- Judy Yee
- Legislative Director
- (916) 319-2043
- Judy.Yee@asm.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO – Yesterday, Assembly Bill (AB) 1845, authored by Assemblywoman Luz Rivas (D-Arleta), passed through the Legislature with strong bipartisan support and is heading to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk awaiting his signature.
AB 1845 will implement long lasting systematic solutions to the homelessness crisis that have been proposed by the Little Hoover Commission, California State Auditor, Legislative Analyst Office, and Governor Newsom’s Council of Regional Homeless Advisors. This measure establishes a centralized State Office on Homelessness to more efficiently and effectively coordinate the delivery of services between the 13 different state agencies and departments implementing at least 30 different homelessness programs.
“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 7 million Californians have filed for unemployment and millions of renters will face evictions in the upcoming months,” said Assemblywoman Luz Rivas. “California has the fifth largest economy in the world, and yet we also have some of the highest rates of homelessness nationally. While state funding plays a critical role in the fight against homelessness, funding alone will not solve systemic issues. Now is not the time to take small steps towards overcoming our decades of inability to rise to meet the moment. I am proud and honored that my colleagues agree that that now is the time. Now is the time to put a framework in place that is equal to the gravity of challenges currently before us.”
Homelessness, like COVID-19, is not an urban or rural issue. It is a California issue. That is why this measure has no opposition, rural and urban support, and has the support of several Mayors who represent very different communities including Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, the City of Arcata, and Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria.
AB 1845 is jointly authored by the Chair of Assembly Housing Committee, David Chiu, and sponsored by the Corporation for Supportive Housing and Housing California.
Assemblywoman Rivas proudly represents the 39th Assembly District, which includes the City of Los Angeles communities of Arleta, Lake View Terrace, Granada Hills, Mission Hills, North Hollywood, Pacoima, Sun Valley, Sunland-Tujunga, Sylmar, and the City of San Fernando.