League briefing: AB1708 would open HHAP application window for smaller cities

Sara Sanders, Regional Public Affairs Manager for the League of California Cities, told the Humboldt County Housing and Homelessness Coalition on Feb. 25 that AB1708 would create a new pathway for smaller cities to apply for Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP) funding. "AB1708 proposes a new pathway for cities under 300,000 in population to access existing Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP) funding," Sanders said during the League's briefing.

The bill would not increase total HHAP dollars, Sanders said; instead it would require Continuums of Care (CoCs) to open a 30‑day application window for eligible cities before allocating funds to other subrecipients. To be eligible, cities would need to adopt a resolution committing to comply with a regionally coordinated action plan, maintain a compliant housing element, and have an encampment policy consistent with state administrative guidance. Sanders added that reporting and programmatic requirements for cities would match those of other HHAP subrecipients, including Coordinated Entry System rules.

Coalition members discussed concerns that smaller cities often participate as subrecipients but do not receive equitable allocations and must rely on their own general funds to sustain homelessness services; the League's survey reported roughly 60% of cities have not received HHAP funding even when acting as subrecipients. The presentation clarified that AB1708 would create application pathways within the existing regional framework and would not reallocate or add state funding.