AB 2146: Coordinated Entry System: study.
- Session Year: 2025-2026
- House: Assembly
- Latest Version Date: 2026-09-30
Current Status:
Passed
(2026-09-30: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 923, Statutes of 2026.)
Introduced
In Committee
Awaiting First Chamber Vote
Passed First Chamber
In Committee
Awaiting Second Chamber Vote
Passed Second Chamber
Enacted
Existing law establishes the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (council), which has various goals, including, among other things, to serve as a statewide facilitator, coordinator, and policy development resource on ending homelessness in California.
This bill would require the council to, by July 1, 2028, complete a comprehensive statewide study of the coordinated entry system and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing, as specified. The bill would require the council, in conducting the study, to meaningfully consult with a geographically representative group of stakeholders, as described, and would require the council, by July 1, 2028, to post the report on its internet website and submit the report to the Legislature and any relevant policy committees.
Existing law establishes the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (council), which has various goals, including, among other things, to serve as a statewide facilitator, coordinator, and policy development resource on ending homelessness in California.
This bill would require the council to, by July 1, 2028, complete a comprehensive statewide study of the coordinated entry system and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing, as specified. The bill would require the council, in conducting the study, to meaningfully consult with a geographically representative group of stakeholders, as described, and would require the council, by July 1, 2028, to post the report on its internet website and submit the report to the Legislature and any relevant policy committees.
Existing law establishes the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (council), which has various goals, including, among other things, to serve as a statewide facilitator, coordinator, and policy development resource on ending homelessness in California.
This bill would require the council to, by July 1, 2028, complete a comprehensive statewide study of the coordinated entry system and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing, as specified. The bill would require the council, in conducting the study, to meaningfully consult with a geographically representative group of stakeholders, as described, and would require the council, by July 1, 2028, to post the report on its internet website and submit the report to the Legislature and any relevant policy committees.
Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and sets forth its powers and duties. Existing law, the Governors Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025 (GRP), which became effective on July 5, 2025, transfers the Department of Housing and Community Development to the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, which the GRP also establishes, as of July 1, 2026.Existing law establishes a low-income housing tax credit program, through which the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, chaired by the Treasurer, allocates low-income housing tax credits aimed at providing affordable low-income housing within and throughout the state. Existing law sets forth procedures and criteria under the program for housing credit applicants, who are owners, sponsors, or developers of qualifying low-income buildings or projects, as specified.Existing law, the Multifamily Housing Program, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, makes available deferred payment loans to pay for the eligible costs of housing development projects. Existing law specifies particular requirements for projects funded with funds appropriated for supportive housing projects, including, among other things, that supportive housing projects provide or demonstrate collaboration with programs that provide services that meet the needs of the supportive housing residents. Existing law also requires that funds appropriated to provide housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness and who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable diseases be disbursed in accordance with the Multifamily Housing Program for specified uses. This disbursement program is referred to as Homekey.Existing law, known as the No Place Like Home Program, requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to award $2,000,000,000 among counties to finance capital costs, including, but not limited to, acquisition, design, construction, rehabilitation, or preservation, and to capitalize operating reserves, of permanent supportive housing for the target population, as specified.This bill would establish the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation, for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, require a sponsor of a housing unit that meets prescribed criteria to notify the Department of Housing and Community Development or the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee of the units eligibility for a DASH designation, as specified. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, and to the extent not prohibited by federal law, require the department or the committee to apply specified expedited compliance documentation standards for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit, as provided. The bill would include in these expedited compliance standards, among others, the requirement to accept self-certification of homelessness, defined as an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury, indicating an individuals status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.This bill would require the California Housing and Homelessness Agency to, by January 1, 2028, complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for DASH units, as provided. The bill would require the agency to submit a report on this review to the Legislature by April 1, 2028, and to implement revised compliance requirements based on the review by July 1, 2028.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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and sets forth its powers and duties. Existing law, the Governors Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025 (GRP), which became effective on July 5, 2025, transfers the Department of Housing and Community Development to the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, which the GRP also establishes, as of July 1, 2026.
Existing law establishes a low-income housing tax credit program, through which the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, chaired by the Treasurer, allocates low-income housing tax credits aimed at providing affordable low-income housing within and throughout the state. Existing law sets forth procedures and criteria under the program for housing credit applicants, who are owners, sponsors, or developers of qualifying low-income buildings or projects, as specified.
Existing law, the Multifamily Housing Program, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, makes available deferred payment loans to pay for the eligible costs of housing development projects. Existing law specifies particular requirements for projects funded with funds appropriated for supportive housing projects, including, among other things, that supportive housing projects provide or demonstrate collaboration with programs that provide services that meet the needs of the supportive housing residents. Existing law also requires that funds appropriated to provide housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness and who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable diseases be disbursed in accordance with the Multifamily Housing Program for specified uses. This disbursement program is referred to as Homekey.
Existing law, known as the No Place Like Home Program, requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to award $2,000,000,000 among counties to finance capital costs, including, but not limited to, acquisition, design, construction, rehabilitation, or preservation, and to capitalize operating reserves, of permanent supportive housing for the target population, as specified.
This bill would establish the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation, for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, require a sponsor of a housing unit that meets prescribed criteria to notify the Department of Housing and Community Development or the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee of the units eligibility for a DASH designation, as specified. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, and to the extent not prohibited by federal law, require the department or the committee to apply specified expedited compliance documentation standards for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit, as provided. The bill would include in these expedited compliance standards, among others, the requirement to accept self-certification of homelessness, defined as an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury, indicating an individuals status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would, subject to specified requirements, permit a sponsor or housing credit applicant of any unit funded by one of the above-described programs to receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed since the sponsor or applicant initially notified the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of an available unit. The bill would provide that its provisions do not limit a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system to a single referral per vacant unit, and would require a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system to, to the extent practicable, refer multiple prioritized households for each available unit, as specified.This bill would require the California Housing and Homelessness Agency and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee to, by January 1, 2028, complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for DASH units, as provided. The bill would require the agency and committee to submit a report on this review to the Legislature by April 1, 2028, and to implement revised compliance requirements based on the review by July 1, 2028.
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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and sets forth its powers and duties. Existing law, the Governors Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025 (GRP), which became effective on July 5, 2025, transfers the Department of Housing and Community Development to the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, which the GRP also establishes, as of July 1, 2026.
Existing law establishes a low-income housing tax credit program, through which the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, chaired by the Treasurer, allocates low-income housing tax credits aimed at providing affordable low-income housing within and throughout the state. Existing law sets forth procedures and criteria under the program for housing credit applicants, who are owners, sponsors, or developers of qualifying low-income buildings or projects, as specified.
Existing law, the Multifamily Housing Program, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, makes available deferred payment loans to pay for the eligible costs of housing development projects. Existing law specifies particular requirements for projects funded with funds appropriated for supportive housing projects, including, among other things, that supportive housing projects provide or demonstrate collaboration with programs that provide services that meet the needs of the supportive housing residents. Existing law also requires that funds appropriated to provide housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness and who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable diseases be disbursed in accordance with the Multifamily Housing Program for specified uses. This disbursement program is referred to as Homekey.
Existing law, known as the No Place Like Home Program, requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to award $2,000,000,000 among counties to finance capital costs, including, but not limited to, acquisition, design, construction, rehabilitation, or preservation, and to capitalize operating reserves, of permanent supportive housing for the target population, as specified.
This bill would establish the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation, for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, require a sponsor of a housing unit that meets prescribed criteria to notify the Department of Housing and Community Development or the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee of the units eligibility for a DASH designation, as specified. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, and to the extent not prohibited by federal law, require the department or the committee to apply specified expedited compliance documentation standards for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit, as provided. The bill would include in these expedited compliance standards, among others, the requirement to accept self-certification of homelessness, defined as an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury, indicating an individuals status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would, subject to specified requirements, permit a sponsor or housing credit applicant of any unit funded by one of the above-described programs to receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed since the sponsor or applicant initially notified the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of an available unit. The bill would provide that its provisions do not limit a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system to a single referral per vacant unit, and would require a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system to, to the extent practicable, refer multiple prioritized households for each available unit, as specified.
This bill would require the California Housing and Homelessness Agency and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee to, by January 1, 2028, complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for DASH units, as provided. The bill would require the agency and committee to submit a report on this review to the Legislature by April 1, 2028, and to implement revised compliance requirements based on the review by July 1, 2028.
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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and sets forth its powers and duties. Existing law, the Governors Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025 (GRP), which became effective on July 5, 2025, transfers the Department of Housing and Community Development to the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, which the GRP also establishes, as of July 1, 2026.
Existing law establishes a low-income housing tax credit program, through which the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, chaired by the Treasurer, allocates low-income housing tax credits aimed at providing affordable low-income housing within and throughout the state. Existing law sets forth procedures and criteria under the program for housing credit applicants, who are owners, sponsors, or developers of qualifying low-income buildings or projects, as specified.
Existing law, the Multifamily Housing Program, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, makes available deferred payment loans to pay for the eligible costs of housing development projects. Existing law specifies particular requirements for projects funded with funds appropriated for supportive housing projects, including, among other things, that supportive housing projects provide or demonstrate collaboration with programs that provide services that meet the needs of the supportive housing residents. Existing law also requires that funds appropriated to provide housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness and who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable diseases be disbursed in accordance with the Multifamily Housing Program for specified uses. This disbursement program is referred to as Homekey.
Existing law, known as the No Place Like Home Program, requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to award $2,000,000,000 among counties to finance capital costs, including, but not limited to, acquisition, design, construction, rehabilitation, or preservation, and to capitalize operating reserves, of permanent supportive housing for the target population, as specified.
This bill would establish the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation, for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, require a sponsor of a housing unit that meets prescribed criteria to notify the Department of Housing and Community Development or the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee of the units eligibility for a DASH designation, as specified. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, and to the extent not prohibited by federal law, require the department or the committee to apply specified expedited compliance documentation standards for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit, as provided. The bill would include in these expedited compliance standards, among others, the requirement to accept self-certification of homelessness, defined as an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury, indicating an individuals status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would would, subject to specified requirements, permit a sponsor or housing credit applicant of any unit funded by one of the above-described programs to receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed since the sponsor or applicant initially notified the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of an available unit.
This bill would require the California Housing and Homelessness Agency and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee to, by January 1, 2028, complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for DASH units, as provided. The bill would require the agency and committee to submit a report on this review to the Legislature by April 1, 2028, and to implement revised compliance requirements based on the review by July 1, 2028.
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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and sets forth its powers and duties. Existing law, the Governors Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025 (GRP), which became effective on July 5, 2025, transfers the Department of Housing and Community Development to the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, which the GRP also establishes, as of July 1, 2026.
Existing law establishes a low-income housing tax credit program, through which the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, chaired by the Treasurer, allocates low-income housing tax credits aimed at providing affordable low-income housing within and throughout the state. Existing law sets forth procedures and criteria under the program for housing credit applicants, who are owners, sponsors, or developers of qualifying low-income buildings or projects, as specified.
Existing law, the Multifamily Housing Program, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, makes available deferred payment loans to pay for the eligible costs of housing development projects. Existing law specifies particular requirements for projects funded with funds appropriated for supportive housing projects, including, among other things, that supportive housing projects provide or demonstrate collaboration with programs that provide services that meet the needs of the supportive housing residents. Existing law also requires that funds appropriated to provide housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness and who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable diseases be disbursed in accordance with the Multifamily Housing Program for specified uses. This disbursement program is referred to as Homekey.
Existing law, known as the No Place Like Home Program, requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to award $2,000,000,000 among counties to finance capital costs, including, but not limited to, acquisition, design, construction, rehabilitation, or preservation, and to capitalize operating reserves, of permanent supportive housing for the target population, as specified.
This bill would establish the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation, for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, require a sponsor of a housing unit that meets prescribed criteria to notify the Department of Housing and Community Development or the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee of the units eligibility for a DASH designation, as specified. The bill would, beginning July 1, 2027, and to the extent not prohibited by federal law, require the department or the committee to apply specified expedited compliance documentation standards for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit, as provided. The bill would include in these expedited compliance standards, among others, the requirement to accept self-certification of homelessness, defined as an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury, indicating an individuals status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would permit a sponsor or housing credit applicant of any unit funded by one of the above-described programs to receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed since the sponsor or applicant initially notified the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of an available unit.
This bill would require the California Housing and Homelessness Agency and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee to, by January 1, 2028, complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for DASH units, as provided. The bill would require the agency and committee to submit a report on this review to the Legislature by April 1, 2028, and to implement revised compliance requirements based on the review by July 1, 2028.
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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes the Multifamily Housing Program, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, to provide financial assistance in the form of deferred payment loans to pay for the eligible costs of development of specified types of housing projects. Existing law requires that specified funds appropriated to provide housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness and who are inherently impacted by or at increased risk for medical diseases or conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable diseases be disbursed in accordance with the Multifamily Housing Program for specified uses. This disbursement program is referred to as Homekey.This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.Existing law establishes the Multifamily Housing Program, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, to provide financial assistance in the form of deferred payment loans to pay for the eligible costs of development of specified types of housing projects. Existing law requires that specified funds appropriated to provide housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness and who are inherently impacted by or at increased risk for medical diseases or conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable diseases be disbursed in accordance with the Multifamily Housing Program for specified uses. This disbursement program is referred to as Homekey.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
(a)For purposes of this section:
(1)CES or coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)Continuum of care has the same meaning as defined in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(b)On or before July 1, 2028, the council shall complete a comprehensive statewide study of CES and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing, including supportive housing, in California.
(c)The study shall evaluate the operation, effectiveness, capacity, and outcomes of CES throughout the state and identify opportunities to improve coordination, reduce unnecessary administrative barriers, accelerate appropriate housing placements, and support effective local implementation.
(d)In conducting the study, the council shall meaningfully consult with a geographically representative group of stakeholders, including, but not limited to:
(1)Continuums of care and CES lead entities representing urban, suburban, rural, and geographically diverse regions of the state.
(2)Counties, cities, public housing authorities, and other local public entities participating in coordinated entry systems.
(3)Homelessness service providers, outreach providers, and housing navigation providers.
(4)Supportive and affordable housing developers, owners, operators, and property managers.
(5)Behavioral health and health care entities participating in coordinated entry or housing referral processes.
(6)Tribal governments and organizations serving tribal communities.
(7)Individuals with lived experience of homelessness and coordinated entry.
(8)The Department of Housing and Community Development, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, and other state entities that fund or regulate housing or homelessness programs that require or utilize CES.
(e)The study shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1)An assessment of the structure, governance, administration, and capacity of CES throughout the state, including differences in system design, staffing, funding, geographic coverage, access points, assessment processes, prioritization methodologies, matching and referral practices, and housing inventory management.
(2)An assessment of whether individuals and families experiencing homelessness have equitable and timely access to coordinated entry, including barriers experienced by people living in rural or geographically isolated communities, tribal communities, people with disabilities, families with children, youth, older adults, survivors of domestic violence, and other populations for whom access may present unique challenges.
(3)A review of the process from initial access to CES through housing placement, including enrollment, assessment, prioritization, eligibility and documentation verification, matching, referral, provider screening, lease-up, and enrollment into permanent housing.
(4)An assessment of the time associated with each stage of the CES and housing placement process and, to the extent data are available, identification of stages at which significant delays, referral attrition, or unsuccessful placements occur.
(5)Identification of federal, state, and local requirements affecting CES operations, including the entity responsible for each requirement and whether the requirement originates in federal law or regulation, state statute or regulation, state funding requirements, local coordinated entry policies, housing program requirements, regulatory agreements, or housing provider practices.
(6)Identification of documentation, eligibility, screening, referral, or compliance requirements that delay or prevent housing placement, including:
(A)The entity responsible for imposing or administering the requirement.
(B)The purpose of the requirement.
(C)Whether substantially similar information has already been collected or verified through coordinated entry, a homeless management information system, another governmental program, or another homelessness response system.
(D)To the extent data are available, the frequency and duration of delays attributable to the requirement.
(7)An analysis of variation among coordinated entry systems, including:
(A)The extent to which variation results from federal requirements, local housing inventory, available resources, populations served, geography, system capacity, or local policy.
(B)Whether identified variation creates barriers to housing placement or reflects appropriate responses to local needs and conditions.
(C)Practices demonstrated to improve access, referral timeliness, successful housing placements, housing utilization, or other system outcomes that may be appropriate for voluntary replication in other communities.
