Deployment of State Assets to Address Homelessness

Overview:

Homelessness is a crisis and demands a crisis response. All levels of government—state, federal, and local—must do their part to provide homeless Californians with safer, healthier housing opportunities. Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-23-20 to immediately and urgently provide state government assets to provide shelter and housing for those who are homeless, including state excess land and travel trailers

Implementation of Executive Order:

  • Deploying Temporary Travel Trailers from the State Fleet: The Governor directed the Department of General Services to supply 100 travel trailers from the state fleet to provide temporary housing. Trailers will be deployed to Oakland, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, Contra Costa County, Sonoma County, Santa Clara County, and Stockton.
  • Development of Accountability Metrics: All levels of government must hold themselves accountable to results. State government will develop accountability metrics to measure local governments’ performance in moving people off the streets and into more stable situations. Local governments will need to track their progress and report it publicly in order to access state resources and assets moving forward.
  • Establishing a multi-agency strike team: The Governor directed the creation of a multi-agency strike team to assist local governments in addressing street homelessness. The strike team will be coordinated by the California Interagency Council on Homelessness and will provide technical assistance and targeted support from the following agencies and departments:
    • Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency
    • Health and Human Services Agency
    • Government Operations Agency
    • Labor and Workforce Development Agency
    • Transportation Agency
  • Inventory of State Assets to Temporarily Shelter the Homeless: Based on the initial assessment of state excess land and facilities, the Department of General Services has developed a GIS-enabled, searchable, and fully interactive map of excess state property available for temporary shelter. This list will continue to be updated, with sites being added and removed, as we work with local governments on the suitability of those parcels for temporary shelter.

To view the fully interactive map, please visit the Affordable Housing GIS Map Viewer page.

Accountability:

To access state-owned assets and trailers, local governments will be required to track performance and regularly report this data to the state.

Accountability metrics to be collected from communities that have received trailers or utilize excess state assets or facilities to provide emergency shelter include: (1) the average length of time individuals stay in the trailers or other temporary housing on state-owned land, (2) the exit destination for the individuals, (3) demographics of the individuals served, (4) the disability status of individuals at the time of entry into and exit from program, (5) income and public benefits being accessed by individuals at the time of entry into and exit from program, and (6) the total number of individuals served. These metrics, as well as other data provided in the Annual Performance Reports to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will be collected monthly for the first 6 months that a program is in operation, and quarterly thereafter.

Data will be updated monthly and reported below.

Contact:

For any general questions or comments about the Governor’s Executive Order, please contact the California Interagency Council on Homelessness at calich@bcsh.ca.gov.

For questions about Caltrans properties, please contact Warren Alford at Warren.Alford@dot.ca.gov.

For questions about all other state property, please contact Bob McKinnon at Robert.McKinnon@dgs.ca.gov.

All local governments interested in utilizing one of the identified excess state land parcels or facilities are requested to submit a short, high-level plan (2-3 pages) to the California Interagency Council on Homelessness inbox (calich@bcsh.ca.gov) that includes:

  1. The property you are requesting to use
  2. How you intend to use the property (e.g. safe parking or shelter)
  3. An estimated number of individuals you expect will be sheltered at the property
  4. How you specifically plan to fund ongoing wraparound services
  5. What partners you have at the table to provide health, social, and other appropriate services
  6. If you have a specific non-profit/contracted entity already in place that could quickly provide the services, and if not how quickly one could be onboard
  7. Confirmation that local partners (city, county, non-profits) have capacity and resources to operate, secure and maintain the sheltering efforts proposed
  8. What strategies and resources you will use to ensure exits to permanent housing
  9. If you have declared a shelter crisis
  10. Confirmation that you are comfortable with regular and public reporting to the state

Additional Resources:

CalTrans Ready-to-Use Agreements