California bill would create regional housing authority to tackle homelessness
A first-of-its-kind plan to help end homelessness will be unveiled in Sacramento on Wednesday. Supporters say it's an aggressive approach to getting more people off the streets and into permanent homes.
State Senator Angelique Ashby is introducing a bill that would take a regional approach to creating new affordable housing.
The proposal calls for creating a new government joint powers authority called the Sacramento Area Housing and Homelessness Agency.
Mike Jaske with Sacramento Area Congregations Together says many homeless advocates have been calling for more regional cooperation.
"The grand jury several years ago issued a report criticizing the homeless structure and recommending the JPA be formed," Jaske said.
Right now, Sacramento County and its cities each have their own plans to build affordable housing that are not coordinated, and they are thousands of units short of the requirements set by the state.
"You'd be hard pressed to find a jurisdiction that's actually on track to accomplish their numbers," Jaske said.
This new idea would consolidate the region's housing needs into a single number, and housing tax money from the county and each city would be combined to help issue bonds and build more affordable units.
The bill also disbands Sacramento's housing and redevelopment agency and its responsibilities would be taken over by this new board.
"Senator Ashby should be applauded for taking a shot at proposing something that can be part of the solution," Jaske said.
But Jaske says taking a regional approach still doesn't resolve the most pressing issue.
"The most fundamental problem is not absence of coordination," Jaske said. "The fundamental problem to solving homelessness is insufficient funding. There simply is not enough money."
Senator Ashby will be meeting with local government officials to unveil the details of the bill tomorrow.