(8)An assessment of the interoperability of CES and homeless management information systems with state and local housing, health, behavioral health, and benefits programs, including opportunities to reduce duplicative data collection and documentation consistent with applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements.
(9)Identification of opportunities for state agencies to simplify or align state housing and homelessness program requirements, eliminate duplicative documentation, clarify existing compliance requirements, or provide technical assistance without altering local CES governance or federally required functions.
(10)An assessment of the appropriate role of the state in supporting CES, taking into consideration federal authority governing continuums of care and CES, local governance and decisionmaking, differences in community needs and resources, and the states role as a funder of housing and homelessness programs.
(f)(1)On or before July 1, 2028, the council shall post the report on its internet website.
(2)On or before July 1, 2028, the council shall, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, submit the report to the Legislature and any relevant policy committees.
(a)For purposes of this section:
(1)CES or coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)Continuum of care has the same meaning as defined in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(b)On or before July 1, 2028, the council shall complete a comprehensive statewide study of CES and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing, including supportive housing, in California.
(c)The study shall evaluate the operation, effectiveness, capacity, and outcomes of CES throughout the state and identify opportunities to improve coordination, reduce unnecessary administrative barriers, accelerate appropriate housing placements, and support effective local implementation.
(d)In conducting the study, the council shall meaningfully consult with a geographically representative group of stakeholders, including, but not limited to:
(1)Continuums of care and CES lead entities representing urban, suburban, rural, and geographically diverse regions of the state.
(2)Counties, cities, public housing authorities, and other local public entities participating in coordinated entry systems.
(3)Homelessness service providers, outreach providers, and housing navigation providers.
(4)Supportive and affordable housing developers, owners, operators, and property managers.
(5)Behavioral health and health care entities participating in coordinated entry or housing referral processes.
(6)Tribal governments and organizations serving tribal communities.
(7)Individuals with lived experience of homelessness and coordinated entry.
(8)The Department of Housing and Community Development, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, and other state entities that fund or regulate housing or homelessness programs that require or utilize CES.
(e)The study shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1)An assessment of the structure, governance, administration, and capacity of CES throughout the state, including differences in system design, staffing, funding, geographic coverage, access points, assessment processes, prioritization methodologies, matching and referral practices, and housing inventory management.
(2)An assessment of whether individuals and families experiencing homelessness have equitable and timely access to coordinated entry, including barriers experienced by people living in rural or geographically isolated communities, tribal communities, people with disabilities, families with children, youth, older adults, survivors of domestic violence, and other populations for whom access may present unique challenges.
(3)A review of the process from initial access to CES through housing placement, including enrollment, assessment, prioritization, eligibility and documentation verification, matching, referral, provider screening, lease-up, and enrollment into permanent housing.
(4)An assessment of the time associated with each stage of the CES and housing placement process and, to the extent data are available, identification of stages at which significant delays, referral attrition, or unsuccessful placements occur.
(5)Identification of federal, state, and local requirements affecting CES operations, including the entity responsible for each requirement and whether the requirement originates in federal law or regulation, state statute or regulation, state funding requirements, local coordinated entry policies, housing program requirements, regulatory agreements, or housing provider practices.
(6)Identification of documentation, eligibility, screening, referral, or compliance requirements that delay or prevent housing placement, including:
(A)The entity responsible for imposing or administering the requirement.
(B)The purpose of the requirement.
(C)Whether substantially similar information has already been collected or verified through coordinated entry, a homeless management information system, another governmental program, or another homelessness response system.
(D)To the extent data are available, the frequency and duration of delays attributable to the requirement.
(7)An analysis of variation among coordinated entry systems, including:
(A)The extent to which variation results from federal requirements, local housing inventory, available resources, populations served, geography, system capacity, or local policy.
(B)Whether identified variation creates barriers to housing placement or reflects appropriate responses to local needs and conditions.
(C)Practices demonstrated to improve access, referral timeliness, successful housing placements, housing utilization, or other system outcomes that may be appropriate for voluntary replication in other communities.
(8)An assessment of the interoperability of CES and homeless management information systems with state and local housing, health, behavioral health, and benefits programs, including opportunities to reduce duplicative data collection and documentation consistent with applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements.
(9)Identification of opportunities for state agencies to simplify or align state housing and homelessness program requirements, eliminate duplicative documentation, clarify existing compliance requirements, or provide technical assistance without altering local CES governance or federally required functions.
(10)An assessment of the appropriate role of the state in supporting CES, taking into consideration federal authority governing continuums of care and CES, local governance and decisionmaking, differences in community needs and resources, and the states role as a funder of housing and homelessness programs.
(f)(1)On or before July 1, 2028, the council shall post the report on its internet website.
(2)On or before July 1, 2028, the council shall, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, submit the report to the Legislature and any relevant policy committees.
(a)For purposes of this section:
(1)CES or coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)Continuum of care has the same meaning as defined in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(b)On or before July 1, 2028, the council shall complete a comprehensive statewide study of CES and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing, including supportive housing, in California.
(c)The study shall evaluate the operation, effectiveness, capacity, and outcomes of CES throughout the state and identify opportunities to improve coordination, reduce unnecessary administrative barriers, accelerate appropriate housing placements, and support effective local implementation.
(d)In conducting the study, the council shall meaningfully consult with a geographically representative group of stakeholders, including, but not limited to:
(1)Continuums of care and CES lead entities representing urban, suburban, rural, and geographically diverse regions of the state.
(2)Counties, cities, public housing authorities, and other local public entities participating in coordinated entry systems.
(3)Homelessness service providers, outreach providers, and housing navigation providers.
(4)Supportive and affordable housing developers, owners, operators, and property managers.
(5)Behavioral health and health care entities participating in coordinated entry or housing referral processes.
(6)Tribal governments and organizations serving tribal communities.
(7)Individuals with lived experience of homelessness and coordinated entry.
(8)The Department of Housing and Community Development, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, and other state entities that fund or regulate housing or homelessness programs that require or utilize CES.
(e)The study shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1)An assessment of the structure, governance, administration, and capacity of CES throughout the state, including differences in system design, staffing, funding, geographic coverage, access points, assessment processes, prioritization methodologies, matching and referral practices, and housing inventory management.
(2)An assessment of whether individuals and families experiencing homelessness have equitable and timely access to coordinated entry, including barriers experienced by people living in rural or geographically isolated communities, tribal communities, people with disabilities, families with children, youth, older adults, survivors of domestic violence, and other populations for whom access may present unique challenges.
(3)A review of the process from initial access to CES through housing placement, including enrollment, assessment, prioritization, eligibility and documentation verification, matching, referral, provider screening, lease-up, and enrollment into permanent housing.
(4)An assessment of the time associated with each stage of the CES and housing placement process and, to the extent data are available, identification of stages at which significant delays, referral attrition, or unsuccessful placements occur.
(5)Identification of federal, state, and local requirements affecting CES operations, including the entity responsible for each requirement and whether the requirement originates in federal law or regulation, state statute or regulation, state funding requirements, local coordinated entry policies, housing program requirements, regulatory agreements, or housing provider practices.
(6)Identification of documentation, eligibility, screening, referral, or compliance requirements that delay or prevent housing placement, including:
(A)The entity responsible for imposing or administering the requirement.
(B)The purpose of the requirement.
(C)Whether substantially similar information has already been collected or verified through coordinated entry, a homeless management information system, another governmental program, or another homelessness response system.
(D)To the extent data are available, the frequency and duration of delays attributable to the requirement.
(7)An analysis of variation among coordinated entry systems, including:
(A)The extent to which variation results from federal requirements, local housing inventory, available resources, populations served, geography, system capacity, or local policy.
(B)Whether identified variation creates barriers to housing placement or reflects appropriate responses to local needs and conditions.
(C)Practices demonstrated to improve access, referral timeliness, successful housing placements, housing utilization, or other system outcomes that may be appropriate for voluntary replication in other communities.
(8)An assessment of the interoperability of CES and homeless management information systems with state and local housing, health, behavioral health, and benefits programs, including opportunities to reduce duplicative data collection and documentation consistent with applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements.
(9)Identification of opportunities for state agencies to simplify or align state housing and homelessness program requirements, eliminate duplicative documentation, clarify existing compliance requirements, or provide technical assistance without altering local CES governance or federally required functions.
(10)An assessment of the appropriate role of the state in supporting CES, taking into consideration federal authority governing continuums of care and CES, local governance and decisionmaking, differences in community needs and resources, and the states role as a funder of housing and homelessness programs.
(f)(1)On or before July 1, 2028, the council shall post the report on its internet website.
(2)On or before July 1, 2028, the council shall, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, submit the report to the Legislature and any relevant policy committees.
All matter omitted in this version of the bill appears in the bill as amended in the Senate, August 13, 2026. (JR11)(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) of Part 2.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(4)Housing history means a report of an applicants last known residential address or addresses, length of residency, and reason for departure, typically for a period of no less than two years preceding a housing application.
(5)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a housing credit applicant shall notify the committee if a unit receiving an allocation of tax credits pursuant to this chapter meets the criteria for DASH designation specified in Section 50899.8.2.
(2)The applicant may notify the committee pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the committee.
(c)If the committee disagrees with the housing credit applicants determination of DASH unit status, the committee shall notify the applicant in writing within 60 days and shall allow the applicant 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The committee shall not penalize an applicant as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a housing credit applicant shall notify the committee that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the committee shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The committee shall not require a housing credit applicant to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The committee shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(3)The committee shall not require housing history for prospective tenants.
(4)(A)A housing credit applicant shall not request or require housing history or landlord or personal references for prospective tenants. tenants as a component of the tenant screening or leasing process.
(B)Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prohibit housing credit applicants from requesting the information in subparagraph (A) outside of the leasing process, once a tenant has been accepted to a property, including, but not limited to, in the course of creating a housing services plan or in the course of providing supportive services.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the committee shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 2.Section 50199.27 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50199.27.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:(1)Alternative referral means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system.(2)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development.(4)Referral waiting period means the time period from the day when the housing credit applicant notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification.(b)A housing credit applicant who receives referrals through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at the end of the referral waiting period, if all of the following conditions are met:(1)A housing credit applicant shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.(2)After 180 days, the housing credit applicant shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the housing credit applicant has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.(3)The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit.(4)The housing credit applicant shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful.(5)When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a coordinated entry system or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision.(6)At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the coordinated entry system may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units.(7)The housing credit applicant may accept referrals from the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at any time.(c)Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system to a single referral per vacant unit. In order to minimize the time a unit remains unoccupied and to maximize successful placements, a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system shall, to the extent practicable, refer multiple prioritized households for each available unit.SEC. 3.SEC. 2.Section 50675.15.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50675.15.5.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(3)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1).
(4)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(5)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a sponsor shall notify the department if a unit receiving funding pursuant to this chapter, including Sections 50675.1.1 or 50675.1.3, meets the criteria for DASH designation in Section 50899.8.2.
(2)The sponsor may notify the department pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the department.
(c)If the department disagrees with the sponsors determination of DASH unit status, the department shall notify the sponsor in writing within 60 days and shall allow the sponsor 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The department shall not penalize a sponsor as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a sponsor shall notify the department that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the department shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The department shall not require a sponsor to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The department shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the department shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 4.Section 50675.15.7 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50675.15.7.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:(1)Alternative referral means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system.(2)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.(3)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.(4)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.(5)Referral waiting period means the time period from the day when the sponsor notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification.(b)A sponsor who receives referrals for units receiving funding pursuant to this chapter, including Sections 50675.1.1 or 50675.1.3, through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at the end of the referral waiting period, if all of the following conditions are met:(1)A sponsor shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.(2)After 180 days, the sponsor shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the sponsor has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.(3)The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit.(4)The sponsor shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful.(5)When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a coordinated entry system or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision.(6)At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the coordinated entry system may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units.(7)The sponsor may accept referrals from the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at any time.(c)Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system to a single referral per vacant unit. In order to minimize the time a unit remains unoccupied and to maximize successful placements, a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system shall, to the extent practicable, refer multiple prioritized households for each available unit.SEC. 5.SEC. 3.Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) is added to Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:20.California Direct Access to Supportive Housing Designation50899.8.1.(a)The California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation is established for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units.
(b)For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Agency means the California Housing and Homelessness Agency.
(2)Committee means the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.(3)(2)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(4)(3)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(5)(4)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(6)(5)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(7)(6)Sponsor means any individual, joint venture, partnership, limited partnership, trust, corporation, cooperative, local public entity, duly constituted governing body of an Indian reservation or rancheria, or other legal entity, or any combination thereof, certified as qualified to own, manage, and rehabilitate a rental housing development. A sponsor may be organized for profit or limited profit, or be a nonprofit.
50899.8.2.A housing unit shall be designated as DASH if it meets all the following criteria:
(a)The unit did not or does not receive any federal capital or operating subsidy that requires compliance with federal Department of Housing and Urban Development standards.
(b)The unit is restricted to occupancy by those at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness.
(c)The unit receives referrals through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system for the first 180 days per vacancy. system.
50899.8.3.(a)By January 1, 2028, the agency and committee, agency, in consultation with sponsors of housing units designated as DASH, shall complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for those units, which shall identify all of the following information:
(1)Compliance requirements that create barriers to housing access for individuals at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness.
(2)Alternative methods of compliance to remove barriers and accelerate housing move-ins.
(3)Opportunities to streamline documentation through alignment with existing standards for other programs, including, but not limited to, Medi-Cal or Transitional Rent.
(b)(1)By April 1, 2028, the agency and committee shall submit a report on the review completed pursuant to this section to the Legislature.
(2)The report required by this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(c)The agency and committee shall implement revised compliance requirements based on the review completed pursuant to this section by July 1, 2028.
SEC. 6.SEC. 4.Section 5849.8.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:5849.8.5.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) of Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(4)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a development sponsor shall notify the department if a unit receiving funding pursuant to this part meets the criteria for DASH designation in Section 50899.8.2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(2)The development sponsor may notify the department pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the department.
(c)If the department disagrees with the development sponsors determination of DASH unit status, the department shall notify the sponsor in writing within 60 days and shall allow the development sponsor 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The department shall not penalize a development sponsor as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a sponsor shall notify the department that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the department shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The department shall not require a development sponsor to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The department shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the department shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 7.Section 5849.8.7 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:5849.8.7.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:(1)Alternative referral means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system.(2)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.(4)Referral waiting period means the time period from the day when the development sponsor notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification.(b)A development sponsor who receives referrals for units funded pursuant to this part through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at the end of the referral waiting period, if all of the following conditions are met:(1)A development sponsor shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.(2)After 180 days, the development sponsor shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the development sponsor has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.(3)The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit.(4)The development sponsor shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful.(5)When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a coordinated entry system or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision.(6)At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the coordinated entry system may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units.(7)The development sponsor may accept referrals from the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at any time.(c)Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system to a single referral per vacant unit. In order to minimize the time a unit remains unoccupied and to maximize successful placements, a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system shall, to the extent practicable, refer multiple prioritized households for each available unit.SEC. 8.SEC. 5.No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.
(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) of Part 2.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(4)Housing history means a report of an applicants last known residential address or addresses, length of residency, and reason for departure, typically for a period of no less than two years preceding a housing application.
(5)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a housing credit applicant shall notify the committee if a unit receiving an allocation of tax credits pursuant to this chapter meets the criteria for DASH designation specified in Section 50899.8.2.
(2)The applicant may notify the committee pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the committee.
(c)If the committee disagrees with the housing credit applicants determination of DASH unit status, the committee shall notify the applicant in writing within 60 days and shall allow the applicant 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The committee shall not penalize an applicant as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a housing credit applicant shall notify the committee that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the committee shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The committee shall not require a housing credit applicant to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The committee shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(3)The committee shall not require housing history for prospective tenants.
(4)A housing credit applicant shall not request or require housing history or landlord or personal references for prospective tenants.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the committee shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 2.Section 50199.27 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50199.27.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Alternative referral means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system.
(2)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(4)Referral waiting period means the time period from the day when the housing credit applicant notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification.
(b)A housing credit applicant who receives referrals through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at the end of the referral waiting period, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1)A housing credit applicant shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.
(2)After 180 days, the housing credit applicant shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the housing credit applicant has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.
(3)The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit.
(4)The housing credit applicant shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful.
(5)When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a coordinated entry system or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision.
(6)At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the coordinated entry system may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units.
(7)The housing credit applicant may accept referrals from the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at any time.
(c)Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system to a single referral per vacant unit. In order to minimize the time a unit remains unoccupied and to maximize successful placements, a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system shall, to the extent practicable, refer multiple prioritized households for each available unit.
