless population.
This bill would revise reporting requirements to include information about the number of young adults served. The number would include young adults formerly in the state’s foster care or probation system and would require additional information to be reported under the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program related to housing vouchers.
AB-262 California Housing and Homelessness Agency: Pink Alert
Assembly Bill 262 was introduced by Los Angeles Democrat Jessica Caloza and was held under submission Aug. 13.
AB-262 would require the California Housing and Homelessness Agency to create a study on how homelessness impacts pregnant women and make recommendations to establish a Pink alert to the legislature by July 1, 2028.
A Pink alert can notify nonprofits if a pregnant person is in need of emergency housing or prenatal services.
