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State Sen. Angelique Ashby, D-Sacramento, speaks at a news conference at the state Capitol on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, about her bill, SB 802. Sacramento County voted to send a letter to lawmakers opposing the bill on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
HECTOR AMEZCUA<\/p>\n
hamezcua@sacbee.com<\/p>\n
Sacramento County supervisors on Tuesday formally opposed a state bill that would change how local officials decide spending on homelessness, warning it could reduce county control over funding.<\/p>\n
The Board of Supervisors approved a letter opposing Senate Bill 802, which would redirect state homelessness funds into a regional joint powers authority, or JPA, instead of distributing money separately to the city and county.<\/p>\n
Under the proposal by state Sen. Angelique Ashby, D-Sacramento, elected officials from Sacramento County and its cities would jointly decide how to spend the funds. County staff said the change could reduce the county\u2019s share of funding and potentially violate the California Constitution.<\/p>\n
\u201cShould SB 802 pass, this Board will lose its current decision-making power and control of funding,\u201d wrote Elisia De Bord, the county\u2019s governmental relations and legislative officer, in the staff report<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSB 802 also does not provide any new resources to address the housing and homeless crisis. It merely redirects existing funds away from the County and City to the new JPA,\u201d the report said. \u201cThe re-direction of these funds undermines local control … (it) disrupts locally developed collaborative solutions to address homelessness currently underway.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashby, who supported the bill, disputed those concerns about counties receiving less homeless funding from the state<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no truth to idea that the county or region would get fewer dollars,\u201d said Ashby, a former Sacramento City Council member, during an interview Tuesday. \u201cI would argue if they come together, they are going to put themselves in the front of the line because they\u2019d be leading the state in collaboration. Newsom has been calling for more JPAs.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashby said the bill\u2019s primary change would require jurisdictions to make spending decisions together rather than separately. She added the JPA could still allocate some funding directly to individual agencies.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now the public and homeless advocates have no front door to go talk about their concerns because these groups don\u2019t meet together,\u201d Ashby said. \u201cEveryone is rowing in a different direction.\u201d<\/p>\n The proposal would include Sacramento County and its incorporated cities \u2014 Folsom, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights and Rancho Cordova. Ashby said most cities were neutral on the latest version of the bill.<\/p>\n The county and city have clashed over homelessness policy in the past<\/a>, though they have recently collaborated on efforts including the Stockton Boulevard Safe Stay shelter.<\/p>\n Supervisors approved the opposition letter without discussion on the consent calendar. The vote was unanimous, with Supervisor Rich Desmond absent. Tuesday\u2019s letter was sent to the Democratic chairs of key Assembly committees expected to review SB 802, including Assembly members Matt Haney of San Francisco, Alex Lee of San Jose and Juan Carrillo of Palmdale.<\/p>\n Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez said Saturday she believed the bill could help offset Sacramento\u2019s projected $66 million budget deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1.<\/p>\n Sacramento County faces a projected $101 million deficit in the same period, largely tied to federal policy changes, according to county spokesperson Kim Nava.<\/p>\n The Sacramento City Council was expected to consider steps toward creating a homelessness JPA during its meeting Tuesday evening.<\/a><\/p>\n Ashby said SB 802 was expected to be heard in the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee in June.<\/p>\n The Bee\u2019s Ishani Desai contributed to this story.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
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