SEC. 3.Section 50675.15.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50675.15.5.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(3)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1).
(4)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(5)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a sponsor shall notify the department if a unit receiving funding pursuant to this chapter, including Sections 50675.1.1 or 50675.1.3, meets the criteria for DASH designation in Section 50899.8.2.
(2)The sponsor may notify the department pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the department.
(c)If the department disagrees with the sponsors determination of DASH unit status, the department shall notify the sponsor in writing within 60 days and shall allow the sponsor 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The department shall not penalize a sponsor as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a sponsor shall notify the department that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the department shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The department shall not require a sponsor to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The department shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the department shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 4.Section 50675.15.7 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50675.15.7.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Alternative referral means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system.
(2)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(3)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(4)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(5)Referral waiting period means the time period from the day when the sponsor notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification.
(b)A sponsor who receives referrals for units receiving funding pursuant to this chapter, including Sections 50675.1.1 or 50675.1.3, through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at the end of the referral waiting period, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1)A sponsor shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.
(2)After 180 days, the sponsor shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the sponsor has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.
(3)The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit.
(4)The sponsor shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful.
(5)When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a coordinated entry system or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision.
(6)At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the coordinated entry system may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units.
(7)The sponsor may accept referrals from the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at any time.
(c)Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system to a single referral per vacant unit. In order to minimize the time a unit remains unoccupied and to maximize successful placements, a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system shall, to the extent practicable, refer multiple prioritized households for each available unit.
SEC. 5.Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) is added to Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:20.California Direct Access to Supportive Housing Designation50899.8.1.(a)The California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation is established for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units.
(b)For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Agency means the California Housing and Homelessness Agency.
(2)Committee means the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.
(3)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(4)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(5)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(6)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(7)Sponsor means any individual, joint venture, partnership, limited partnership, trust, corporation, cooperative, local public entity, duly constituted governing body of an Indian reservation or rancheria, or other legal entity, or any combination thereof, certified as qualified to own, manage, and rehabilitate a rental housing development. A sponsor may be organized for profit or limited profit, or be a nonprofit.
50899.8.2.A housing unit shall be designated as DASH if it meets all the following criteria:
(a)The unit did not or does not receive any federal capital or operating subsidy that requires compliance with federal Department of Housing and Urban Development standards.
(b)The unit is restricted to occupancy by those at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness.
(c)The unit receives referrals through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system for the first 180 days per vacancy.
50899.8.3.(a)By January 1, 2028, the agency and committee, in consultation with sponsors of housing units designated as DASH, shall complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for those units, which shall identify all of the following information:
(1)Compliance requirements that create barriers to housing access for individuals at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness.
(2)Alternative methods of compliance to remove barriers and accelerate housing move-ins.
(3)Opportunities to streamline documentation through alignment with existing standards for other programs, including, but not limited to, Medi-Cal or Transitional Rent.
(b)(1)By April 1, 2028, the agency and committee shall submit a report on the review completed pursuant to this section to the Legislature.
(2)The report required by this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(c)The agency and committee shall implement revised compliance requirements based on the review completed pursuant to this section by July 1, 2028.
SEC. 6.Section 5849.8.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:5849.8.5.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) of Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(4)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a development sponsor shall notify the department if a unit receiving funding pursuant to this part meets the criteria for DASH designation in Section 50899.8.2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(2)The development sponsor may notify the department pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the department.
(c)If the department disagrees with the development sponsors determination of DASH unit status, the department shall notify the sponsor in writing within 60 days and shall allow the development sponsor 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The department shall not penalize a development sponsor as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a sponsor shall notify the department that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the department shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The department shall not require a development sponsor to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The department shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the department shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 7.Section 5849.8.7 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:5849.8.7.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Alternative referral means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system.
(2)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(4)Referral waiting period means the time period from the day when the development sponsor notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification.
(b)A development sponsor who receives referrals for units funded pursuant to this part through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at the end of the referral waiting period, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1)A development sponsor shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.
(2)After 180 days, the development sponsor shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the development sponsor has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.
(3)The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit.
(4)The development sponsor shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful.
(5)When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a coordinated entry system or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision.
(6)At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the coordinated entry system may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units.
(7)The development sponsor may accept referrals from the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at any time.
(c)Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system to a single referral per vacant unit. In order to minimize the time a unit remains unoccupied and to maximize successful placements, a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system shall, to the extent practicable, refer multiple prioritized households for each available unit.
SEC. 8.No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.
(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) of Part 2.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(4)Housing history means a report of an applicants last known residential address or addresses, length of residency, and reason for departure, typically for a period of no less than two years preceding a housing application.
(5)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a housing credit applicant shall notify the committee if a unit receiving an allocation of tax credits pursuant to this chapter meets the criteria for DASH designation specified in Section 50899.8.2.
(2)The applicant may notify the committee pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the committee.
(c)If the committee disagrees with the housing credit applicants determination of DASH unit status, the committee shall notify the applicant in writing within 60 days and shall allow the applicant 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The committee shall not penalize an applicant as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a housing credit applicant shall notify the committee that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the committee shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The committee shall not require a housing credit applicant to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The committee shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(3)The committee shall not require housing history for prospective tenants.
(4)A housing credit applicant shall not request or require housing history or landlord or personal references for prospective tenants.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the committee shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 2.Section 50199.27 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50199.27.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Alternative referral means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system.
(1)(2)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(4)Referral waiting period means the time period from the day when the housing credit applicant notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification.
(b)A housing credit applicant who receives referrals through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed since the applicant initially notified the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of an available unit. at the end of the referral waiting period, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1)A housing credit applicant shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.
(2)After 180 days, the housing credit applicant shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the housing credit applicant has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.
(3)The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit.
(4)The housing credit applicant shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful.
(5)When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a coordinated entry system or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision.
(6)At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the coordinated entry system may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units.
(7)The housing credit applicant may accept referrals from the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at any time.
SEC. 3.Section 50675.15.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50675.15.5.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(3)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1).
(4)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(5)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a sponsor shall notify the department if a unit receiving funding pursuant to this chapter, including Sections 50675.1.1 or 50675.1.3, meets the criteria for DASH designation in Section 50899.8.2.
(2)The sponsor may notify the department pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the department.
(c)If the department disagrees with the sponsors determination of DASH unit status, the department shall notify the sponsor in writing within 60 days and shall allow the sponsor 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The department shall not penalize a sponsor as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a sponsor shall notify the department that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the department shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The department shall not require a sponsor to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The department shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the department shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 4.Section 50675.15.7 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50675.15.7.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Alternative referral means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system.
(1)(2)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)(3)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(3)(4)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(5)Referral waiting period means the time period from the day when the sponsor notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification.
(b)A sponsor who receives referrals for units receiving funding pursuant to this chapter, including Sections 50675.1.1 or 50675.1.3, through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed since the sponsor initially notified the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of an available unit. at the end of the referral waiting period, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1)A sponsor shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.
(2)After 180 days, the sponsor shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the sponsor has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.
(3)The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit.
(4)The sponsor shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful.
(5)When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a coordinated entry system or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision.
(6)At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the coordinated entry system may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units.
(7)The sponsor may accept referrals from the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at any time.
SEC. 5.Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) is added to Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:20.California Direct Access to Supportive Housing Designation50899.8.1.(a)The California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation is established for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units.
(b)For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Agency means the California Housing and Homelessness Agency.
(2)Committee means the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.
(3)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(4)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(5)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(6)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(7)Sponsor means any individual, joint venture, partnership, limited partnership, trust, corporation, cooperative, local public entity, duly constituted governing body of an Indian reservation or rancheria, or other legal entity, or any combination thereof, certified as qualified to own, manage, and rehabilitate a rental housing development. A sponsor may be organized for profit or limited profit, or be a nonprofit.
50899.8.2.A housing unit shall be designated as DASH if it meets all the following criteria:
(a)The unit did not or does not receive any federal capital or operating subsidy that requires compliance with federal Department of Housing and Urban Development standards.
(b)The unit is restricted to occupancy by those at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness.
(c)The unit receives referrals through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system for the first 180 days per vacancy.
50899.8.3.(a)By January 1, 2028, the agency and committee, in consultation with sponsors of housing units designated as DASH, shall complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for those units, which shall identify all of the following information:
(1)Compliance requirements that create barriers to housing access for individuals at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness.
(2)Alternative methods of compliance to remove barriers and accelerate housing move-ins.
(3)Opportunities to streamline documentation through alignment with existing standards for other programs, including, but not limited to, Medi-Cal or Transitional Rent.
(b)(1)By April 1, 2028, the agency and committee shall submit a report on the review completed pursuant to this section to the Legislature.
(2)The report required by this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(c)The agency and committee shall implement revised compliance requirements based on the review completed pursuant to this section by July 1, 2028.
SEC. 6.Section 5849.8.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:5849.8.5.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) of Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(4)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a development sponsor shall notify the department if a unit receiving funding pursuant to this part meets the criteria for DASH designation in Section 50899.8.2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(2)The development sponsor may notify the department pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the department.
(c)If the department disagrees with the development sponsors determination of DASH unit status, the department shall notify the sponsor in writing within 60 days and shall allow the development sponsor 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The department shall not penalize a development sponsor as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a sponsor shall notify the department that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the department shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The department shall not require a development sponsor to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The department shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the department shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 7.Section 5849.8.7 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:5849.8.7.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Alternative referral means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system.
(1)(2)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(4)Referral waiting period means the time period from the day when the development sponsor notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification.
(b)A development sponsor who receives referrals for units funded pursuant to this part through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed since the development sponsor initially notified the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of an available unit. at the end of the referral waiting period, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1)A development sponsor shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.
(2)After 180 days, the development sponsor shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the development sponsor has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.
(3)The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit.
(4)The development sponsor shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful.
(5)When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a coordinated entry system or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision.
(6)At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the coordinated entry system may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units.
(7)The development sponsor may accept referrals from the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system at any time.
SEC. 8.No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.
REVISIONS: HeadingLine 2.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) of Part 2.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(4)Housing history means a report of an applicants last known residential address or addresses, length of residency, and reason for departure, typically for a period of no less than two years preceding a housing application.
(5)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a housing credit applicant shall notify the committee if a unit receiving an allocation of tax credits pursuant to this chapter meets the criteria for DASH designation specified in Section 50899.8.2.
(2)The applicant may notify the committee pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the committee.
(c)If the committee disagrees with the housing credit applicants determination of DASH unit status, the committee shall notify the applicant in writing within 60 days and shall allow the applicant 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The committee shall not penalize an applicant as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a housing credit applicant shall notify the committee that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the committee shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The committee shall not require a housing credit applicant to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The committee shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(3)The committee shall not require housing history for prospective tenants.
(4)A housing credit applicant shall not request or require housing history or landlord or personal references for prospective tenants.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the committee shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 2.Section 50199.27 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50199.27.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(b)A housing credit applicant who receives referrals through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed since the applicant initially notified the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of an available unit.
(1)A housing credit applicant shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.
(2)After 180 days, the housing credit applicant shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the housing credit applicant has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.
SEC. 3.Section 50675.15.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50675.15.5.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(3)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1).
(4)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(5)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a sponsor shall notify the department if a unit receiving funding pursuant to this chapter, including Sections 50675.1.1 or 50675.1.3, meets the criteria for DASH designation in Section 50899.8.2.
(2)The sponsor may notify the department pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the department.
(c)If the department disagrees with the sponsors determination of DASH unit status, the department shall notify the sponsor in writing within 60 days and shall allow the sponsor 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The department shall not penalize a sponsor as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a sponsor shall notify the department that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the department shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The department shall not require a sponsor to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The department shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the department shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 4.Section 50675.15.7 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50675.15.7.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(b)A sponsor who receives referrals for units receiving funding pursuant to this chapter, including Sections 50675.1.1 or 50675.1.3, through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed since the sponsor initially notified the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of an available unit.
(1)A sponsor shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.
(2)After 180 days, the sponsor shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the sponsor has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.
SEC. 5.Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) is added to Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:20.California Direct Access to Supportive Housing Designation50899.8.1.(a)The California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation is established for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units.
(b)For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Agency means the California Housing and Homelessness Agency.
(2)Committee means the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.
(3)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(4)Department means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(5)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(6)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(7)Sponsor means any individual, joint venture, partnership, limited partnership, trust, corporation, cooperative, local public entity, duly constituted governing body of an Indian reservation or rancheria, or other legal entity, or any combination thereof, certified as qualified to own, manage, and rehabilitate a rental housing development. A sponsor may be organized for profit or limited profit, or be a nonprofit.
50899.8.2.A housing unit shall be designated as DASH if it meets all the following criteria:
(a)The unit did not or does not receive any federal capital or operating subsidy that requires compliance with federal Department of Housing and Urban Development standards.
(b)The unit is restricted to occupancy by those at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness.
(c)The unit receives referrals through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system for the first 180 days per vacancy.
50899.8.3.(a)By January 1, 2028, the agency and committee, in consultation with sponsors of housing units designated as DASH, shall complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for those units, which shall identify all of the following information:
(1)Compliance requirements that create barriers to housing access for individuals at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness.
(2)Alternative methods of compliance to remove barriers and accelerate housing move-ins.
(3)Opportunities to streamline documentation through alignment with existing standards for other programs, including, but not limited to, Medi-Cal or Transitional Rent.
(b)(1)By April 1, 2028, the agency and committee shall submit a report on the review completed pursuant to this section to the Legislature.
(2)The report required by this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(c)The agency and committee shall implement revised compliance requirements based on the review completed pursuant to this section by July 1, 2028.
SEC. 6.Section 5849.8.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:5849.8.5.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)DASH means the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing designation established in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 50899.8.1) of Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code.
(3)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(4)(A)Self-certification of homelessness means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury in accordance with Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
(B)If a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. The sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
(b)(1)Beginning July 1, 2027, a development sponsor shall notify the department if a unit receiving funding pursuant to this part meets the criteria for DASH designation in Section 50899.8.2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(2)The development sponsor may notify the department pursuant to paragraph (1) at the time that any of the following occur:
(A)Any time before the unit becomes vacant.
(B)When submitting notification of the units availability to a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system.
(C)When submitting loan closing documents to the department.
(c)If the department disagrees with the development sponsors determination of DASH unit status, the department shall notify the sponsor in writing within 60 days and shall allow the development sponsor 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. The department shall not penalize a development sponsor as a result of any disagreement over a units DASH status.
(d)In order to have a units DASH designation removed, a sponsor shall notify the department that the unit no longer meets the criteria in Section 50899.8.2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(e)Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system, the department shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
(1)The department shall not require a development sponsor to obtain third-party documentation of a persons status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
(2)The department shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
(f)On or before June 30, 2027, the department shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
SEC. 7.Section 5849.8.7 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:5849.8.7.(a)For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)Coordinated entry system means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
(2)Equivalent referral system means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the department.
(b)A development sponsor who receives referrals for units funded pursuant to this part through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system may, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed since the development sponsor initially notified the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of an available unit.
(1)A development sponsor shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed.
(2)After 180 days, the development sponsor shall notify the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the development sponsor has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis.
SEC. 8.No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.
