California State Assembly District recently issued the following announcement.
Assembly bill 22, authored by Assemblywoman Autumn R. Burke (D-Inglewood) passed out of Assembly Housing Committee by a 6-0 vote with the committee chair, Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) adding on as a joint author. AB 22 establishes the statewide right to housing for children and families and codifies best practices for preventing homelessness.
“I am proud to be a Californian because we’ve always risen to meet our greatest challenges and do what is best for the people who live here.” said Assemblywoman Burke. “This isn’t just a problem – it’s a crisis. Now is the time to establish that housing is a fundamental right in California.”
The bill outlines three pillars to address homelessness:
Preventing families from losing their homes in the first place through assistance with rent and utility bills and connecting them with services to address factors that can lead to homelessness;
Providing emergency accommodations with supportive services should a family lose their home, which can include shelters or bridge housing and;
Transitioning the family to permanent housing while fostering a culture of dignity and respect throughout the process to minimize trauma and disruption to daily life.
AB 22 has 15 coauthors that include legislators from both houses and parties. The bill advancement comes at a time when the number of homeless people in California has reached over 151,000, a total that accounts for one quarter of the Nation’s homeless. Los Angeles County accounts for more than 55,000 of the state’s total homeless population.
Original source can be found here.
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