AB 932: Shelter crisis: homeless shelters.

Existing law authorizes a governing body of a political subdivision, as defined, to declare a shelter crisis if the governing body makes a specified finding. Existing law authorizes a political subdivision to allow persons unable to obtain housing to occupy designated public facilities, as defined, during the period of a shelter crisis. Existing law provides that certain state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances are suspended during a shelter crisis, to the extent that strict compliance would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis. Existing law, upon a declaration of a shelter crisis by the City of San Jose, authorizes emergency housing to include an emergency bridge housing community for the homeless in that city.

This bill, until January 1, 2021, upon a declaration of a shelter crisis by the City of Berkeley, Emeryville, Los Angeles, Oakland, or San Diego, the County of Santa Clara, or the City and County of San Francisco, would authorize emergency housing to include homeless shelters in the City of Berkeley, Emeryville, Los Angeles, Oakland, or San Diego, the County of Santa Clara, or the City and County of San Francisco, respectively. The bill, in lieu of compliance with local building approval procedures or state housing, health, habitability, planning and zoning, or safety standards, procedures, and laws, would authorize those jurisdictions to adopt by ordinance reasonable local standards for homeless shelters, as specified. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to review and approve the draft ordinance to ensure it addresses minimum health and safety standards and to provide its findings to committees of the Legislature, as provided. The bill would require the city, county, or city and county to develop a plan to address the shelter crisis, as specified. The bill would further require any of the specified jurisdictions that have declared a shelter crisis to annually report to the committees of the Legislature specific information on homeless shelters and permanent supportive housing, through January 1, 2021.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Cities of Berkeley, Emeryville, Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Diego, the County of Santa Clara, and the City and County of San Francisco.