SECTION 1.Section 50675.1.3 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:50675.1.3.(a)Notwithstanding any other law, including subdivision (b) of Section 50675.1, funds appropriated to provide housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness, as defined by this section, and who are inherently impacted by, or at increased risk for, medical diseases or conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable diseases, shall be disbursed in accordance with the Multifamily Housing Program, including as grants to cities, counties, cities and counties, and all other state, regional, and local public entities, including councils of government, metropolitan planning organizations, and regional transportation planning agencies designated in Section 29532.1 of the Government Code, as necessary, for the following uses:(1)Acquisition or rehabilitation, or acquisition and rehabilitation, of motels, hotels, hostels, or other sites and assets, including apartments or homes, adult residential facilities, residential care facilities for the elderly, manufactured housing, commercial properties, and other buildings with existing uses that could be converted to permanent or interim housing.(2)Master leasing of properties for noncongregant housing.(3)Conversion of units from nonresidential to residential.(4)New construction of dwelling units.(5)The purchase of affordability covenants and restrictions for units.(6)Relocation costs for individuals who are being displaced as a result of rehabilitation of existing units.(7)Capitalized operating subsidies for units purchased, converted, or altered with funds provided by this section.(b)Where possible, the funds described in subdivision (a) shall be allocated by the department in a manner that takes into consideration all of the following:(1)Need geographically across the state.(2)The demonstrated ability of the applicant to fund ongoing operating reserves.(3)The creation of new permanent housing options.(4)The potential for state, federal, or local funding for capitalized operating reserves to make additional housing units financially viable through this program.(c)Not less than 8 percent of the funds described in subdivision (a) shall be available for projects serving homeless youth, or youth at risk of homelessness, as defined in Part 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.(d)Any conflict between the other requirements of the Multifamily Housing Program created by this chapter and this section shall be resolved in favor of this section, as may be set forth in the guidelines authorized by this section.(e)The Department of Housing and Community Development may adopt guidelines for the expenditure of the funds appropriated to the department, and for the administration of this program. The guidelines shall not be subject to the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.(f)Up to 5 percent of the funds received from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund established by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) (Public Law 117-2) and appropriated for purposes of this section may be expended for the costs to administer the program, to the extent authorized by federal law.(g)Up to 5 percent of any General Fund moneys appropriated for purposes of this section may be expended for the costs to administer this program.(h)The departments annual report to the Legislature submitted under Section 50408 shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:(1)The amount of funds expended for the uses described in this section.(2)The location of any properties for which the funds are used.(3)The number of usable housing units produced, or planned to be produced, using the funds.(4)The number of individuals housed, or likely to be housed, using the funds.(5)The number of units, and the location of those units, for which operating subsidies have been, or are planned to be, capitalized using the funds.(6)An explanation of how funding decisions were made for acquisition, conversion, or rehabilitation projects, or for capitalized operating subsidies, including what metrics were considered in making those decisions.(7)Any lessons learned from the use of the funds.(8)Proposed changes to the program to address lessons learned.(i)Any project that uses funds received for any of the purposes specified in subdivision (a) shall be deemed consistent and in conformity with any applicable local plan, standard, or requirement, and any applicable coastal plan, local or otherwise, and allowed as a permitted use, within the zone in which the structure is located, and shall not be subject to a conditional use permit, discretionary permit, or any other discretionary reviews or approvals.(j)A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (h) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.(k)Upon an appropriation by the Legislature for the purposes described in this section, the department shall administer funding according to the timeline set forth below, subject to any modifications set forth by the guidelines:(1)The department may accept funding applications and issue awards on a continuous, over-the-counter basis until the funding has been exhausted or as otherwise required by law.(2)Each award shall be expended on the uses authorized at subdivision (a), and in accordance with all relevant representations and descriptions in the application, within eight months of the date of the award. Applicants may ask the department for an extension of this timeframe on the grounds and according to the procedures set forth in the guidelines. The director shall have reasonable discretion to approve or deny such an extension upon conducting a full and good faith review of the applicants extension request.(l)For purposes of this section, individuals and families who are homeless or who are at risk of homelessness means persons and families that meet the qualifying definitions under Part 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.(m)To advance the objectives specified in Section 50675.1.1 or this section, the department may expand the population served beyond the population specified in subdivision (l) as specified by the guidelines authorized by this section.(a)Notwithstanding any other law, including subdivision (b) of Section 50675.1, funds appropriated to provide housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness, as defined by this section, and who are inherently impacted by by, or at increased risk for for, medical diseases or conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable diseases, shall be disbursed in accordance with the Multifamily Housing Program, including as grants to cities, counties, cities and counties, and all other state, regional, and local public entities, including councils of government, metropolitan planning organizations, and regional transportation planning agencies designated in Section 29532.1 of the Government Code, as necessary, for the following uses:
(1)Acquisition or rehabilitation, or acquisition and rehabilitation, of motels, hotels, hostels, or other sites and assets, including apartments or homes, adult residential facilities, residential care facilities for the elderly, manufactured housing, commercial properties, and other buildings with existing uses that could be converted to permanent or interim housing.
(2)Master leasing of properties for noncongregant housing.
(3)Conversion of units from nonresidential to residential.
(4)New construction of dwelling units.
(5)The purchase of affordability covenants and restrictions for units.
(6)Relocation costs for individuals who are being displaced as a result of rehabilitation of existing units.
(7)Capitalized operating subsidies for units purchased, converted, or altered with funds provided by this section.
(b)Where possible, the funds described in subdivision (a) shall be allocated by the department in a manner that takes into consideration all of the following:
(1)Need geographically across the state.
(2)The demonstrated ability of the applicant to fund ongoing operating reserves.
(3)The creation of new permanent housing options.
(4)The potential for state, federal, or local funding for capitalized operating reserves to make additional housing units financially viable through this program.
(c)Not less than 8 percent of the funds described in subdivision (a) shall be available for projects serving homeless youth, or youth at risk of homelessness, as defined in Part 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(d)Any conflict between the other requirements of the Multifamily Housing Program created by this chapter and this section shall be resolved in favor of this section, as may be set forth in the guidelines authorized by this section.
(e)The Department of Housing and Community Development may adopt guidelines for the expenditure of the funds appropriated to the department, and for the administration of this program. The guidelines shall not be subject to the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(f)Up to 5 percent of the funds received from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund established by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) (Public Law 117-2) and appropriated for purposes of this section may be expended for the costs to administer the program, to the extent authorized by federal law.
(g)Up to 5 percent of any General Fund moneys appropriated for purposes of this section may be expended for the costs to administer this program.
(h)The departments annual report to the Legislature submitted under Section 50408 shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(1)The amount of funds expended for the uses described in this section.
(2)The location of any properties for which the funds are used.
(3)The number of usable housing units produced, or planned to be produced, using the funds.
(4)The number of individuals housed, or likely to be housed, using the funds.
(5)The number of units, and the location of those units, for which operating subsidies have been, or are planned to be, capitalized using the funds.
(6)An explanation of how funding decisions were made for acquisition, conversion, or rehabilitation projects, or for capitalized operating subsidies, including what metrics were considered in making those decisions.
(7)Any lessons learned from the use of the funds.
(8)Proposed changes to the program to address lessons learned.
(i)Any project that uses funds received for any of the purposes specified in subdivision (a) shall be deemed consistent and in conformity with any applicable local plan, standard, or requirement, and any applicable coastal plan, local or otherwise, and allowed as a permitted use, within the zone in which the structure is located, and shall not be subject to a conditional use permit, discretionary permit, or any other discretionary reviews or approvals.
(j)A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (h) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(k)Upon an appropriation by the Legislature for the purposes described in this section, the department shall administer funding according to the timeline set forth below, subject to any modifications set forth by the guidelines:
(1)The department may accept funding applications and issue awards on a continuous, over-the-counter basis until the funding has been exhausted or as otherwise required by law.
(2)Each award shall be expended on the uses authorized at subdivision (a), and in accordance with all relevant representations and descriptions in the application, within eight months of the date of the award. Applicants may ask the department for an extension of this timeframe on the grounds and according to the procedures set forth in the guidelines. The director shall have reasonable discretion to approve or deny such an extension upon conducting a full and good faith review of the applicants extension request.
(l)For purposes of this section, individuals and families who are homeless or who are at risk of homelessness means persons and families that meet the qualifying definitions under Part 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(m)To advance the objectives specified in Section 50675.1.1 or this section, the department may expand the population served beyond the population specified in subdivision (l) as specified by the guidelines authorized by this section.
|
Date
|
Status
|
|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2026 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 923, Statutes of 2026. |
| Sep 30, 2026 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep 3, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m. |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 66. Noes 9.). |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 66. Noes 9. Page 6640.). |
| Aug 26, 2026 | In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0.). |
| Aug 24, 2026 | Read second time. Ordered to third reading. |
| Aug 21, 2026 | Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading. |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Read second time. Ordered to third reading. |
| Aug 13, 2026 | Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading. |
| Aug 13, 2026 | From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 13). |
| Aug 3, 2026 | In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file. |
| Jul 1, 2026 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 1.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Jun 22, 2026 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HOUSING. |
| Jun 3, 2026 | Referred to Com. on HOUSING. |
| May 21, 2026 | In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. |
| May 21, 2026 | Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 59. Noes 11.) |
| May 21, 2026 | Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 59. Noes 11. Page 5182.) |
| May 14, 2026 | Read second time. Ordered to third reading. |
| May 13, 2026 | From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 1.) (May 13). |
| Apr 23, 2026 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 1.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Apr 23, 2026 | Coauthors revised. |
| Apr 14, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D. |
| Apr 13, 2026 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on H. & C.D. Read second time and amended. |
| Mar 17, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D. |
| Mar 16, 2026 | Referred to Com. on H. & C.D. |
| Mar 16, 2026 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on H. & C.D. Read second time and amended. |
| Feb 19, 2026 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 21. |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Read first time. To print. |
|
Date
|
Description
|
Location
|
Votes
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 2026 | AB 2146 Stefani Concurrence in Senate Amendments | Assembly Floor |
Passed |
|
| Aug 26, 2026 | Assembly 3rd Reading AB2146 Stefani et al. By Arreguín | Senate Floor |
Passed |
|
| Aug 13, 2026 | Do pass as amended | Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations |
Passed |
|
| Aug 3, 2026 | Placed on suspense file | Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations |
Passed |
|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | Senate Standing Committee on Housing |
Passed |
|
| May 21, 2026 | AB 2146 Stefani Assembly Third Reading | Assembly Floor |
Passed |
|
| May 13, 2026 | Do pass. | Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations |
Passed |
|
| Apr 22, 2026 | Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | Assembly Standing Committee on Housing and Community Development |
Passed |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
|
Organization
|
Position
|
Date
|
|---|---|---|
| Alta Housing | ** Support | |
| California Housing Partnership | ** Support | |
| California Partnership To End Domestic Violence | ** Support | |
| City of Emeryville | ** Support | |
| City Of Oakland | ** Support | |
| City of Sunnyvale | ** Support | |
| Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) | ** Support | |
| Downtown Women's Center | ** Support | |
| EAH Housing | ** Support | |
| East Bay Housing Organization - Ebho | ** Support | |
| Eden Housing | ** Support | |
| ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, INC. | ** Support | |
| Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco | ** Support | |
| Housing California (Co-source) | ** Support | |
| mental health association of san mateo county | ** Support | |
| MidPen Housing | ** Support | |
| National Alliance to End Homelessness | ** Support | |
| Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California | ** Support | |
| Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California (co-source) | ** Support | |
| Opportunities for Change | ** Support | |
| Resources for Community Development | ** Support | |
| Satellite Affordable Housing Associates | ** Support | |
| Self Help Enterprises | ** Support | |
| Southern California Association of Non-profit Housing (SCANPH) | ** Support | |
| Supportive Housing Alliance | ** Support | |
| The Kelsey | ** Support |
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
CSA1 Bill Id:AB 2146
Author:(Stefani)
As Amended Ver:August 21, 2026
Majority vote
SUMMARY
Requires the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (CalICH) to complete a comprehensive statewide study on Coordinated Entry Systems (CES), operated by Continuums of Care (CoCs), and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness and affordable housing including supportive housing by July 1, 2028.
Senate Amendments
- Delete the contents of the bill.
- Require the CalICH to complete a comprehensive statewide study on CES and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness and affordable housing including supportive housing by July 1, 2028.
COMMENTS
Coordinated Entry Systems: In 2012, HUD began requiring CoCs to use a CES, and in 2017 the Department of Housing and Community Development (HUD) mandated the use of CES for all CoCs as a condition of receiving federal funds. A CoC is a federally created entity that is responsible for administering federal funding to address homelessness, collecting data that is inputted into the Homelessness Management Information System, and managing the CES.
CES is a CoC-established system-wide process to quickly and equitably coordinate the access, assessment, prioritization, and referrals to housing and services for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. CES is an evidence-based strategy that focuses on housing and service coordination designed to link people experiencing homelessness to the most appropriate housing solution based on their needs. CES is also meant to remove racial bias in who is prioritized for housing and services, and prioritize people based on need. Significant racial disproportionality exists among those experiencing homelessness, with people who identify as Black/African American very overrepresented. CES prioritizes individuals for housing based on the length of time they have experienced homelessness.
Several state programs create housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The NPLH program was created in 2013 to house people experiencing homelessness with mental health challenges, funded by a 1% tax on millionaires in the state. The LIHTC and MHP both include set-asides that fund housing specifically for people experiencing homelessness. Each of these programs requires that a developer use CES to fill a vacancy when a tenant moves out. According to the sponsor of this bill, the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH), although CES is an important tool for creating equity and tracking data and outcomes, a small share of vacant supportive housing units take over six months to fill.
Filling Vacancies: Research completed by the Harvard Kennedy School surveyed 151 CoC leaders across 44 states and conducted interviews with 26 representatives to discuss the pressing challenges and opportunities in managing Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) systems. The results suggested that many jurisdictions have potentially persistent vacancies and prolonged referral processes in their PSH systems. These vacancies were attributed to challenges with CES including limitations in data systems, complex requirements for accessing PSH, and long, manually intensive placement processes. Many jurisdictions and PSH providers reported having units that sit empty for months at a time. A UC Berkeley Terner Center Study that evaluated PSH also found that the capacity of CES varies across the state, with some organizations underfunded and understaffed. The lack of resources for CES operation has led to slow referrals for some developments. Additional challenges occur when a development serves only a sub-population of people experiencing homelessness, like veterans and individuals with substance abuse and mental health disorders. Because CES is meant to be equitable and prioritize people for referral based on the length of time they have been homeless, the person referred may not fit into this subcategory of the available unit, leading to a longer vacancy.
According to the Author
"At its core, AB 2146 allows the state to examine what's working in our response to homelessness-- and what's not. Specifically, this bill instructs Cal ICH to conduct a study into the procedures and outcomes of California's Coordinated Entry System, and to report its findings to the Legislature. This bill also instructs Cal ICH to consult with important stakeholders, such as those with lived experience and COCs, in the process of conducting the study. The findings of this study can further inform how California should shape its homelessness policy in order to get people housed faster."
Arguments in Support
None on file that reflect the current contents of the bill.
Arguments in Opposition
None on file.
FISCAL COMMENTS
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
- The California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) estimates costs in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars for a contract to complete the comprehensive review of compliance documentation and identifying compliance requirements, alternative methods of compliance, and opportunities to streamline documentation, as well as implementing revised compliance requirements based on the review. (General Fund)
- The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) would incur minor workload costs in excess of $50,000 to amend program guidelines to incorporate changes specified in the bill and to conduct ongoing oversight and other activities to verify that units qualify for a DASH designation, as well as respond to technical assistance requests from developers and other interested parties. HCD indicates that these costs are likely absorbable within existing resources. (General Fund)
The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) costs to update program guidelines would be minor and absorbable. (General Fund, Tax Credit Allocation Fee Account)
VOTES:
ASM HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: 10-1-1
YES: Haney, Patterson, Ávila Farías, Caloza, Garcia, Kalra, Lee, Quirk-Silva, Wicks, Wilson
NO: Tangipa
ABS, ABST OR NV: Ta
ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 12-1-2
YES: Wicks, Bauer-Kahan, Calderon, Caloza, Ellis, Fong, Mark González, Krell, Pacheco, Pellerin, Sharp-Collins, Solache
NO: Tangipa
ABS, ABST OR NV: Hoover, Ta
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 59-11-10
YES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alanis, Alvarez, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Connolly, Elhawary, Ellis, Fong, Gabriel, Gipson, Mark González, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Irwin, Jackson, Kalra, Krell, Lee, Lowenthal, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ransom, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, Zbur, Rivas
NO: Castillo, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Flora, Gallagher, Hadwick, Johnson, Macedo, Sanchez, Tangipa
ABS, ABST OR NV: Arambula, Chen, Garcia, Jeff Gonzalez, Hoover, Lackey, Patterson, Ramos, Celeste Rodriguez, Ta
UPDATED
VERSION: August 21, 2026
CONSULTANT: Lisa Engel / H. & C.D. / (916) 319-2085 FN: 0004123
SENATE RULES COMMITTEE Office of Senate Floor Analyses (916) 651-4171 | AB 2146 |
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2146
Author: Stefani (D), et al.
