Proposed 2026 California Legislation Concerning Homelessness
Next legislative steps will involve required actions by
policy, fiscal, and appropriations committees that may
further advance bills into, or stop bills from, becoming law
Proposed California legislation concerning homelessness began to advance when the Legislature reconvened on January 5, 2026, after the 2025 session initiated the 2025-2026 legislative session. Several bills that focus on homelessness have been introduced since January 5.
The final day for legislative bills to be introduced was February 20 for the 2026 Legislative Session. If the author of the draft bill is a Senator, the bill is introduced in the Senate; if the author is an Assembly Member, the bill is introduced in the Assembly. No bill may be acted upon until 30 days have passed from the date of its introduction.
Proposed California legislation concerning homelessness introduced by February 20 include:
Proposed Legislative Bills
AB 1165 California Housing Justice Act of 2025 would require finance plans to solve homelessness and to solve the housing unaffordability crisis and updating annually the “Statewide Action Plan for Preventing and Ending Homelessness in California,” to include annual metrics to achieve goals established in the finance plans. As stated,
This bill would enact the California Housing Justice Act of 2025, which would require the department to create, by January 1, 2028, and in collaboration with specified entities, including local entities, finance plans to solve homelessness and to solve the housing unaffordability crisis, and related statewide annual performance metrics. By imposing additional duties on local entities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
To read the entire bill click here.
AB 1573 Land Use: Housing Elements: Target Population states:
Existing law defines the term “target population” for purposes of requirements applicable to the housing element to include certain persons, including persons with low incomes who have one or more disabilities and individuals eligible for specified developmental disability services.
This bill would expand the definition of the term “target population” for the purposes of requirements applicable to the housing element, as described above, to include victims of domestic violence, as specified.
To read the entire bill click here.
AB 1708 Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program: Round 7 states
This bill would require a continuum of care receiving funding pursuant to round 7, as described above, to allocate funds to a smaller jurisdiction, defined as a city with a population under 300,000.
The bill would require a smaller jurisdiction, in order to be eligible for funding, to, among other things, adopt a resolution, as specified, have a compliant housing element, and have adopted a local encampment policy, as described. The bill would require a continuum of care to accept applications for funding in accordance with specified procedures.
AB 1708 also states
Existing law establishes round 7 of the program and states the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that specifies the parameters, as specified. Existing law, effective July 1, 2026, appropriates $500,000,000, as specified, provided that these funds be disbursed in accordance with specified requirements, including that funds from this appropriation be disbursed to a city, county, tribe, or continuum of care for round 7 of the program . . .
To read the entire bill click here.
AB 2162 Housing: County Funding Allocations: Nonminor Dependents and Young Adults states:
Existing law, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, also requires the department to allocate funding to counties under the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program to help young adults who are 18 to 24 years of age, inclusive, secure and maintain housing, with priority given to young adults currently or formerly in the foster care system.
This bill would extend the age of eligibility for the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program to young adults who are 18 to 28 years of age, inclusive, and would, instead, give priority to nonminor dependents and young adults formerly in the state’s foster care or probation system, as defined.
If a child welfare agency accepts any distribution of money, it shall report the following data to the Department of Housing and Community Development on an annual basis:
The number of young adults who were homeless when they began receiving assistance funded pursuant to subdivision (a).
To read the entire bill click here.
AB 2351 General Plan: Annual Report: Shelter Beds states:
The Planning and Zoning Law requires cities and counties to prepare, adopt, and amend general plans and elements of those general plans, as specified. After the legislative body has adopted all or part of a general plan, the law requires the planning agency to provide by April 1 of each year an annual report to specified entities that includes certain information, including the status of the plan and progress of its implementation.
This bill would require the planning agency to include in that report the number of shelter beds serving those experiencing homelessness operating in the jurisdiction in each of specified categories.
To read the entire bill click here.
SB 479 Homeless Adult and Family Multidisciplinary Personnel Teams states:
Existing law authorizes a county to establish a homeless adult and family multidisciplinary personnel team with the goal of facilitating the expedited identification, assessment, and linkage of homeless individuals to housing and supportive services within that county, and to allow provider agencies and members of the personnel team to share confidential information for the purpose of coordinating housing and supportive services to ensure continuity of care.
This bill would additionally authorize a city that is designated as a local health jurisdiction to similarly establish a homeless adult and family multidisciplinary personnel team.
If a city within a county that has established a homeless adult and family multidisciplinary personnel team pursuant to this chapter requests to participate in that team, the county shall allow for the participation of appropriate city personnel, as determined by the county, unless the county determines that participation by the city would hinder compliance with the requirements and obligations set forth in this chapter or would otherwise conflict with the county’s goals and objectives.
To read the entire bill click here.
