California senator's homelessness bill sparks backlash from Sacramento leaders
A showdown is brewing between state and local leaders over how to tackle the homelessness crisis in Sacramento County.
State Senator Angelique Ashby authorized a bill that would reshape the region's approach to homelessness. But city and county officials argue her plan would do more harm than good, adding unnecessary bureaucracy and taking away local efforts already underway.
On Tuesday, Sacramento city and county leaders held a joint news conference to voice their opposition to Senate Bill 802, calling it a step backward.
"There's already a plan in place that I believe would have a much better outcome than to put another bureaucratic layer that only weakens the ability to get people the help they need," said Rosario Rodriguez, Sacramento County supervisor for District 4.
Sen. Ashby's plan would create a new regional agency, the Sacramento Area Housing and Homelessness Agency, to oversee all housing and homelessness programs throughout the county.
She says the goal is to centralize decision-making, coordinate resources, improve accountability, and reduce waste.
"If we do not work together, if we continue to be in silos, if we fear collaboration, we will not garner success," Ashby said when she introduced the bill last month.
Under SB 802, the new agency would control all state and federal funds for homelessness, decide how money is distributed, and oversee decisions made by cities within the county.
But local officials insist the county and its cities already work together to address homelessness, with programs tailored to each community's unique needs.
"I believe that when we talk about local control, it's about local cities and jurisdictions managing their own funding," Rodriguez added.
Opponents of the bill say they support regional collaboration, but believe it should respect local control and build on progress already made.
"I plead with her to pause and bring everybody together to chart a better way and build on the partnership the city and county struck a couple years ago," said Sacramento County Supervisor Rich Desmond.
In response, Ashby argues the current system is failing, noting the county has received $400 million in funding over the past five years with little success in reducing homelessness.
A formal hearing on SB 802 is scheduled for Wednesday at the State Capitol.
