New Intent Bills Concerning Homelessness Were Recently Introduced by California Legislators
Intent bills initially include a statement of intent by legislators and very little other language. A common intent statement often begins with “This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to . . .” This brief statement is needed to meet the legislative deadline to introduce new legislation, which was February 17 for the 2023 legislative session. In addition, the brief statement serves as a proxy until substantive amendments are legislatively added later.
An example is AB 1656 Homelessness: funding. The entire intent bill includes
Existing law establishes various programs to prevent and ameliorate homelessness, including the Homeless Youth Act of 2018 and the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to establish an ongoing funding source to address the state’s homelessness crisis.
Section 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to establish an ongoing funding source to address the state’s homelessness crisis.
Substantive Amendments
As an intent bill makes its way through the legislative session to be considered for approval, substantive amendments will likely be added, including agreed upon activities, actions, and desired outcomes. Therefore, meeting the legislative deadline of February 17 allows for the intent bill to ultimately have substantive amendments added by legislators to fulfill the objectives of the Legislature regarding the bill.
Some of the intent bills concerning homelessness, however, may die early during the legislative process and others later. Some may be approved and become law. The Assembly and Senate may pass bills until September 14th this year. The last day for the Governor to approve or not approve bills is October 14th.
To learn more about intent bills click here and here.
Recent Intent Bills Concerning Homelessness
Intent bills concerning homelessness that were introduced by February 17 include:
Existing law establishes various housing programs, including the Affordable Housing Revolving Development and Acquisition Program for the purpose of funding the acquisition of property to develop or preserve affordable housing. The program is administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would increase the supply of affordable housing and reduce homelessness.
AB 86 Homelessness: lead entity
Existing law establishes various programs to address homelessness, including requiring the Governor to create an Interagency Council on Homelessness. Existing law requires the council to, among other things, identify mainstream resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California and promote systems integration to increase efficiency and effectiveness to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to establish a single entity to serve as the lead for ending homelessness, who would perform specified duties.
Existing law generally provides for various human services, including public social services, developmental services, and mental health services.
A human services labor shortage impacts all program areas, including child welfare and foster care services, adult protective services, in-home supportive services, Medi-Cal eligibility, California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Program (CalWORKs), CalFRESH, and housing and homelessness services.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to improve and increase recruitment and retention of county human services staff to support county operations.
AB 550 Homelessness: public hearings
Under existing law, various agencies administer programs for the support of homeless persons.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that requires all cities and counties in the State of California to hold public hearings to develop plans to reduce homelessness.
AB 589 Homeless youth: transitional housing
Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services licenses and regulates youth homelessness prevention centers as group homes, and transitional housing placement providers for purposes of operating transitional housing placement programs for minor foster children or nonminor dependents, as defined. Under existing law, transitional housing units include a host family, a staffed site, or a remote site for independent living, as specified.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would create a transitional housing program for homeless youth.
This bill would require the department to develop and administer the Pets Assistance With Support Grant Program (PAWS), to award grants to qualified homeless shelters and qualified domestic violence shelters, as defined. The bill would require grant recipients to meet certain availability and service requirements as they relate to the pets of people experiencing homelessness and people escaping domestic violence.
The bill would provide that the program would only become operative upon appropriation by the Legislature.
The bill would set forth the Legislature’s intent to make a future appropriation for these purposes.
Existing law establishes various programs to prevent and ameliorate homelessness, including the Homeless Youth Act of 2018 and the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to establish an ongoing funding source to address the state’s homelessness crisis.
SB 547 Housing study: homelessness
Existing law requires the Governor to establish the Interagency Council on Homelessness, and requires the council to, among other things, identify mainstream resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California and promote systems integration to increase efficiency and effectiveness to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to study the viability of constructing housing for the homeless on state-owned property.
SB 656 Rental assistance: veterans
Existing law creates the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Act of 2014 to provide for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable multifamily supportive housing, affordable transitional housing, affordable rental housing, or related facilities for veterans and their families to allow veterans to access and maintain housing stability.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation related to prioritizing veterans in the provision of rental assistance.
Existing law requires the Governor to create the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, and specifies the duties of the coordinating council to include creating partnerships among state agencies and departments, local governmental agencies, and specified federal agencies and private entities, for the purpose of arriving at specific strategies to end homelessness.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to utilize land at the Metropolitan State Hospital in the City of Norwalk for transitional housing.