Need Your Support for AB 761–Streamlining Armories as Shelter | Los Angeles City & County CoC

Hi All,

Writing to see if your CoC might support AB 761, authored by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, which would help address the nearly 90,000 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in California on any given night. The bill would remove a number of barriers that prevent CoCs and countiesfrom effectively utilizing public-owned properties, namely state-owned armories, as interim housing.

State-owned armories should be an easy backstop to use as shelter while we continue to scale up the supportive and affordable housing that provides long-term solutions to homelessness. Armories are zoned for use as shelter and lie empty most nights. Yet these armories are laden with barriers, including costly nightly fees, contracting requirements for security services, and limits on the months when these sites can be used (October to April). As a result, most counties and CoCs have stopped using these armories on a regular basis, even as the process to establish other interim housing sites has been challenging. AB 761 would ensure that armories are a feasible option for local jurisdictions to use to provide life-saving shelter, including in the summer months, when the number of deaths of people experiencing homelessness spikes, by expanding access and removing many of the fees and red tape.

Please watch out for a follow-up e-mail from Joe with an attached fact sheet and letter of support template. The bill is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee on April 9; if you are able to support, please submit your position letter through the Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs portal and e-mail a copy to Chris Clemons (chris.clemons@asm.ca.gov) and cc Alex (avisotzky@lahsa.org) by April 1.