Intent Bills
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 is February 20 for the 2026 legislative session. In addition, the brief statement serves as a proxy until substantive amendments are legislatively added later.
As an intent bill makes its way through the legislative session to be considered for approval, substantive amendments will be added, including agreed-upon activities, actions, and desired outcomes. Therefore, meeting the legislative deadline of February 20 allows the intent bill to ultimately have substantive amendments added by legislators to fulfill the objectives of the Legislature regarding the bill while being considered for approval or not.
AB-1556 The Supportive-Recovery Residence Program was introduced as an Intent Bill on January 8 that recognizes that the bill will be influenced by the core components of Housing First principles as it makes its way through the current legislative session to be considered for approval.
The entire bill currently states:
Existing law establishes the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to oversee the implementation of Housing First guidelines and regulations, and, among other things, identify resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California. Existing law requires a state agency or department that funds, implements, or administers a state program that provides housing or housing-related services to people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness to revise or adopt guidelines and regulations to include enumerated Housing First policies. Existing law specifies the core components of Housing First, including services that are informed by a harm-reduction philosophy that recognizes drug and alcohol use and addiction as a part of tenants’ lives and where tenants are engaged in nonjudgmental communication regarding drug and alcohol use.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to the Supportive-Recovery Residence Program.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to the Supportive-Recovery Residence Program.
AB 1899 Office of Youth Homelessness Prevention
The entire bill currently states:
Existing law, the Governor’s Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025, beginning July 1, 2026, eliminates the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and instead establishes the Business and Consumer Services Agency and the California Housing and Homelessness Agency.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to create an Office of Youth Homelessness Prevention in the California Housing and Homelessness Agency.
SECTION 1.
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to create an Office of Youth Homelessness Prevention in the California Housing and Homelessness Agency.
AB 1924 Statewide Homelessness Prevention Strategy
The entire bill currently states:
Existing law establishes, on July 1, 2026, the California Housing and Homelessness Agency and the Business and Consumer Services Agency, as the successors to the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Existing law also establishes, on July 1, 2026, the Secretary of Housing and Homelessness.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the statewide homelessness epidemic by requiring the California Housing and Homelessness Agency to develop a statewide homelessness prevention strategy and model homelessness prevention practices.
SECTION 1.
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the statewide homelessness epidemic by requiring the California Housing and Homelessness Agency to develop a statewide homelessness prevention strategy and model homelessness prevention practices.
AB 1880 PINK Alert is an Intent Bill that would create an alert to notify all law enforcement, emergency services, homeless shelters, and nonprofits that there is a pregnant person in need of shelter or prenatal services.
The entire bill currently states:
Existing law authorizes a law enforcement agency to request the Department of the California Highway Patrol to activate a Silver Alert, as defined, if the agency receives a report of a missing person who is 65 years of age or older, developmentally disabled, or cognitively impaired, and certain conditions are met, including that all local resources have been utilized and the disappearance is unexplained or suspicious. Upon concurrence by the Department of the California Highway Patrol that the precedent conditions have been met, existing law requires the patrol to issue the alert, which may take the form of a be-on-the-lookout alert, an Emergency Digital Information Service message, or an electronic flyer, within a specified geographical area.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation creating a PINK Alert to notify all law enforcement, emergency services, homeless shelters, and nonprofits that there is a pregnant person in need of shelter or prenatal services.
SECTION 1.
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation creating a PINK Alert to notify all law enforcement, emergency services, homeless shelters, and nonprofits that there is a pregnant person in need of shelter or prenatal services.
Next Legislative Steps
Legislation concerning homelessness will continue to advance during the coming months. The legislative process includes meetings of the legislative policy and appropriations/fiscal committees and resolution of differences between the Assembly and Senate as the result of any amendments.
Next legislative steps also include proposed budgeted funding. Every year, the Governor and the Legislature adopt a state budget that provides a framework and funding for critical public services and systems that include housing and homelessness.
The State Constitution requires the Governor to submit a proposed budget that includes a detailed overview of the Governor’s proposed expenditures, to the Legislature for review by January 10th, including proposed budget funding for housing and homelessness. To see the Governor’s proposed budget concerning homelessness submitted to the Legislature last month, click here.
Proposed budgeted funding will also occur by mid-May, which is known as the May Revision. The Governor will release on or before May 14th, an updated budget that adjusts proposed expenditures or withdraws policy initiatives that were included in the Governor’s proposed budget in January.
The Legislature must pass a balanced budget bill by midnight on June 15th for the upcoming fiscal year which begins July 1st. The Governor must sign the bill before July 1. Budget details will remain to be finalized and additional budget-related bills will likely be acted upon during the summer.
As in the past, the Legislature and Governor will not approve all of the bills as they try to maximize policy and funding to increase results regarding homelessness prevention and ending unsheltered homelessness, which was the case during past legislative sessions.