Amended: 8/21/26 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE HOUSING COMMITTEE: 8-1, 6/30/26
AYES: Arreguín, Cabaldon, Caballero, Cortese, Durazo, Grayson, Ochoa Bogh, Padilla
NOES: Seyarto
NO VOTE RECORDED: Gonzalez
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 5-2, 8/13/26
AYES: Cervantes, Cabaldon, Grayson, Richardson, Wahab
NOES: Seyarto, Dahle
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 59-11, 5/21/26 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Coordinated Entry System: study
SOURCE: Housing California
Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California
DIGEST:
- This bill requires Cal-ICH to complete a comprehensive statewide study of Coordinated Entry Systems (CES) and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing, including supportive housing, in California, as specified, and submit the study to the Legislature on or before July 1, 2028.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/21/26 to require Cal-ICH to complete a comprehensive statewide study of CES and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing, including supportive housing, in California, as specified.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
- Defines the composition of a Continuum of Care (CoC) to mean the group organized to carry out the responsibilities of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act composed of representatives of organizations, including nonprofit homeless providers, victim service providers, faith-based organizations, governments, businesses, advocates, public housing agencies, school districts, social service providers, mental health agencies, hospitals, universities, affordable housing developers, law enforcement, organizations that serve homeless and formerly homeless veterans, and homeless and formerly homeless persons to the extent these groups are represented within the geographic area and are available to participate.
- Establishes Cal-ICH to coordinate the State’s response to homelessness using Housing First practices with a number of goals including, but not limited to:
- Creating partnerships among state agencies and departments;
- Promoting systems integration to increase efficiency and effectiveness; and,
- Coordinating existing funding and application for competitive funding.
This bill:
- Defines “CES” as a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to federal law and designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals.
- Requires Cal-ICH, on or before July 1, 2028, to complete a comprehensive statewide study of CES and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing, including supportive housing, in California. The study shall evaluate the operation, effectiveness, capacity, and outcomes of CES throughout the state and identify opportunities to improve coordination, reduce unnecessary administrative barriers, accelerate appropriate housing placements, and support effective local implementation.
- Requires Cal-ICH to meaningfully consult with a geographically representative group of stakeholders, as specified.
- Requires the study to include, at a minimum, all of the following:
- An assessment of the structure, governance, administration, and capacity of CES throughout the state, including differences in system design, staffing, funding, geographic coverage, access points, assessment processes, prioritization methodologies, matching and referral practices, and housing inventory management.
- An assessment of whether individuals and families experiencing homelessness have equitable and timely access to coordinated entry, as specified.
- A review of the process from initial access to CES through housing placement, including enrollment, assessment, prioritization, eligibility and documentation verification, matching, referral, provider screening, lease-up, and enrollment into permanent housing.
- An assessment of the time associated with each stage of the CES and housing placement process and, to the extent data are available, identification of stages at which significant delays, referral attrition, or unsuccessful placements occur.
- Identification of federal, state, and local requirements affecting CES operations, including the entity responsible for each requirement, as specified.
- Identification of documentation, eligibility, screening, referral, or compliance requirements that delay or prevent housing placement, as specified.
- An analysis of variation among coordinated entry systems, as specified.
- An assessment of the interoperability of CES and homeless management information systems with state and local housing, health, behavioral health, and benefits programs, including opportunities to reduce duplicative data collection and documentation consistent with applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements.
- Identification of opportunities for state agencies to simplify or align state housing and homelessness program requirements, eliminate duplicative documentation, clarify existing compliance requirements, or provide technical assistance without altering local CES governance or federally required functions.
- An assessment of the appropriate role of the state in supporting CES, taking into consideration federal authority governing continuums of care and CES, local governance and decision-making, differences in community needs and resources, and the state’s role as a funder of housing and homelessness programs.
- Requires Cal-ICH to post the study on its website, and to submit the study to the Legislature and the relevant policy committees on or before July 1, 2028.
Background
Coordinated Entry Systems (CES). In 2012, HUD began requiring CoCs to use a CES, and in 2017 HUD mandated the use of CES for all CoCs as a condition of receiving federal funds. A CoC is a federally created entity that is responsible for administering federal funding to address homelessness, collecting data that is input into the Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS), and managing the CES. CES is a CoC-established system-wide process to quickly and equitably coordinate the access, assessment, prioritization, and referrals to housing and services for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. CES is an evidence-based strategy that focuses on housing and service coordination designed to link people experiencing homelessness to the most appropriate housing solution based on their needs. CES is also meant to remove racial bias in who is prioritized for housing and services, and prioritize people based on need. Significant racial disproportionality exists among those experiencing homelessness, with people who identify as Black/African American significantly overrepresented. CES prioritizes individuals for housing based on the length of time they have experienced homelessness.
Comments
- Author’s statement. “Although California has been a leader in creating permanent supportive housing for people who need it most, too many individuals still face unnecessary documentation requirements that stall their access to these life-changing housing opportunities. AB 2146 addresses these barriers to access by removing the requirement that people “prove” they are homeless with hard-to-obtain documents pertaining to their housing history. This bill also gives affordable housing providers more flexibility to fill units that have been sitting vacant for too long by expanding where they can get referrals. Together these changes tackle the real-world barriers that housing administrators, nonprofit providers, and service agencies all agree are getting in the way of connecting people to available housing.”
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
- The California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) estimates costs in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars for a contract to complete the comprehensive review of compliance documentation and identifying compliance requirements, alternative methods of compliance, and opportunities to streamline documentation, as well as implementing revised compliance requirements based on the review. (General Fund)
- The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) would incur minor workload costs in excess of $50,000 to amend program guidelines to incorporate changes specified in the bill and to conduct ongoing oversight and other activities to verify that units qualify for a DASH designation, as well as respond to technical assistance requests from developers and other interested parties. HCD indicates that these costs are likely absorbable within existing resources. (General Fund)
- The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) costs to update program guidelines would be minor and absorbable. (General Fund, Tax Credit Allocation Fee Account)
SUPPORT: (Verified 8/20/26)
Housing California (co-source)
Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California (co-source)
Alta Housing
California Housing Partnership
California Partnership to End Domestic Violence
City of Emeryville
City of Oakland
City of Sunnyvale
Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)
Downtown Women's Center
Eah Housing
East Bay Housing Organization - Ebho
Eden Housing
Enterprise Community Partners, INC.
Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco
Mental Health Association of San Mateo County
Midpen Housing
National Alliance to End Homelessness
Opportunities for Change
Resources for Community Development
Satellite Affordable Housing Associates
Self Help Enterprises
Southern California Association of Non-profit Housing (SCANPH)
Supportive Housing Alliance
The Kelsey
OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/20/26)
None received
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 59-11, 5/21/26
AYES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alanis, Alvarez, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Connolly, Elhawary, Ellis, Fong, Gabriel, Gipson, Mark González, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Irwin, Jackson, Kalra, Krell, Lee, Lowenthal, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ransom, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, Zbur, Rivas
NOES: Castillo, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Flora, Gallagher, Hadwick, Johnson, Macedo, Sanchez, Tangipa
NO VOTE RECORDED: Arambula, Chen, Garcia, Jeff Gonzalez, Hoover, Lackey, Patterson, Ramos, Celeste Rodriguez, Ta
Prepared by: Alison Hughes / HOUSING / (916) 651-4124
8/24/26 13:30:07
**** END ****
SENATE RULES COMMITTEE Office of Senate Floor Analyses (916) 651-4171 | AB 2146 |
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2146
Author: Stefani (D), et al.
Amended: 8/13/26 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE HOUSING COMMITTEE: 8-1, 6/30/26
AYES: Arreguín, Cabaldon, Caballero, Cortese, Durazo, Grayson, Ochoa Bogh, Padilla
NOES: Seyarto
NO VOTE RECORDED: Gonzalez
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 5-2, 8/13/26
AYES: Cervantes, Cabaldon, Grayson, Richardson, Wahab
NOES: Seyarto, Dahle
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 59-11, 5/21/26 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Supportive housing: prospective tenants: barriers to access
SOURCE: Housing California
Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California
DIGEST:
This bill allows a housing development serving people experiencing homelessness to accept self-certification that an individual is homeless, as specified, and requires the California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) to complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation for specified units, and submit a report to the legislature by April 1, 2028.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
- Establishes the Multifamily Housing Program (MHP) at the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to assist the new construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of permanent and transitional rental housing for lower income households through loans to local governments, as well as non- and for-profit developers.
- Defines the composition of a Continuum of Care (CoC) to mean the group organized to carry out the responsibilities of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act composed of representatives of organizations, including nonprofit homeless providers, victim service providers, faith-based organizations, governments, businesses, advocates, public housing agencies, school districts, social service providers, mental health agencies, hospitals, universities, affordable housing developers, law enforcement, organizations that serve homeless and formerly homeless veterans, and homeless and formerly homeless persons to the extent these groups are represented within the geographic area and are available to participate.
This bill:
- Includes the following definitions:
- “CES” means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to federal law and designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals;
- “Equivalent referral system” means, in jurisdictions where a CES is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by HCD;
- “Housing history” means a report of an applicant's last known residential address or addresses, length of residency, and reason for departure, typically for a period of no less than two years preceding a housing application;
- “Self-certification of homelessness“ means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. Provides that if a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. Provides that a housing sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
- Provides that a housing sponsor will be held harmless under the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) or HCD regulatory agreement if a tenant is found to have falsified information regarding self-certification of homelessness.
- Establishes the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation to facilitate quick and accountable access to supportive housing.
- Beginning July 1, 2027, requires a housing credit applicant to notify TCAC or HCD if a unit receiving an allocation of tax credits or funding from Homekey, NPLH, or MHP meets the criteria for DASH designation.
- Provides that a housing sponsor may notify TCAC or HCD when any of the following occur:
- Any time before the unit becomes vacant;
- When submitting notification of the unit's availability to a CES or an equivalent referral system; and,
- When submitting loan closing documents to the committee.
- Provides that if TCAC or HCD disagrees with the housing sponsors' determination of DASH unit status, they must notify the applicant in writing within 60 days and allow the applicant 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. Prohibits TCAC or HCD from penalizing an applicant as a result of any disagreement over a unit’s DASH status.
- Provides that if a unit’s DASH designation is removed, a housing credit applicant must notify TCAC or HCD that the unit no longer meets the criteria.
- Provides that beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a CES or equivalent referral system, TCAC and HCD shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
- TCAC and HCD shall not require a housing credit applicant to obtain third-party documentation of a person’s status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness to establish tenant eligibility.
- TCAC and HCD shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant;
- TCAC and HCD shall not require housing history for prospective tenants;
- A housing credit applicant shall not request or require housing history or landlord or personal references for prospective tenants;
- On or before June 30, 2027, TCAC and HCD shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
- Requires the California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA), by January 1, 2028, in consultation with sponsors of housing units designated as DASH, to complete a comprehensive review of compliance, which shall identify all of the following information:
- Compliance requirements that create barriers to housing access for individuals at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness;
- Alternative methods of compliance to remove barriers and accelerate housing move-ins; and,
- Opportunities to streamline documentation through alignment with existing standards for other programs, including, but not limited to, Medi-Cal or Transitional Rent.
- Requires CHHA, by April 1, 2028, to submit a report on the review.
- Requires CHHA to implement revised compliance requirements based on the completed review.
Background
Coordinated Entry Systems (CES). In 2012, HUD began requiring CoCs to use a CES, and in 2017 HUD mandated the use of CES for all CoCs as a condition of receiving federal funds. A CoC is a federally created entity that is responsible for administering federal funding to address homelessness, collecting data that is input into the Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS), and managing the CES. CES is a CoC-established system-wide process to quickly and equitably coordinate the access, assessment, prioritization, and referrals to housing and services for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. CES is an evidence-based strategy that focuses on housing and service coordination designed to link people experiencing homelessness to the most appropriate housing solution based on their needs. CES is also meant to remove racial bias in who is prioritized for housing and services, and prioritize people based on need. Significant racial disproportionality exists among those experiencing homelessness, with people who identify as Black/African American significantly overrepresented. CES prioritizes individuals for housing based on the length of time they have experienced homelessness.
Comments
- Author’s statement. “Although California has been a leader in creating permanent supportive housing for people who need it most, too many individuals still face unnecessary documentation requirements that stall their access to these life-changing housing opportunities. AB 2146 addresses these barriers to access by removing the requirement that people “prove” they are homeless with hard-to-obtain documents pertaining to their housing history. This bill also gives affordable housing providers more flexibility to fill units that have been sitting vacant for too long by expanding where they can get referrals. Together these changes tackle the real-world barriers that housing administrators, nonprofit providers, and service agencies all agree are getting in the way of connecting people to available housing.”
- Self-certification. In California, under SB 1380 (Mitchell, Chapter 847, Statutes of 2016), homeless applicants cannot be denied supportive housing due to poor or inconsistent housing history. In fact, CES prioritizes applicants with such experiences. However, federal funding for CoCs requires applicants for housing to provide documentation related to their housing history, including third-party verification of homelessness, two years of rental history, and, in some cases, landlord or personal references. State law has mirrored this requirement in the MHP guidelines although there is no legal requirement to do so. When an applicant for housing rises to the top of the CES system and is in line for a referral, these requirements for documentation slow down the process of becoming housed.
For DASH designated units, those that do not receive federal funding, this bill would require TCAC/CDLAC and HCD for affordable housing developments that receive tax credits, MHP, and NPLH to accept self-certification from a prospective tenant that they are homeless. Affordable housing developers would not be required to obtain third party documentation of a person’s status as homeless, any housing history, landlord or personal references.
- Senate Appropriations Amendments. Authors amendments remove provisions that allow a housing developer to receive and process referrals of prospective tenants outside of CES, as specified, and limit a comprehensive review and legislative report of compliance documentation to CHHA.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: Yes
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
- The California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) estimates costs in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars for a contract to complete the comprehensive review of compliance documentation and identifying compliance requirements, alternative methods of compliance, and opportunities to streamline documentation, as well as implementing revised compliance requirements based on the review. (General Fund)
- The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) would incur minor workload costs in excess of $50,000 to amend program guidelines to incorporate changes specified in the bill and to conduct ongoing oversight and other activities to verify that units qualify for a DASH designation, as well as respond to technical assistance requests from developers and other interested parties. HCD indicates that these costs are likely absorbable within existing resources. (General Fund)
- The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) costs to update program guidelines would be minor and absorbable. (General Fund, Tax Credit Allocation Fee Account)
SUPPORT: (Verified 8/13/26)
Housing California (co-source)
Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California (co-source)
Alta Housing
California Housing Partnership
California Partnership to End Domestic Violence
City of Emeryville
City of Oakland
City of Sunnyvale
Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)
Downtown Women's Center
Eah Housing
East Bay Housing Organization - Ebho
Eden Housing
Enterprise Community Partners, INC.
Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco
Mental Health Association of San Mateo County
Midpen Housing
National Alliance to End Homelessness
Opportunities for Change
Resources for Community Development
Satellite Affordable Housing Associates
Self Help Enterprises
Southern California Association of Non-profit Housing (SCANPH)
Supportive Housing Alliance
The Kelsey
OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/13/26)
None received
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 59-11, 5/21/26
AYES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alanis, Alvarez, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Connolly, Elhawary, Ellis, Fong, Gabriel, Gipson, Mark González, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Irwin, Jackson, Kalra, Krell, Lee, Lowenthal, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ransom, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, Zbur, Rivas
NOES: Castillo, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Flora, Gallagher, Hadwick, Johnson, Macedo, Sanchez, Tangipa
NO VOTE RECORDED: Arambula, Chen, Garcia, Jeff Gonzalez, Hoover, Lackey, Patterson, Ramos, Celeste Rodriguez, Ta
Prepared by: Alison Hughes / HOUSING / (916) 651-4124
8/17/26 10:47:46
**** END ****
SENATE COMMITTEE ON
Senator Sabrina Cervantes, Chair
2025 - 2026 Regular Session
AB 2146 (Stefani) - Supportive housing: prospective tenants: barriers to access
Version: | Policy Vote: |
Urgency: | Mandate: |
Hearing Date: | Consultant: |
Bill Summary:
AB 2146 would establish a Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation for certain supportive housing units and create a process for housing developments funded through specified state affordable housing programs to fill vacancies for those housing units outside of a coordinated entry system (CES) with if a project sponsor requests a tenant referral and does not receive an applicant within 180 days, as specified.
*********** ANALYSIS ADDENDUM – SUSPENSE FILE ***********
The following information is revised to reflect amendments
adopted by the committee on August 13, 2026
Fiscal Impact:
- The California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) estimates costs in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars for a contract to complete the comprehensive review of compliance documentation and identifying compliance requirements, alternative methods of compliance, and opportunities to streamline documentation, as well as implementing revised compliance requirements based on the review. (General Fund)
- The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) would incur minor workload costs in excess of $50,000 to amend program guidelines to incorporate changes specified in the bill and to conduct ongoing oversight and other activities to verify that units qualify for a DASH designation, as well as respond to technical assistance requests from developers and other interested parties. HCD indicates that these costs are likely absorbable within existing resources. (General Fund)
- The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) costs to update program guidelines would be minor and absorbable. (General Fund, Tax Credit Allocation Fee Account)
Author Amendments:
- Delete Sections 2 and 4 of the bill, which would have allowed a project sponsor or LIHTC applicant to receive and process tenant referrals for DASH units outside of the CES or equivalent referral system if more than 180 days have passed.
