AB 139 · Housing Laws Navigator
Bills · 2019-2020 Session

AB 139

Emergency and Transitional Housing Act of 2019.Ch. 335, Stats. 2019 · chaptered 2019-09-26 · Later amended

Key provisions · Claude summary of the digest, not bill text

Revised how housing elements assess emergency shelter needs and required RHNA to account for people experiencing homelessness.

  • Shelter parking. Allowed a written objective standard requiring sufficient parking for shelter staff, except as provided.
  • Shelter need. Required shelter need to be based on the most recent point-in-time count, available and unused beds, and the share moving to permanent housing.
  • Special needs review. Required local review of the effectiveness of housing element actions on special housing needs.
  • RHNA homelessness. Required RHNA methodologies and HCD distributions to include the housing needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Paraphrased from the Legislative Counsel’s Digest. Check the bill text before relying on it.

ClaudeGreen text is a summary heading written by Claude to help navigate. It is not statute text; the statute text is in black.

Preamble

SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emergency and Transitional Housing Act of 2019.

SEC. 2

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Homelessness in California is a continuing crisis that demands the effective involvement of both the public and private sectors. California has the highest population of people experiencing homelessness in the nation.

(b) Since 1969, California has required that all cities and counties adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community. California’s local governments meet this requirement by adopting housing plans as part of their general plan. General plans are designed to serve as the local government’s “blueprint” for how the city or county will grow and develop and include seven mandatory elements: land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, and housing.

(c) A foundational principle of California’s housing element law is that local governments adopt plans and regulatory systems that provide opportunities for, and remove barriers in order for, the private market to adequately address the state’s housing needs. According to the Department of Housing and Community Development, housing policy in California rests largely on the effective implementation of local general plans and, in particular, local housing elements.

(d) Homelessness is one of many unfortunate outcomes for individuals and families trying to survive on household incomes near and below federal poverty rates. Lower income households are frequently unable to meet their daily, weekly, and monthly financial needs to pay for housing, food, childcare, health care, and transportation. When emergencies occur due to an illness, car problem, or the loss or reduction of work, lower income households face difficult choices. Due to its consistent payment schedule and relative large financial commitment, it is often housing that gets dropped, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.

(e) In order for California to address its homelessness crisis, there is a need for heightened and coordinated planning and action toward the provision of emergency shelters and transitional housing strategies, as well as the increased production of affordable housing.

SEC. 3In the navigator:§ 65583changes

Section 65583 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 2.5 of Chapter 958 of the Statutes of 2018, is amended to read:

SEC. 3.5In the navigator:§ 65583changes

Section 65583 of the Government Code is amended to read:

SEC. 4In the navigator:§ 65584.04changes

Section 65584.04 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 3.7 of Chapter 990 of the Statutes of 2018, is amended to read:

SEC. 4.1In the navigator:§ 65584.04changes

Section 65584.04 of the Government Code is amended to read:

SEC. 4.2In the navigator:§ 65584.04changes

Section 65584.04 of the Government Code is amended to read:

SEC. 4.3In the navigator:§ 65584.04changes

Section 65584.04 of the Government Code is amended to read:

SEC. 5In the navigator:§ 65584.06changes

Section 65584.06 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 5 of Chapter 989 of the Statutes of 2018, is amended to read:

SEC. 5.5In the navigator:§ 65584.06changes

Section 65584.06 of the Government Code is amended to read:

SEC. 6In the navigator:§ 65588changes

Section 65588 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 6 of Chapter 957 of the Statutes of 2018, is amended to read:

SEC. 6.5In the navigator:§ 65588changes

Section 65588 of the Government Code is amended to read:

SEC. 7

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.

SEC. 8. (a) Section 3.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 65583 of the Government Code proposed by both this bill and Assembly Bill 671. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2020, (2) each bill amends Section 65583 of the Government Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 671, in which case Section 3 of this bill shall not become operative.

(b) Section 4.1 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 65584.04 of the Government Code proposed by both this bill and Assembly Bill 1730. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2020, (2) each bill amends Section 65584.04 of the Government Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 1730, in which case Sections 4, 4.2, and 4.3 of this bill shall not become operative.

(c) Section 4.2 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 65584.04 of the Government Code proposed by both this bill and Senate Bill 182. That section shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2020, (2) each bill amends Section 65584.04 of the Government Code, (3) this bill is enacted after Senate Bill 182, in which case Sections 4, 4.1, and 4.3 of this bill shall not become operative.

(d) Section 4.3 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 65584.04 of the Government Code proposed by this bill, Assembly Bill 1730, and Senate Bill 182. That section shall only become operative if (1) all three bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2020, (2) all three bills amend Section 65584.04 of the Government Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 1730 and Senate Bill 182, in which case Sections 4, 4.1, and 4.2 of this bill shall not become operative.

(e) Section 5.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 65584.06 of the Government Code proposed by both this bill and Senate Bill 182. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2020, (2) each bill amends Section 65584.06 of the Government Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Senate Bill 182, in which case Section 5 of this bill shall not become operative.

(f) Section 6.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 65588 of the Government Code proposed by both this bill and Assembly Bill 1730. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2020, (2) each bill amends Section 65588 of the Government Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 1730, in which case Section 6 of this bill shall not become operative.

Source: LegiScan API, chaptered text of AB 139 (2019-2020 Session).

Bill text is the chaptered version from LegiScan (California Legislature); spacing is normalized. Code section text in a bill is the text that bill chaptered, not necessarily the law in effect today. Not legal advice.