February 22, 2024

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla reintroduced the Housing for All Act, presenting a comprehensive strategy to tackle the homelessness and affordable housing challenges in California and nationwide. Watch the press conference recording here.

Senator Padilla unveiled the legislation at a Project Homekey Site managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), accompanied by local housing leaders, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, HACLA President and CEO Douglas Guthrie, Business Consumer Services and Housing (BCSH) Deputy Secretary for Homelessness Dhakshike Wickrema, and California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Executive Committee member Luis Alejo.The proposed investments outlined in the Housing for All Act aim to build upon the successful and creative solutions already implemented by counties and states throughout the nation.

The Housing for All Act adopts a collaborative approach to combat these crises, incorporating federal government investments in housing solutions. Specifically, the bill is designed to:

• Address the shortage of affordable housing by investing in programs such as the National Housing Trust Fund, the HOME Investment Partnerships program, the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, and the Section 811 Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities.
• Tackle the homelessness crisis through investments in Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Rental Assistance, the emergency solutions grant program (providing street outreach, rapid re-housing assistance, emergency shelter, and homelessness prevention), and Continuums of Care.
• Support innovative, locally-developed approaches to these crises, including investments in converting hotels and motels into permanent supportive housing with supportive services, the Eviction Protection Grant Program supporting legal service providers in assisting low-income tenants at risk of or subject to eviction, mobile crisis intervention teams addressing the medical or psychological needs of individuals, programs providing a safe place to park overnight with access to rehousing and essential services, library programs supporting people experiencing homelessness, inclusive transit-oriented and infill development, and enhanced coordination of culturally competent, trauma-informed behavioral health and homelessness services.

The Housing for All Act takes a similar approach to CSAC’s AT HOME plan, which details the creation of a comprehensive homelessness response system that addresses all aspects of the crisis – from prevention to housing to services. CSAC and California’s counties express strong support for Senator Padilla’s Housing For All Act and urge Congress to take decisive action on this initiative.

Senator Padilla’s press release on the Housing For All Act can be found here.