- Remove TCAC from the requirement to complete a comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for DASH units and report to the Legislature, and from the requirement to implement the compliance requirements, as specified.
-- END --
SENATE COMMITTEE ON
Senator Sabrina Cervantes, Chair
2025 - 2026 Regular Session
AB 2146 (Stefani) - Supportive housing: prospective tenants: barriers to access
Version: | Policy Vote: |
Urgency: | Mandate: |
Hearing Date: | Consultant: |
Bill Summary:
AB 2146 would establish a Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation for certain supportive housing units and create a process for housing developments funded through specified state affordable housing programs to fill vacancies for those housing units outside of a coordinated entry system (CES) with if a project sponsor requests a tenant referral and does not receive an applicant within 180 days, as specified.
Fiscal Impact:
- The California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) estimates costs in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars for a contract to complete the comprehensive review of compliance documentation and identifying compliance requirements, alternative methods of compliance, and opportunities to streamline documentation, as well as implementing revised compliance requirements based on the review. (General Fund)
- The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) would incur minor workload costs in excess of $50,000 to amend program guidelines to incorporate changes specified in the bill and to conduct ongoing oversight and other activities to verify that units qualify for a DASH designation, as well as respond to technical assistance requests from developers and other interested parties. HCD indicates that these costs are likely absorbable within existing resources. (General Fund)
- The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) would incur unknown one-time workload costs, potentially in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars, for workload associated with the comprehensive review of compliance documentation required for DASH units and associated report, as well as implementation of revised compliance requirements, as specified. TCAC costs to update program guidelines would be minor and absorbable. (General Fund, Tax Credit Allocation Fee Account)
Background:
Existing law establishes the Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), which is administered by HCD to assist the new construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of permanent and transitional rental housing, including supportive housing, for lower income households through loans to local governments and non- and for-profit developers. Existing law specifies particular requirements for supportive housing projects funded through the MHP, including that supportive housing projects provide or demonstrate collaboration with programs that provide services that meet the needs of the supportive housing residents.
Existing law establishes the Homekey Program to provide permanent housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness. Under the program, HCD provides grants to cities, counties, and all other state, regional, and local public entities, in accordance with the requirements of the MHP, for specified uses, including acquisition and/or rehabilitation of motels, hotels, hostels, and other sites, including apartments or homes, adult residential facilities, residential care facilities for the elderly, manufactured housing, commercial properties, and other buildings that can be converted to permanent or interim housing. Existing law requires HCD to allocate at least 8% of Homekey funding for projects that serve homeless youth or youth at risk of homelessness. Proposition 1 of 2024 provided $922 million for loans and grants administered by HCD through the Homekey Program to develop supportive housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness with behavioral health challenges.
Existing law establishes the No Place Like Home Program, which provides funding and tools that allow HCD to address affordability issues associated with creating housing units that are specifically set aside for persons with serious mental illness who are chronically homeless, homeless, or at-risk of being chronically homeless. Existing law, approved by the voters as Proposition 2 in 2018, requires HCD to award $2 billion in revenue bonds over four rounds among counties to finance capital costs of permanent supportive housing development, including acquisition, design, construction, rehabilitation, or preservation, and to capitalize operating reserves. The revenue bonds that fund the NPLH Program have been fully allocated and they are repaid by funding from the Mental Health Services Act.
Existing law establishes both a state and federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program to incentivize private development of affordable rental housing. The tax credit enables low-income housing sponsors and developers to raise project equity through the allocation of tax benefits to investors. The state program is generally patterned after the federal program, but project developers or housing sponsors that receive a state credit allocation must agree to specified terms, including a minimum of 55 years of rent and tenant income restrictions. Existing law designates TCAC as the entity responsible for administering both the federal and state LIHTC programs, including the allocation of tax credits to housing sponsors through a competitive application process. TCAC must submit an annual report to the Legislature on its activities related to the allocation of tax credits and the projects and units that benefit from those credits.
Existing law establishes a network of local Continuums of Care (CoCs), which are local groups organized to carry out the responsibilities of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. CoCs are responsible for administering federal funding to address homelessness, collecting data that is input into the Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS), and managing the CES. A CES is a system-wide process to quickly and equitably coordinate the access, assessment, prioritization, and referrals to housing and services for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. CES prioritizes individuals for housing based on the length of time they have experienced homelessness. As of 2017, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires CoCs to use a CES for referrals as a condition of receiving federal funds.
The LIHTC and MHP both include set-asides that fund housing specifically for people experiencing homelessness. Both programs require that a developer use CES to fill a vacancy when a tenant moves out of a supportive housing unit.
Proposed Law:
AB 2146 would establish a process for certain supportive housing units to receive a DASH designation for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units, and allow a housing development serving people experiencing homelessness to accept self-certification that an individual is homeless. Specifically, this bill would:
- Establish a process, beginning July 1, 2027, for housing developments that receive a tax credit allocation from TCAC or funding from the MHP, NPLH program, or Homekey to fill supportive housing unit vacancies outside the CES referral process if a project sponsor requests a tenant referral from a CES and does not receive an applicant within 180 days, as specified.
- Require a housing unit that meets all of the following criteria to be designated as DASH:
- The unit did not or does not receive any federal capital or operating subsidy that requires compliance with federal HUD standards.
- The unit is restricted to occupancy by those at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness.
- The unit receives referrals through a CES or an equivalent referral system (ERF) for the first 180 days per vacancy.
- Require, as of July 1, 2027, a housing credit applicant to notify TCAC, or a development sponsor to notify HCD, if a unit meets the criteria for a DASH designation, as specified. The bill prescribes a process for providing additional evidence to support a DASH designation if TCAC or HCD disagrees with an initial determination that a unit qualifies for that designation.
- Require TCAC and HCD, beginning on July 1, 2027 and to the extent not prohibited by federal law, to apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
- TCAC and HCD may not require a funding or tax credit applicant to obtain third-party documentation of a person’s status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness to establish tenant eligibility.
- TCAC and HCD must accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
- TCAC may not require housing history for prospective tenants.
- A housing credit applicant may not request or require housing history or landlord or personal references for prospective tenants.
- Authorize an applicant for funding or a tax credit allocation who receives referrals through a CES or ERF, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, to receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of a CES or ERF 180 days from the day the applicant notifies the CES or ERF of a vacant unit, if certain conditions are met.
- Require CHHA and TCAC, by January 1, 2028 and in consultation with sponsors of housing units designated as DASH, to complete a comprehensive review of compliance, as specified, and submit a report to the Legislature by April 1, 2028.
- Require CHHA and TCAC to implement revised compliance requirements based on the completed review.
Staff Comments:
Existing law prohibits the denial of supportive housing for homeless applicants due to poor or inconsistent housing history. However, federal funding for CoCs requires applicants for housing to provide documentation related to their housing history, including third-party verification of homelessness, two years of rental history, and, in some cases, landlord or personal references. State law has mirrored this requirement in guidelines for certain programs that provide funding for supportive housing.
This bill allows a developer to fill a vacancy in a DASH-designated unit if they request a tenant from CES and the referral is not made within 180 days. The bill would also require TCAC and HCD to accept self-certification from a prospective tenant that they are homeless for DASH-designated units in housing development projects that receive state funding or tax credit awards under the LIHTC, MHP, NPLH, and Homekey programs, but do not receive federal support, as specified. In these instances, affordable housing developers would not be required to obtain third party documentation of a person’s status as homeless, any housing history, or landlord or personal references.
-- END --
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HOUSING
Senator Jesse Arreguín, Chair
2025 - 2026 Regular
Bill No: AB 2146 Hearing Date: 6/30/2026
Author: | Stefani | ||
Version: | 6/22/2026 Amended | ||
Urgency: | No | Fiscal: | Yes |
Consultant: | Alison Hughes | ||
SUBJECT: Supportive housing: prospective tenants: barriers to access
DIGEST: This bill: (1) creates a process for housing developments that receive funding from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), Homekey, and No Place Like Home (NPLH) to fill vacancies outside of the local coordinated entry system (CES) if they request a referral and do not receive one within 180 days of making the request, and, (2) allows a housing development serving people experiencing homelessness to accept self-certification that an individual is homeless, as specified.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
- Authorized the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2018, which provided $4 billion in funding, including $1 billion for the CalVet program and $3 billion for various affordable housing programs.
- Establishes MHP at the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to assist the new construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of permanent and transitional rental housing for lower income households through loans to local governments, as well as non- and for-profit developers.
- Defines the composition of a Continuum of Care (CoC) to mean the group organized to carry out the responsibilities of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act composed of representatives of organizations, including nonprofit homeless providers, victim service providers, faith-based organizations, governments, businesses, advocates, public housing agencies, school districts, social service providers, mental health agencies, hospitals, universities, affordable housing developers, law enforcement, organizations that serve homeless and formerly homeless veterans, and homeless and formerly homeless persons to the extent these groups are represented within the geographic area and are available to participate.
This bill:
- Includes the following definitions:
- “Alternative referral” means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system (CES) or equivalent referral system;
- “CES” means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to federal law and designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals;
- “Equivalent referral system“ means, in jurisdictions where a CES is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by HCD;
- “Housing history“ means a report of an applicant's last known residential address or addresses, length of residency, and reason for departure, typically for a period of no less than two years preceding a housing application;
- “Referral waiting period“ means the time period from the day when the housing credit applicant notifies the CES or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification; and
- “Self-certification of homelessness“ means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. Provides that if a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. Provides that a housing sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
- Provides that a housing sponsor will be held harmless under the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) or HCD regulatory agreement if a tenant is found to have falsified information regarding self-certification of homelessness.
- Establishes the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation to facilitate quick and accountable access to supportive housing.
- Provides that a housing unit shall be designated as a DASH unit if it meets all the following criteria:
- The unit did not or does not receive any federal capital or operating subsidy that requires compliance with federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards;
- The unit is restricted to occupancy by those at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness; and,
- The unit receives referrals through a CES or an equivalent referral system for the first 180 days per vacancy.
- Beginning July 1, 2027, requires a housing credit applicant to notify TCAC or HCD if a unit receiving an allocation of tax credits or funding from Homekey, NPLH, or MHP meets the criteria for DASH designation.
- Provides that a housing sponsor may notify TCAC or HCD when any of the following occur:
- Any time before the unit becomes vacant;
- When submitting notification of the unit's availability to a CES or an equivalent referral system; and,
- When submitting loan closing documents to the committee.
- Provides that if TCAC or HCD disagrees with the housing sponsors' determination of DASH unit status, they must notify the applicant in writing within 60 days and allow the applicant 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. Prohibits TCAC or HCD from penalizing an applicant as a result of any disagreement over a unit’s DASH status.
- Provides that if a unit’s DASH designation is removed, a housing credit applicant must notify TCAC or HCD that the unit no longer meets the criteria.
- Provides that beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a CES or equivalent referral system, TCAC and HCD shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
- TCAC and HCD shall not require a housing credit applicant to obtain third-party documentation of a person’s status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness to establish tenant eligibility.
- TCAC and HCD shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant;
- TCAC and HCD shall not require housing history for prospective tenants;
- A housing credit applicant shall not request or require housing history or landlord or personal references for prospective tenants;
- On or before June 30, 2027, TCAC and HCD shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
- Provides that a housing credit applicant who receives referrals through a CES or an equivalent referral system, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, may receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the CES or equivalent referral system 180 days from the day the applicant notifies CES or ERS of a vacant unit, if all of the following conditions are met:
- A housing credit applicant shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending CES or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed;
- After 180 days, the housing credit applicant shall notify the CES or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the housing credit applicant has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis;
- The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit;
- The housing credit applicant shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a CES or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful;
- When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a CES or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision;
- At the discretion of the CES administrator, the CES may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units; and,
- The housing credit applicant may accept referrals from the CES or equivalent referral system at any time.
- Provides that this bill does not limit a CES or equivalent referral system to a single referral per unit. The CES or equivalent referral system shall refer multiple prioritized households for each available unit.
- Requires the California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) and TCAC, by January 1, 2028, in consultation with sponsors of housing units designated as DASH, to complete a comprehensive review of compliance, which shall identify all of the following information:
- Compliance requirements that create barriers to housing access for individuals at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness;
- Alternative methods of compliance to remove barriers and accelerate housing move-ins; and,
- Opportunities to streamline documentation through alignment with existing standards for other programs, including, but not limited to, Medi-Cal or Transitional Rent.
- Requires CHHA and TCAC, by April 1, 2028, to submit a report on the review.
- Requires CHHA and TCAC to implement revised compliance requirements based on the completed review.
Background
Coordinated Entry Systems. In 2012, HUD began requiring CoCs to use a CES, and in 2017 HUD mandated the use of CES for all CoCs as a condition of receiving federal funds. A CoC is a federally created entity that is responsible for administering federal funding to address homelessness, collecting data that is input into the Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS), and managing the CES.
CES is a CoC-established system-wide process to quickly and equitably coordinate the access, assessment, prioritization, and referrals to housing and services for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. CES is an evidence-based strategy that focuses on housing and service coordination designed to link people experiencing homelessness to the most appropriate housing solution based on their needs. CES is also meant to remove racial bias in who is prioritized for housing and services, and prioritize people based on need. Significant racial disproportionality exists among those experiencing homelessness, with people who identify as Black/African American significantly overrepresented. CES prioritizes individuals for housing based on the length of time they have experienced homelessness.
Several state programs create housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The NPLH program was created in 2013 to house people experiencing homelessness with mental health challenges, funded by a 1% tax on millionaires in the state. The LIHTC and MHP both include set-asides that fund housing specifically for people experiencing homelessness. Each of these programs require that a developer use CES to fill a vacancy when a tenant moves out.
Comments
- Author’s statement.“Although California has been a leader in creating permanent supportive housing for people who need it most, too many individuals still face unnecessary documentation requirements that stall their access to these life-changing housing opportunities. AB 2146 addresses these barriers to access by removing the requirement that people “prove” they are homeless with hard-to-obtain documents pertaining to their housing history. This bill also gives affordable housing providers more flexibility to fill units that have been sitting vacant for too long by expanding where they can get referrals. Together these changes tackle the real-world barriers that housing administrators, nonprofit providers, and service agencies all agree are getting in the way of connecting people to available housing.”
- Filling Vacancies. Research completed by the Harvard Kennedy School surveyed 151 CoC leaders across 44 states and conducted interviews with 26 representatives to discuss the pressing challenges and opportunities in managing Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) systems.[1] The results suggested that many jurisdictions have potentially persistent vacancies and prolonged referral processes in their PSH systems. These vacancies were attributed to challenges with CES, including limitations in data systems, complex requirements for accessing PSH, and long, manually intensive placement processes. Many jurisdictions and PSH providers reported having units that sit empty for months at a time. A UC Berkeley Terner Center Study that evaluated PSH also found that the capacity of CES varies across the state, with some organizations underfunded and understaffed. The lack of resources for CES operation has led to slow referrals for some developments. Additional challenges occur when a development serves only a sub-population of people experiencing homelessness, like veterans and individuals with substance abuse and mental health disorders. Because CES is meant to be equitable and prioritize people for referral based on the length of time they have been homeless, the person referred may not fit into this subcategory of the available unit, leading to a longer vacancy.
According to the sponsors of this bill, the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH), although CES is an important tool for creating equity and tracking data and outcomes, a small share of vacant supportive housing units take over six months to fill. NPH began hearing from its nonprofit housing provider members about such challenges as CES became more widely adopted in 2017, but challenges became particularly acute during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, housing operators were struggling to achieve and maintain occupancy of CES-referred units. Furthermore, members observed that applicants were sometimes matched with properties that were not equipped or funded to meet their needs, resulting in both operational and emotional costs to the building community. In response to these concerns, the NPH PSH Working Group (PSH WG) convened nonprofit housing practitioners from resident services and property management to develop practical and strategic recommendations to strengthen CES implementation.
- DASH. Federal law encourages prompt referrals from CES by allowing for an affordable housing developer to obtain tenant referrals outside of CES for units that have not received a referral, or 30 days after a CES is notified. According to the sponsors “this current ‘release valve’ does not function well in practice. As long as each referral is provided within 30 days of request, CES systems can provide a series of poorly matched referrals that result in an extended vacancy. These vacancies are financially damaging to housing providers, and unacceptable given the incredible scarcity of permanent supportive homes.”
