Assembly committee backs SB 748 to expand encampment-resolution funds for safe parking sites

Senator Richardson on behalf of the bill sponsors presented SB 748, which would broaden the uses of the state's encampment resolution funding (ERF) to allow local jurisdictions to acquire and operate safe parking sites and to provide services and increased site hours for people living in vehicles.

The bill, as amended and accepted by the committee, would also require the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to report quarterly to specified legislative committee chairs on funds distributed from the ERF program. The required reporting must include at minimum a point-in-time accounting of how many people moved from encampments or safe parking sites to permanent housing, how many moved to temporary shelter, and a description of services offered and whether individuals were connected to those services.

SB 748's sponsor said the changes align the bill with Governor Newsom's request for additional clarity and accountability for ERF distributions. "We want to make sure that they're eventually utilizing the wraparound services and are no longer homeless," the sponsor said during presentation. The sponsor described local examples of long RV encampments and the effects on neighborhoods and mobile-home communities, and said the bill would help provide safer settings with access to hot water and electricity while jurisdictions locate interim or permanent housing.

Supporters who testified or were represented included Andrew Govanar for the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association, who highlighted impacts of RV encampments near mobile home parks, Carly Shelby for the City of Compton, and Waleed Herges for the League of California Cities. No witnesses in opposition were recorded at the microphone during the hearing.

The author said the bill directs the Legislative Analyst's Office to evaluate HCD's reported data to assess program efficacy and identify scalable best practices that could be replicated statewide.

Action and next steps: The committee voted to pass SB 748 as amended to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The motion to pass was recorded and the committee's roll calls show the measure advanced out of committee. The author said she would continue to work with stakeholders and offered to host site visits to operational safe parking sites for committee members.

SB 748 references federal reporting about homelessness and cites a recent U.S. Supreme Court case discussed by the sponsor (City of Grants Pass v. Johnson) in the context of municipal authority to clear encampments; it also moves some program language from the Health and Safety Code section into the bill to clarify applicant requirements for site acquisition, operation and services.

The committee accepted the amendments and the bill was forwarded to Appropriations.