Governor Newsom Signs Legislation to Provide Shelter and Stability to Homeless Families

• Judith Gutierrez
• Communications Director
• (323) 534-9800
• [email protected]

SACRAMENTO, CA - Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2835, authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), which will help homeless children and families secure shelter and stability in hotels and motels.

"We need solutions to our homelessness crisis that are both compassionate and effective," said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D - Encino). "AB 2835 will deliver on both fronts by providing much-needed stability to kids and families experiencing homelessness while also cutting red tape and saving taxpayer resources. I am proud to partner with Governor Newsom on this effort and appreciate his continued leadership."

AB 2835 builds on the pilot program first authored by Assemblymember Gabriel under AB 1991. That program created protections and cut red tape for hotel, motel, and homeless service providers who provide shelter for homeless individuals. Governor Newsom signed AB 1991 into law in 2022 to prevent the frequent relocation of homeless individuals and to ensure a fair process in shelter programs. AB 2835 allows shelters to offer housing services beyond 30 days without implicating certain elements of landlord-tenant law that might discourage providers from housing individuals experiencing homelessness.

Currently, thousands of people experiencing homelessness in California are participating in shelter programs and residing temporarily in hotels, motels, and other sites. Before 2023, many hotels and motels participating in shelter programs were forced to utilize a practice known as 'shuffling', where homeless individuals were removed from their rooms every four weeks to avoid creating a landlord-tenant relationship. This shuffling practice is disruptive to those participating in the programs-particularly families with young children enrolled in neighborhood schools-and needlessly consumes the resources of service providers who must constantly work to find new accommodations.

AB 2835 ensures that at a time when California is grappling with a housing shortage and a concerning homelessness crisis, it should utilize existing resources as efficiently as possible to get individuals into shelter and back on their feet.

To read Governor Newsom's press release, click here.

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Jesse Gabriel proudly represents the San Fernando Valley in the California State Legislature.