AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 5, 2025
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 23, 2025
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2025
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
94
CHAPTER 499
Statutes of 2025
[ Approved by Governor October 10, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 10, 2025. ]
Introduced by Assembly Member Ávila Farías
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez)
February 18, 2025
An act to amend Sections 8264 and 8266 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to homelessness.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: yes
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law requires cities, counties, and continuums of care receiving state funding to address homelessness on or after January 1, 2024, to include families, people fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, and unaccompanied women within the vulnerable populations for whom specific system supports are developed to maintain homeless services and housing delivery. Existing law also requires the cities, counties, and continuums of care to develop analyses and goals with victim service providers to address the specific needs of the above-described population with data measures not included within the Homeless Management Information System, in accordance with federal policies and specified guidelines.
Existing law requires the Interagency Council on Homelessness to set and measure progress on goals to prevent and end homelessness among domestic violence survivors and their children and among unaccompanied women in California.
This bill would specifically include women with children in the populations described above. The bill would require the cities, counties, and continuums of care developing the analyses and goals described above to the Interagency Council on Homelessness. The bill would require the Interagency Council on Homelessness to post the analyses and goals on its website. By imposing new duties on cities and counties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 8264 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
8264.
(a) Cities, counties, and continuums of care receiving state funding to address homelessness on or after January 1, 2024, shall include families, including women with children; people fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence; and unaccompanied women within the vulnerable populations for whom specific system supports are developed to maintain homeless services and housing delivery.
(b) Cities, counties, and continuums of care receiving state funding to address homelessness on or after January 1, 2024, shall develop analyses and goals with victim service providers to address the specific needs of the population described in subdivision (a) with data measures not included within the Homeless Management Information System, in accordance with federal policies and all of the following guidelines:
(1) Any local landscape analysis that assesses the current number of people experiencing homelessness and existing programs that address homelessness within the jurisdiction shall incorporate aggregate data from victim service providers, along with any other data sources.
(2) The analyses and goals shall ensure the responses to family homelessness include victim service providers, as these organizations consistently provide shelter and housing responses to survivors and their children.
(3) The analyses and goals shall address the nexus of homelessness and justice-involvement, particularly for women and survivors of domestic violence.
(4) The analyses and goals shall disaggregate the number of beds provided by victim service providers in the city, county, or region served by a continuum of care.
(c) (1) Cities, counties, and continuums of care that develop analyses and goals pursuant to subdivision (b) shall provide that information to the Interagency Council on Homelessness.
(2) The Interagency Council on Homelessness shall post the information developed by cities, counties, and continuums of care pursuant to subdivision (b) on its internet website.
SEC. 2.
Section 8266 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
8266.
(a) The Interagency Council on Homelessness shall set and measure progress toward goals to prevent and end homelessness among women with children, domestic violence survivors and their children, and unaccompanied women in California by doing all of the following:
(1) Setting specific, measurable goals aimed at preventing and ending homelessness among domestic violence survivors and their children and among unaccompanied women in the state. These goals shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(A) Measurably decreasing the number of domestic violence survivors and their children and of unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness in the state.
(B) Decreasing the duration and frequency of experiences of homelessness among domestic violence survivors and their children and among unaccompanied women.
(C) Decreasing barriers to services through promoting cross-systems partnerships to expedite access to services, including social services, domestic violence services, regional center services, housing services, and mental health services.
(2) Defining outcome measures and gathering data related to the goals.
(3) (A) When funding is available, providing technical assistance to cities, counties, and continuums of care to support the development of local programs and plans that address the needs of domestic violence survivors and their children and of unaccompanied women.
(B) In addition to subparagraph (A), working with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide technical assistance to cities, counties, and continuums of care in furtherance of this section.
(b) The Interagency Council on Homelessness shall establish initial goals, as described in subdivision (a), by January 1, 2025, and evaluate these goals at least every two years to determine whether updated goals are needed.
SEC. 3.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.