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Assembly committee advances bill to expand use of encampment-resolution funds for safe parking sites
Summary
The Assembly Human Services Committee advanced SB 748, which would let local jurisdictions use encampment resolution funding for safe parking sites and require quarterly reporting on outcomes, including transitions to permanent housing.
Senator Richardson introduced SB 748, asking the Assembly Committee on Human Services to approve amendments that would expand how encampment resolution funding (ERF) can be used and increase reporting and accountability.
The bill, as amended, would allow local jurisdictions to use ERF to acquire and operate safe parking sites and to provide services and increased hours at those sites while people living in vehicles are located for interim or permanent housing. It would also require the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to report quarterly to specified legislative committee chairs on distributions and outcomes, including a point-in-time accounting of people moved from encampments or safe parking sites to permanent housing or to temporary shelter and descriptions of services provided.
"What we wanna avoid is not just to move people to a safe parking site. We wanna make sure that they're eventually utilizing the wraparound services and are no longer homeless," Senator Richardson said while presenting the bill and accepting committee amendments that she said align the measure with the governor's request for clarity and accountability.
Richardson and witnesses described local impacts. The author showed photographs from her district and said long lines of RVs have affected neighborhoods and local businesses; she argued safe parking could reduce public-safety risks and property impacts while offering people living in vehicles access to hot water, electricity and services. The bill’s supporters included representatives who described RV encampments near mobile-home parks as a source of confused enforcement and community concern.
Waleed Herges of the League of California Cities spoke in support, saying the measure would help local governments manage encampments and provide alternatives. Testimony summarized concerns from the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association about RVs parking near mobile-home parks and from a City of Compton representative who described streets in her district lined with RVs.
The committee voted to pass SB 748 as amended to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The roll call on the motion recorded all members present voting aye.
SB 748 moves provisions specifying that ERF applies to safe parking sites into the Health and Safety Code section for the program and clarifies that applicants for ERF must describe how they will acquire and operate safe parking sites, provide services and increase site hours. HCD would be required to supply quarterly outcome data and the Legislative Analyst’s Office would be asked to evaluate reported data and identify scalable best practices.
The author asked the committee for an aye vote and offered to host members to view operating safe parking sites in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles County.
Votes at a glance: the committee voted to pass SB 748 as amended to the Assembly Appropriations Committee (final vote: 7–0).
