Sponsored bill would increase access to state homelessness funding

By Caroline Grinder, legislative advocate (community services)

Asm. José Luis Solache last week introduced AB 1708, a bill sponsored by Cal Cities that would create a new way for small and medium-sized cities to access the state's Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) Grant Program.

Most cities cannot access HHAP funding directly and cite inconsistent state funding as a major barrier to reducing homelessness. According to a 2024 Cal Cities survey, nearly 90% of cities are using their own General Fund revenues to address homelessness: Nine in 10 are worried about sustaining existing homelessness services over the long term.

"Cities like Paramount see the human impact of homelessness every day, but local funding alone is not enough to meet the challenge before us," said Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons in a statement. "This bill is essential to giving smaller cities a fair and accountable pathway to HHAP funding so we can sustain critical services and deliver real results for our unhoused neighbors."

Securing investments to prevent and reduce homelessness is one of Cal Cities' top advocacy priorities. For years, Cal Cities has supported ongoing funding for HHAP, recognizing the program's critical role in reducing homelessness statewide. Since 2019, HHAP has provided direct funding to cities with populations over 300,000, all 58 counties, and the 44 Continuums of Care (CoC).

This structure has left the other 469 cities in California without a consistent pathway to access HHAP funding.

"To effectively serve unhoused Californians, we must empower communities with the investments needed to meet this moment with compassion and deliver local solutions," said Solache. "AB 1708 will provide an equitable pathway for all cities to access critical state homelessness funding."

How would it work?

AB 1708 would require CoCs, before allocating funding to other subrecipients in their region, to exclusively accept applications for 30 days from cities with populations under 300,000. This measure would strike a balance between access and accountability, requiring interested cities to commit to regionally coordinated action plans and adhere to state housing and encampment policies.

CoCs would need to prioritize applications from cities that have existing partnerships with nonprofits, other cities, or have already leveraged state and local funding for existing projects in their communities. This would help ensure that limited state resources are deployed efficiently and deliver measurable results.

"Bellflower is investing millions of General Fund dollars in emergency housing, outreach services, and the maintenance of clean and safe public spaces, but is unable to access HHAP funding directly simply due to our population size," said Bellflower Mayor Sonny R. Santa Ines. "Expanding equitable and accountable access to HHAP funding would support cities like Bellflower in delivering locally informed solutions to our unique challenges and maximizing the impact of state homelessness investments."

Local governments are best positioned to identify the programs and partnerships that will have the greatest impact in their communities. AB 1708 would create an opportunity for all cities to compete for state resources and play a meaningful role in the state's homelessness response.

"Cities of all sizes are investing their own limited local dollars to connect our unhoused residents to services and housing, but without the state as a strong funding partner, their efforts are not sustainable," said Cal Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman. "AB 1708 gives every city an opportunity to leverage state resources to maximize the work they are doing in their communities. Cal Cities is proud to sponsor this important measure."

What can your city do to support this measure?