This bill would create a process for affordable housing developers to designate units in a development that does not receive any federal funding and could utilize another referral system if CES does not make a referral within 180 days (6 months) of a request. For units that receive funding from TCAC/the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC), or HCD, a developer would apply to designate the unit as a “DASH” unit. Once the unit is approved, the developer could fill a vacancy outside of CES if they request a tenant from CES and the referral is not made within 180 days.
Some advocates on behalf of people experiencing homelessness have raised concerns about filling units outside of CES. Prior to the adoption of CES, resources were allocated by individual providers on a first-come, first-served basis. This disadvantaged individuals who were not capable of locating resources on their own and allowed developers to selectively serve people with fewer barriers to housing stability. If developers are allowed to fill vacancies outside of CES, then this could happen again. It also could result in individuals receiving assistance that was more extensive than they need, while those with the highest need do not receive any assistance. While these advocates recognize that there are issues with CES, they do not think allowing for outside fills is the right solution to address vacancy challenges.
According to the sponsors, this bill would leave CES as the exclusive referral system for the first 180 days, and CES could continue to make referrals afterwards. Concerns that developers would keep units empty to allow for DASH designation are lessened by the 180-day requirement; this is because developers won’t want to wait that long and risk the loss of rental income for that time. This bill also requires tenants selected through DASH meet all the eligibility requirements for the unit; developers must maintain records of their correspondence with the CES system; and requires once a DASH resident vacates a unit, the unit must revert to a CES referral.
- Self-certification. In California, under SB 1380 (Mitchell, Chapter 847, Statues of 2016), homeless applicants cannot be denied supportive housing due to poor or inconsistent housing history. In fact, CES prioritizes applicants with such experiences. However, federal funding for CoCs requires applicants for housing to provide documentation related to their housing history, including third-party verification of homelessness, two years of rental history, and, in some cases, landlord or personal references. State law has mirrored this requirement in the MHP guidelines although there is no legal requirement to do so. When an applicant for housing rises to the top of the CES system and is in line for a referral, these requirements for documentation slow down the process of becoming housed.
For DASH designated units, those that do not receive federal funding, this bill would require TCAC/CDLAC and HCD for affordable housing developments that receive tax credits, MHP, and NPLH to accept self-certification from a prospective tenant that they are homeless. Affordable housing developers would not be required to obtain third party documentation of a person’s status as homeless, any housing history, landlord or personal references.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on Wednesday,
June 24th, 2026.)
SUPPORT:
Housing California (Sponsor)
Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California (Sponsor)
Alta Housing
California Housing Partnership
California Partnership to End Domestic Violence
City of Emeryville
Downtown Women's Center
Eah Housing
East Bay Housing Organization - Ebho
Eden Housing
Enterprise Community Partners, INC.
Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco
Mental Health Association of San Mateo County
Midpen Housing
Opportunities for Change
Resources for Community Development
Satellite Affordable Housing Associates
Self Help Enterprises
Southern California Association of Non-profit Housing (SCANPH)
Supportive Housing Alliance
The Kelsey
OPPOSITION:
None received.
-- END --
Carin Clary, Lars Benson, Caroline Cavallari, Libby Doyle. Coordinated Entry and Permanent Supportive Housing: A National Perspective on Barriers and Opportunities. Harvard Kennedy School: Government Performance Lab. 2025. Accessible here: https://govlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CESHO-Report.pdf ↑
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
ATR Bill Id:AB 2146
Author:(Stefani)
As Amended Ver:April 13, 2026
Majority vote
SUMMARY
Creates a process for housing developments that receive funding from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), HomeKey, and No Place Like Home (NPLH) to fill vacancies outside of the local coordinated entry system (CES) if they request a referral and do not receive one within 180 days of making the request. Allows a housing development serving people experiencing homelessness to accept self-certification that an individual is homeless, as specified.
Major Provisions
- Includes the following definitions:
- "Alternative referral" means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system;
- "Coordinated entry system" means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to federal law and designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals;
- "Equivalent referral system" means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD);
- "Housing history" means a report of an applicant's last known residential address or addresses, length of residency, and reason for departure, typically for a period of no less than two years preceding a housing application;
- "Referral waiting period" means the time period from the day when the housing credit applicant notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification; and
- "Self-certification of homelessness" means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. Provides that if a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. Provides that a housing sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
- Provides that if a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness it is a just cause for eviction.
- Provides that a housing sponsor will be held harmless under their the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) or HCD regulatory agreement if a tenant is found to have falsified information regarding self-certification of homelessness.
- Establishes the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation to facilitate quick and accountable access to supportive housing.
- Provides that a housing unit shall be designated as DASH if it meets all the following criteria:
- The unit did not or does not receive any federal capital or operating subsidy that requires
compliance with federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards;
- The unit is restricted to occupancy by those at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness; and
- The unit receives referrals through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system for the first 180 days per vacancy.
- Beginning July 1, 2027, requires a housing credit applicant to notify TCAC or HCD if a unit receiving an allocation of tax credits or funding from HomeKey, NPLH, or MHP that meets the criteria for DASH designation.
- Provides that a housing sponsor may notify TCAC or HCD when any of the following occur:
- Any time before the unit becomes vacant;
- When submitting notification of the unit's availability to a CES or an equivalent referral system; and
- When submitting loan closing documents to the committee.
- Provides that if TCAC or HCD disagrees with the housing sponsors' determination of DASH unit status, they must notify the applicant in writing within 60 days and allow the applicant 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. Prohibits TCAC or HCD from penalizing an applicant as a result of any disagreement over a unit's DASH status.
- Provides that if a unit's DASH designation is removed, a housing credit applicant must notify TCAC or HCD that the unit no longer meets the criteria.
- Provides that beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a CES or equivalent referral system, TCAC and HCD shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
- TCAC and HCD shall not require a housing credit applicant to obtain third-party documentation of a person's status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
- TCAC and HCD shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant;
- TCAC and HCD shall not require housing history for prospective tenants;
- A housing credit applicant shall not request or require housing history or landlord or personal references for prospective tenants;
- On or before June 30, 2027, the TCAC and HCD shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
- Provides that a housing credit applicant who receives referrals through a CES or an equivalent referral system, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, may receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system 180 days from the day the applicant notifies CES or ERS of a vacant unit, if all of the following conditions are met:
- A housing credit applicant shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending CES or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed;
- After 180 days, the housing credit applicant shall notify the CES or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the housing credit applicant has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis;
- The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit;
- The housing credit applicant shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a CES or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful;
- When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a CES or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision;
- At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the CES may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units; and
- The housing credit applicant may accept referrals from the CES or equivalent referral system at any time.
- Requires the California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) and the TCAC, by January 1, 2028, in consultation with sponsors of housing units designated as DASH, to complete a comprehensive review of compliance, which shall identify all of the following information:
- Compliance requirements that create barriers to housing access for individuals at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness;
- Alternative methods of compliance to remove barriers and accelerate housing move-ins; and
- Opportunities to streamline documentation through alignment with existing standards for other programs, including, but not limited to, Medi-Cal or Transitional Rent.
- Requires CHHA and TCAC, by April 1, 2028, to submit a report on the review.
- Requires CHHA and TCAC to implement revised compliance requirements based on the completed review.
COMMENTS
Coordinated Entry Systems: In 2012, HUD began requiring Continuum of Care (CoCs) to use a CES, and in 2017 HUD mandated the use of CES for all CoCs as a condition of receiving federal funds. A CoC is a federally created entity that is responsible for administering federal funding to address homelessness, collecting data that is inputted into the Homelessness Management Information System, and managing the CES.
CES is a CoC-established system-wide process to quickly and equitably coordinate the access, assessment, prioritization, and referrals to housing and services for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. CES is an evidence-based strategy that focuses on housing and service coordination designed to link people experiencing homelessness to the most appropriate housing solution based on their needs. CES is also meant to remove racial bias in who is prioritized for housing and services, and prioritize people based on need. Significant racial disproportionality exists among those experiencing homelessness, with people who identify as Black/African American very overrepresented. CES prioritizes individuals for housing based on the length of time they have experienced homelessness.
Several state programs create housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The NPLH program was created in 2013 to house people experiencing homelessness with mental health challenges, funded by a 1% tax on millionaires in the state. The LIHTC and MHP both include set-asides that fund housing specifically for people experiencing homelessness. Each of these programs requires that a developer use CES to fill a vacancy when a tenant moves out. According to the sponsor of this bill, the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH), although CES is an important tool for creating equity and tracking data and outcomes, a small share of vacant supportive housing units take over six months to fill.
Filling Vacancies: Research completed by the Harvard Kennedy School surveyed 151 CoC leaders across 44 states and conducted interviews with 26 representatives to discuss the pressing challenges and opportunities in managing Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) systems. The results suggested that many jurisdictions have potentially persistent vacancies and prolonged referral processes in their PSH systems. These vacancies were attributed to challenges with CES including limitations in data systems, complex requirements for accessing PSH, and long, manually intensive placement processes. Many jurisdictions and PSH providers reported having units that sit empty for months at a time. A UC Berkeley Terner Center Study that evaluated PSH also found that the capacity of CES varies across the state, with some organizations underfunded and understaffed. The lack of resources for CES operation has led to slow referrals for some developments. Additional challenges occur when a development serves only a sub-population of people experiencing homelessness, like veterans and individuals with substance abuse and mental health disorders. Because CES is meant to be equitable and prioritize people for referral based on the length of time they have been homeless, the person referred may not fit into this subcategory of the available unit, leading to a longer vacancy.
NPH began hearing from its nonprofit housing provider members about such challenges as Coordinated Entry became more widely adopted in 2017, but challenges became particularly acute during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, housing operators were struggling to achieve and maintain occupancy of CES-referred units. Furthermore, members observed that applicants were sometimes matched with properties that were not equipped or funded to meet their needs, resulting in both operational and emotional costs to the building community. In response to these concerns, the NPH PSH Working Group (PSH WG) convened nonprofit housing practitioners from resident services and property management to develop practical and strategic recommendations to strengthen Coordinated Entry System implementation.
DASH: Federal law encourages prompt referrals from CES by allowing for an affordable housing developer to obtain tenant referrals outside of CES for units that have not received a referral, or 30 days after a CES is notified. According to the sponsors "this current 'release valve' does not function well in practice. As long as each referral is provided within 30 days of request, CES systems can provide a series of poorly matched referrals that result in an extended vacancy. These vacancies are financially damaging to housing providers, and unacceptable given the incredible scarcity of permanent supportive homes."
This bill would create a process for affordable housing developers to designate units in a development that do not receive any federal funding and could utilize another referral system if CES does not make a referral within 180 days (6 months) of a request. For units that receive funding from TCAC/the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLA) or HCD, a developer would apply to designate the unit as DASH. Once the unit is approved, the developer could fill a vacancy outside of CES if they request a tenant from CES and the referral is not made within 180 days.
Some advocates on behalf of people experiencing homelessness have raised concerns about filling units outside of CES. Prior to the adoption of CES, resources were allocated by individual providers on a first-come first-served basis. This disadvantaged individuals who were not capable of locating resources on their own and allowed developers to selectively serve people with fewer barriers to housing stability. Advocates are concerned that if developers are allowed to fill vacancies outside of CES, then this could happen again. It also could result in individuals receiving assistance that was more extensive than they need, while those with the highest need do not receive any assistance. These advocates recognize that there are issues with CES, however, do not think allowing for outside fills is the right solution.
Self-Certification: In California, under SB 1380 (Mitchell), Chapter 847, Statues of 2016 homeless applicants cannot be denied supportive housing due to poor or inconsistent housing history. In fact, CES prioritizes applicants with such experiences. However, federal funding for CoCs requires applicants for housing to provide documentation related to their housing history, including third-party verification of homelessness, two years of rental history, and, in some cases, landlord or personal references. State law has mirrored this requirement in the MHP guidelines although there is no legal requirement to do so. When an applicant for housing rises to the top of the CES system and is in line for a referral, these requirements for documentation slow down the process of becoming housed.
For DASH designated units, those that do not receive federal funding, this bill would require TCAC/CDLA and HCD for affordable housing developments that receive tax credits, MHP, and NPLH to accept self-certification from a prospective tenant that they are homeless. Affordable housing developers would not be required to obtain third party documentation of a person's status as homeless, any housing history, landlord or personal references.
According to the Author
"Although California has been a leader in creating permanent supportive housing for people who need it most, too many individuals still face unnecessary documentation requirements that stall their access to these life-changing housing opportunities. AB 2146 addresses these barriers to access by removing the requirement that people "prove" they are homeless with hard-to-obtain documents like eviction records or hospital discharge paperwork. This bill also gives affordable housing providers more flexibility to fill units that have been sitting vacant for too long by expanding where they can get referrals. Together these changes tackle the real-world barriers that housing administrators, nonprofit providers, and service agencies all agree are getting in the way of connecting people to available housing."
Arguments in Support
According to the sponsors, Housing California and Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern CA, "AB 2146 would create a "Direct Access to Supportive Housing" (DASH) designation for non-federally funded affordable housing units, removing documentation requirements including housing history documentation, third-party verification of homelessness, and landlord referrals. These requirements are incredibly burdensome for homeless populations to fulfill, and removing them will reduce delays in accessing supportive housing. Current law encourages prompt referrals from a CES by allowing for an affordable housing developer to obtain tenant referrals beyond CES for units that have not received a referral for 30 days after a CES is notified of a vacancy. AB 2146 would allow for affordable housing developers to obtain tenant referrals beyond CES for units that have been vacant for over six months, creating a backstop for the most problematic vacancies without undermining the important role of CES in prioritizing the most vulnerable Californians for housing. CES is an important tool for creating equity and tracking data and outcomes. NPH and Housing California believe strongly in the purpose and goals of CES and seek to improve them incrementally through these policy changes supported by the experiences of our mission-driven membership that provides permanent supportive housing."
Arguments in Opposition
None on file.
FISCAL COMMENTS
According to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, minor and absorbable costs to the State Treasurer's Office, which administers TCAC, and HCD.
VOTES
ASM HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: 10-1-1
YES: Haney, Patterson, Ávila Farías, Caloza, Garcia, Kalra, Lee, Quirk-Silva, Wicks, Wilson
NO: Tangipa
ABS, ABST OR NV: Ta
ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 12-1-2
YES: Wicks, Bauer-Kahan, Calderon, Caloza, Ellis, Fong, Mark González, Krell, Pacheco, Pellerin, Sharp-Collins, Solache
NO: Tangipa
ABS, ABST OR NV: Hoover, Ta
UPDATED
VERSION: April 13, 2026
CONSULTANT: Lisa Engel / H. & C.D. / (916) 319-2085 FN: 0002550
Date of Hearing: May 13, 2026
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Buffy Wicks, Chair
ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2146
Author:(Stefani) – As Amended Ver:April 13, 2026
Policy Committee: | Housing and Community Development | Vote: | 10 - 1 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation, for the purpose of facilitating quick and accountable access to supportive housing units. The bill also allows for a housing development serving people experiencing homelessness to accept self-certification that an individual is homeless.
Specifically, this bill:
- Creates a process for housing developments that receive funding from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), and No Place Like Home (NPLH), and Homekey to fill vacancies outside of the local coordinated entry system (CES) if they request a referral and do not receive one within 180 days of making the request.
- Provides that a housing unit be designated as DASH if it meets the following criteria:
- The unit did not or does not receive any federal capital or operating subsidy that requires compliance with federal Department of Housing and Urban Development standards.
- The unit is restricted to occupancy by those at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness.
- The unit receives referrals through a CES or an equivalent referral system (ERF) for the first 180 days per vacancy.
- Beginning July 1, 2027, requires a housing credit applicant to notify the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) or the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) if a unit receiving an allocation of tax credits or funding from NPLH or MHP meets the criteria for DASH designation.
- Beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a CES or ERF, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, the following apply:
- TCAC and HCD may not require a housing credit applicant to obtain third-party documentation of a person’s status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness to establish tenant eligibility.
- TCAC and HCD must accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant.
- TCAC and HCD may not require housing history for prospective tenants.
- A housing credit applicant may not request or require housing history or landlord or personal references for prospective tenants.
- Provides that a housing credit applicant who receives referrals through a CES or an ERF, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, may receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of a CES or ERF 180 days from the day the applicant notifies the CES or ERF of a vacant unit, if certain conditions are met.
