Existing law authorizes a governing body of a political subdivision, as those terms are defined, to declare a shelter crisis if the governing body makes a specified finding. Upon declaration of a shelter crisis, existing law, among other things, suspends certain state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances, including those prescribing standards of housing, health, or safety, to the extent that strict compliance would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis and allows a city, county, or city and county, in lieu of compliance, to adopt by ordinance reasonable local standards and procedures for the design, site development, and operation of homeless shelters and the structures and facilities therein.

This bill would require every city, or every county in the case of unincorporated areas, to provide every person who is homeless, as defined, with temporary shelter, mental health treatment, resources for job placement, and job training until the person obtains permanent housing if the person has actively sought temporary shelter in the jurisdiction for at least 3 consecutive days and has been unable to gain entry into all temporary shelters they sought for specified reasons. The bill would require the city or county, as applicable, to provide a rent subsidy, as specified, if it is unable to provide temporary shelter. The bill would authorize a person who is homeless to enforce the bill’s provisions by bringing a civil action. The bill would require a court to award specified remedies and penalties upon finding a violation of the bill’s provisions, including by requiring the city or county, as applicable, to provide the person who is homeless with temporary shelter, mental health treatment, resources for job placement, and job training until the person obtains permanent housing.

This bill would require every city, county, and city and county to adopt a plan, subject to approval by the Department of Housing and Community Development, to provide for temporary shelter for persons who are homeless in its jurisdiction, as specified. By imposing additional duties on cities and counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.