Homelessness Accountability Bill Clears Assembly Housing Committee with Unanimous Bipartisan Support

SACRAMENTO – Today, Assembly Bill (AB) 799 by Assemblywoman Luz Rivas (D – San Fernando Valley) passed the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development with unanimous bipartisan support. AB 799, the Homelessness Accountability and Results Act, strengthens California’s response to homelessness by establishing strict accountability measures and evidence-based improvements to the Homelessness Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) Program to match the scope of the crisis.

“I am thankful to the Assembly Housing Committee’s overwhelming support for AB 799. The Governor has called for accountability, and the Assembly has responded. We owe it to Californians to deliver tangible results that will quantifiably reduce the State’s homeless population. While we have passed modest legislation in previous years that attempt to address the homelessness crisis, the lack of accountability and inconsistent funding has caused a public policy feedback loop preventing California from making noticeable progress. In order to tackle the homelessness crisis, we must address it holistically, by ensuring the legislature, the administration, local governments, and advocates are working together to produce solutions that will successfully reduce homelessness. Progress will not occur if we tackle this issue by working in silos. The bipartisan support AB 799 received today is a testament that addressing homelessness is not an urban or rural issue, it is not a Republican or Democrat issue, it’s a California issue that the public wants to see addressed,” stated Assemblywoman Luz Rivas.

“We are incredibly grateful to Assemblywoman Luz Rivas and the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee for their steadfast commitment to solutions that work, including through AB 799, which offers a comprehensive approach to state and local accountability for homelessness. The Bring California Home Coalition, a diverse Coalition that includes the voices of people doing the work on the ground and people who have been homeless, joins Assemblywoman Luz Rivas in continuing to push for accountability from all levels of government. From the state, we know we need ongoing funding that matches the scale of the crisis, and cutting unnecessary red tape. From local governments, we need greater collaboration and clear focus on investing in what we know works to end homelessness: housing and services. We’ve seen that state investment can help build up our systems and rehouse more people than ever before. We can build on these practices to prevent and end homelessness,” stated Bring California Home Coalition.

AB 799 will increase accountability for HHAP in several ways by:

• Requiring the state to take the lead by setting goals around the reduction of homelessness in a collaborative manner with local jurisdictions;
• Requires counties, big cities, and Continuums of Care to work collaboratively every five years to update the action plans to reduce homelessness;
• Streamlining administrative burdens on local systems, while ensuring that more detailed information is made publicly to improve transparency and oversight of the program;
• Promoting investments in balanced homeless response systems that increase equitable housing outcomes for participants, while maintaining flexible eligible uses.

###

Assemblywoman Luz Rivas proudly represents the 43rd Assembly District, which includes the City of Los Angeles communities of Arleta, Lake View Terrace, Mission Hills, Pacoima, Panorama City, Sun Valley, Sylmar, North Hollywood, Valley Glen and the City of San Fernando.