- Requires the California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) and TCAC, by January 1, 2028, in consultation with sponsors of housing units designated as DASH, to complete a comprehensive review of compliance, as specified and submit a report to the Legislature by April 1, 2028.
- Requires CHHA and TCAC to implement revised compliance requirements based on the completed review.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Minor and absorbable costs to the State Treasurer’s Office, which administers TCAC, and HCD.
COMMENTS:
- Purpose. According to the author:
Although California has been a leader in creating permanent supportive housing for people who need it most, too many individuals still face unnecessary documentation requirements that stall their access to these life-changing housing opportunities. [This bill] addresses these barriers to access by removing the requirement that people “prove” they are homeless with hard-to-obtain documents like eviction records or hospital discharge paperwork. This bill also gives affordable housing providers more flexibility to fill units that have been sitting vacant for too long by expanding where they can get referrals. Together these changes tackle the real-world barriers that housing administrators, nonprofit providers, and service agencies all agree are getting in the way of connecting people to available housing.
- Background. DASH. Federal law encourages prompt referrals from CES by allowing an affordable housing developer to obtain tenant referrals outside of CES for units that have not received a referral, or 30 days after a CES is notified. According to the sponsors, Housing California and Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern CA:
This current ‘release valve’ does not function well in practice. As long as each referral is provided within 30 days of request, CES systems can provide a series of poorly matched referrals that result in an extended vacancy. These vacancies are financially damaging to housing providers, and unacceptable given the incredible scarcity of permanent supportive homes.
This bill creates a process for an affordable housing developer to designate units that may use another referral system if CES does not make a referral within 180 days of a request. For units that receive funding from TCAC, the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) or HCD, a developer may apply to designate the unit as DASH. Once the unit is approved, the developer may fill a vacancy outside of CES if they request a tenant from CES and the referral is not made within 180 days.
Self-Certification. In California, under SB 1380 (Mitchell), Chapter 847, Statues of 2016, homeless applicants cannot be denied supportive housing due to poor or inconsistent housing history. However, federal funding for continuums of care (CoCs) requires applicants for housing to provide documentation related to their housing history, including third-party verification of homelessness, two years of rental history, and, in some cases, landlord or personal references. State law has mirrored this requirement in the MHP guidelines although there is no requirement to do so. According to the sponsors, these requirements are burdensome for homeless populations to fulfill, and removing the requirements will reduce delays in an applicant accessing supportive housing,
For DASH designated units, this bill requires TCAC and CDLAC and HCD for affordable housing developments that receive tax credits, MHP, and NPLH to accept self-certification from a prospective tenant that they are homeless. Affordable housing developers are not required to obtain third party documentation of a person’s status as homeless, any housing history, or landlord or personal references.
Analysis Prepared by: Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081
Date of Hearing: April 22, 2026
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Matt Haney, Chair
ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2146 (
Author:Stefani) – As Amended Ver:April 13, 2026
SUBJECT: Supportive housing: prospective tenants: barriers to access
SUMMARY: Creates a process for housing developments that receive funding from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), and No Place Like Home (NPLH) to fill vacancies outside of the local coordinated entry system (CES) if they request a referral and do not receive one within 180 days of making the request. Allows for a housing development serving people experiencing homelessness to accept self-certification that an individual is homeless, as specified. Specifically, this bill:
- Includes the following definitions:
- “Alternative referral” means a referral from outside the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system;
- “Coordinated entry system” means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to federal law and designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals;
- “Equivalent referral system” means, in jurisdictions where a coordinated entry system is not operational, another similar referral system which prioritizes based on need and barriers to housing stability, as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD);
- “Housing history” means a report of an applicant’s last known residential address or addresses, length of residency, and reason for departure, typically for a period of no less than two years preceding a housing application;
- “Referral waiting period” means the time period from the day when the housing credit applicant notifies the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system of a vacant unit to 180 days from that notification; and
- “Self-certification of homelessness” means an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury by an individual seeking assistance indicating their status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness. Provides that if a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness, it shall be considered a just cause for eviction. Provides that a housing sponsor shall be held harmless for purposes of compliance with their regulatory requirements.
- Provides that if a tenant or prospective tenant is found to have falsified information regarding their self-certification of homelessness it is not a just cause for eviction.
- Provides that a housing sponsor will be held harmless under their TCAC or HCD regulatory agreement if a tenant is found to have falsified information regarding self-certification of homelessness.
- Establishes the California Direct Access to Supportive Housing (DASH) designation to facilitate quick and accountable access to supportive services.
- Provides that a housing unit shall be designated as DASH if it meets all the following criteria:
- The unit did not or does not receive any federal capital or operating subsidy that requires
compliance with federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards;
- The unit is restricted to occupancy by those at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness; and
- The unit receives referrals through a coordinated entry system or an equivalent referral system for the first 180 days per vacancy.
- Beginning July 1, 2027, requires a housing credit applicant to notify TCAC or HCD if a unit receiving an allocation of tax credits or funding from NPLH or MHP that meets the criteria for DASH designation.
- Provides that a housing sponsor may notify TCAC or HCD when any of the following occur:
- Any time before the unit becomes vacant;
- When submitting notification of the unit’s availability to a CES or an equivalent referral system; and
- When submitting loan closing documents to the committee.
- Provides that if TCAC or HCD disagrees with the housing sponsors’ determination of DASH unit status, they must notify the applicant in writing within 60 days and allow the applicant 30 days to provide additional evidence to support their claim. Prohibits TCAC or HCD from penalizing an applicant as a result of any disagreement over a unit’s DASH status.
- Provides that if a unit’s DASH designation is removed, a housing credit applicant must notify TCAC or HCD that the unit no longer meets the criteria.
- Provides that beginning July 1, 2027, for a prospective tenant referred to a DASH unit through a CES or equivalent referral system, TCAC and HCD shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, apply the following expedited compliance documentation standards:
- TCAC and HCD shall not require a housing credit applicant to obtain third-party documentation of a person’s status as chronically homeless, homeless, or at risk of homelessness in order to establish tenant eligibility.
- TCAC and HCD shall accept self-certification of homelessness from the prospective tenant;
- TCAC and HCD shall not require housing history for prospective tenants;
- A housing credit applicant shall not request or require housing history or landlord or personal references for prospective tenants;
- On or before June 30, 2027, the TCAC and HCD shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
- Provides that a housing credit applicant who receives referrals through a CES or an equivalent referral system, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, may receive and process referrals of prospective tenants from sources outside of the coordinated entry system or equivalent referral system 180 days from the day the applicant notifies CES or ERS of a vacant unit, if all of the following conditions are met:
- A housing credit applicant shall not process outside referrals of prospective tenants if there are any pending CES or equivalent referral system referrals to the vacant unit, if the referral was made before 180 days passed;
- After 180 days, the housing credit applicant shall notify the CES or equivalent referral system if they have received an alternative referral, and any alternate referrals the housing credit applicant has received shall be fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis;
- The tenant selected through an alternative referral shall meet all eligibility criteria for the unit;
- The housing credit applicant shall maintain records, available to the department upon request, of any correspondence with a CES or equivalent referral system or a prospective tenant regarding an unsuccessful referral to the vacant unit, including records demonstrating why the referral was unsuccessful;
- When a tenant that occupied a unit using an alternative referral vacates a unit, that unit shall return to its original status requiring a referral from a CES or equivalent entry system to be filled. Successive alternative referrals shall be allowed pursuant to this subdivision;
- At the discretion of the coordinated entry system administrator, the CES may authorize alternative referrals earlier than the end of the referral waiting period if the referring entity has exhausted the potential applicant pool, in order to advance the goal of preventing vacant units; and
- The housing credit applicant may accept referrals from the CES or equivalent referral system at any time.
- Requires the California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) and the TCAC, by January 1, 2028, in consultation with sponsors of housing units designated as DASH, to complete a comprehensive review of compliance, which shall identify all of the following information:
- Compliance requirements that create barriers to housing access for individuals at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness;
- Alternative methods of compliance to remove barriers and accelerate housing move-ins; and
- Opportunities to streamline documentation through alignment with existing standards for other programs, including, but not limited to, Medi-Cal or Transitional Rent.
- Requires CHHA and TCAC, by April 1, 2028, to submit a report on the review.
- Requires CHHA and TCAC to implement revised compliance requirements based on the completed review.
EXISTING LAW:
- Authorized the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2018, which provided $4 billion in funding, including $1 billion for the CalVet program and $3 billion for various affordable housing programs. (Health and Safety Code (HSC) Section 54000-54034 and Military and Veterans Code 998.600-998.614)
- Establishes MHP at HCD to assist the new construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of permanent and transitional rental housing for lower income households through loans to local governments and non- and for-profit developers. (HSC Section 50675)
- Defines the composition of a Continuum of Care (CoC) to mean the group organized to carry out the responsibilities of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act composed of representatives of organizations, including nonprofit homeless providers, victim service providers, faith-based organizations, governments, businesses, advocates, public housing agencies, school districts, social service providers, mental health agencies, hospitals, universities, affordable housing developers, law enforcement, organizations that serve homeless and formerly homeless veterans, and homeless and formerly homeless persons to the extent these groups are represented within the geographic area and are available to participate. (24 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 578.3 CoC Definition)
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.
COMMENTS:
Author’s Statement: According to the author, “Although California has been a leader in creating permanent supportive housing for people who need it most, too many individuals still face unnecessary documentation requirements that stall their access to these life-changing housing opportunities. AB 2146 addresses these barriers to access by removing the requirement that people “prove” they are homeless with hard-to-obtain documents like eviction records or hospital discharge paperwork. This bill also gives affordable housing providers more flexibility to fill units that have been sitting vacant for too long by expanding where they can get referrals. Together these changes tackle the real-world barriers that housing administrators, nonprofit providers, and service agencies all agree are getting in the way of connecting people to available housing.”
Coordinated Entry Systems: In 2012, HUD began requiring CoCs to use a CES, and in 2017 HUD mandated the use of CES for all CoCs as a condition of receiving federal funds. A CoC is a federally created entity that is responsible for administering federal funding to address homelessness, collecting data that is inputted into the Homelessness Management Information System, and managing the CES.
CES is a CoC-established system-wide process to quickly and equitably coordinate the access, assessment, prioritization, and referrals to housing and services for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. CES is an evidence-based strategy that focuses on housing and service coordination designed to link people experiencing homelessness to the most appropriate housing solution based on their needs. CES is also meant to remove racial bias in who is prioritized for housing and services, and prioritize people based on need. Significant racial disproportionality exists among those experiencing homelessness, with people who identify as Black/African American very overrepresented. CES prioritizes individuals for housing based on the length of time they have experienced homelessness.
Several state programs create housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The NPLH program was created in 2013 to house people experiencing homelessness with mental health challenges, funded by a 1% tax on millionaires in the state. The LIHTC and MHP both include set-asides that fund housing specifically for people experiencing homelessness. Each of these programs requires that a developer use CES to fill a vacancy when a tenant moves out. According to the sponsor of this bill, the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH) , although CES is an important tool for creating equity and tracking data and outcomes, a small share of vacant supportive housing units take over six months to fill.
Filling Vacancies: Research completed by the Harvard Kennedy School surveyed 151 CoC leaders across 44 states and conducted interviews with 26 representatives to discuss the pressing challenges and opportunities in managing Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) systems. The results suggested that many jurisdictions have potentially persistent vacancies and prolonged referral processes in their PSH systems. These vacancies were attributed to challenges with CES including limitations in data systems, complex requirements for accessing PSH, and long, manually intensive placement processes. Many jurisdictions and PSH providers reported having units that sit empty for months at a time. A UC Berkeley Terner Center Study that evaluated PSH also found that the capacity of CES varies across the state, with some organizations underfunded and understaffed. The lack of resources for CES operation has led to slow referrals for some developments. Additional challenges occur when a development serves only a sub-population of people experiencing homelessness, like veterans and individuals with substance abuse and mental health disorders. Because CES is meant to be equitable and prioritize people for referral based on the length of time they have been homeless, the person referred may not fit into this subcategory of the available unit, leading to a longer vacancy.
NPH began hearing from its nonprofit housing provider members about such challenges as Coordinated Entry became more widely adopted in 2017, but challenges became particularly acute during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, housing operators were struggling to achieve and maintain occupancy of CES-referred units. Furthermore, members observed that applicants were sometimes matched with properties that were not equipped or funded to meet their needs, resulting in both operational and emotional costs to the building community. In response to these concerns, the NPH PSH Working Group (PSH WG) convened nonprofit housing practitioners from resident services and property management to develop practical and strategic recommendations to strengthen Coordinated Entry System implementation.
DASH: Federal law encourages prompt referrals from CES by allowing for an affordable housing developer to obtain tenant referrals outside of CES for units that have not received a referral, or 30 days after a CES is notified. According to the sponsors “this current ‘release valve’ does not function well in practice. As long as each referral is provided within 30 days of request, CES systems can provide a series of poorly matched referrals that result in an extended vacancy. These vacancies are financially damaging to housing providers, and unacceptable given the incredible scarcity of permanent supportive homes.”
This bill would create a process for affordable housing developers to designate units in a development that do not receive any federal funding and could utilize another referral system if CES does not make a referral within 180 days (6 months) of a request. For units that receive funding from TCAC/the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLA) or HCD, a developer would apply to designate the unit as DASH. Once the unit is approved, the developer could fill a vacancy outside of CES if they request a tenant from CES and the referral is not made within 180 days.
Some advocates on behalf of people experiencing homelessness have raised concerns about filling units outside of CES. Prior to the adoption of CES, resources were allocated by individual providers on a first-come first-served basis. This disadvantaged individuals who were not capable of locating resources on their own and allowed developers to selectively serve people with fewer barriers to housing stability. Advocates are concerned that if developers are allowed to fill vacancies outside of CES, then this could happen again. It also could result in individuals receiving assistance that was more extensive than they need, while those with the highest need do not receive any assistance. These advocates recognize that there are issues with CES, however, do not think allowing for outside fills is the right solution.
Proving You are Homeless: In California, under SB 1380 (Mitchell), Chapter 847, Statues of 2016 homeless applicants cannot be denied supportive housing due to poor or inconsistent housing history. In fact, CES prioritizes applicants with such experiences. However, federal funding for CoCs requires applicants for housing to provide documentation related to their housing history, including third-party verification of homelessness, two years of rental history, and, in some cases, landlord or personal references. State law has mirrored this requirement in the MHP guidelines although there is no legal requirement to do so. When an applicant for housing rises to the top of the CES system and is in line for a referral, these requirements for documentation slow down the process of becoming housed.
For DASH designated units, those that do not receive federal funding, this bill would require TCAC/CDLA and HCD for affordable housing developments that receive tax credits, MHP, and NPLH to accept self-certification from a prospective tenant that they are homeless. Affordable housing developers would not be required to obtain third party documentation of a person’s status as homeless, any housing history, landlord or personal references.
Arguments in Support: According to the sponsors, Housing California and Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern CA, “AB 2146 would create a "Direct Access to Supportive Housing" (DASH) designation for non-federally funded affordable housing units, removing documentation requirements including housing history documentation, third-party verification of homelessness, and landlord referrals. These requirements are incredibly burdensome for homeless populations to fulfill, and removing them will reduce delays in accessing supportive housing. Current law encourages prompt referrals from a CES by allowing for an affordable housing developer to obtain tenant referrals beyond CES for units that have not received a referral for 30 days after a CES is notified of a vacancy. AB 2146 would allow for affordable housing developers to obtain tenant referrals beyond CES for units that have been vacant for over six months, creating a backstop for the most problematic vacancies without undermining the important role of CES in prioritizing the most vulnerable Californians for housing. CES is an important tool for creating equity and tracking data and outcomes. NPH and Housing California believe strongly in the purpose and goals of CES and seek to improve them incrementally through these policy changes supported by the experiences of our mission-driven membership that provides permanent supportive housing.”
Arguments in Opposition: None on file.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
Housing California (Sponsor)
Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California (Sponsor)
Alta Housing
Downtown Women's Center
EAH Housing
Eden Housing
Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco
Mental Health Association of San Mateo County
MidPen Housing
Opportunities for Change
Resources for Community Development
Satellite Affordable Housing Associates
Self Help Enterprises
The Kelsey
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by: Lisa Engel / H. & C.D. / (916) 319-2085
Discussed in Hearing
43SEC
Assembly Floor
2MIN
Senate Floor
8MIN
Senate Standing Committee on Housing
1MIN
Assembly Floor
3MIN
Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations
12MIN
Assembly Standing Committee on Housing and Community Development
Bill Author
