California cities and counties ignoring mandate to monitor homeless shelters

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In 2021, responding to reports that the state’s homeless shelters were dirty and dangerous, the state Legislature crafted a plan: It would require local governments to inspect their shelters after complaints and file annual reports on shelter conditions.

Three years on, California’s cities and counties have basically ignored the mandate.

A new investigation from CalMatters reporter Lauren Hepler shows that just 5 of California’s 58 counties — Lake, Los Angeles, Monterey, Orange and Yuba — had filed shelter reports as of this spring. Only 4 of the state’s 478 cities filed reports: Fairfield, Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Woodland.

• Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva , a La Palma Democrat who authored the law: “It is shocking, number one, that there is so little reporting, considering that is part of the legislation. We are asking for the basics here.”

The reporting comes at a crucial moment for shelters in California. Late last month, the U.S. Supreme Court granted cities more power to ban sleeping outside. Homeless Californians face a crucial decision: Try to get into a shelter, or risk going to jail.

That means authorities could funnel more and more people into a shelter system that’s growing quickly, even as experts stress that other options — such as direct rent subsidies or housing with on-site services — are often more effective at combating the root issue.

California has spent at least $1.5 billion on shelters and related solutions since 2018, legislative reports show, on top of millions invested by cities, counties and the federal government.

The facilities are designed to be a temporary stop on the road to regaining housing but increasingly function as a bridge to nowhere.

The state added new emergency shelter beds at five times the rate of permanent housing with supportive services from 2018 to 2023, gaining 27,544 shelter beds, federal data shows.

• Eve Garrow , senior policy analyst and advocate for the ACLU of Southern California: “What has happened is cities and counties have quite explicitly raced to build more shelters in order to criminalize more people. Shelters become kind of an arm of this criminal legal system.”

Read more on what’s happening in shelters in Lauren’s story.

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Other Stories You Should Know

Tubbs announces lieutenant governor bid

Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs is throwing his hat in the ring for lieutenant governor in 2026. The 33-year-old Democrat gained notoriety in 2019, when he launched an experimental guaranteed income program that became a model for similar programs around the state and country. (On Monday, Fresno County began rolling out payments for its guaranteed income program.)

After losing his bid for re-election to Republican Kevin Lincoln in 2020, Tubbs joined Gov. Gavin’s Newsom administration as a special advisor and founded the nonprofit End Poverty in California .

In an interview with CalMatters, Tubbs says he’s running because he believes in California’s future and wants it to remain “not just in rhetoric, but with results … a state that works for everybody.” Citing his experience in police reform , climate justice and reducing poverty , Tubbs says he believes he can make a difference in helping the state solve issues including homelessness and the rising cost of living.

Asked whether he might win Newsom’s endorsement, Tubbs says he enjoyed working in the administration, but the governor is “busy.”

• Tubbs: “Governor Newsom has been an incredible mentor and supporter throughout my political career. … But I hope over the course of this campaign to earn his support and the support of the 30 million-plus Californians who aren’t governor.”

Also seeking to succeed Lt. Gov Eleni Kounalakis so far: State Treasurer Fiona Ma , who would be the first Asian American and second woman in the role if she won, and state Sen. Steven Bradford , an Inglewood Democrat and key legislator in California’s reparations debate .

In other election news: California voters will decide in November on a constitutional amendment to ban forced labor in prisons, considered by some as one of the last vestiges of slavery . If approved, it could also affect wages for prisoners , explains CalMatters justice intern Shaanth Nanguneri .

California prisons can pay less than 74 cents an hour for most of the state’s 40,000 employed inmates because its constitution allows for involuntary work as legal punishment. If Proposition 6 passes, inmates have the potential to receive higher pay — possibly the $7.25 federal minimum wage — depending on how courts interpret the measure.

But the cost could be high: In 2022, the state’s finance department estimated it would cost $1.5 billion a year to pay inmates minimum wage. California’s entire corrections budget is expected to hit $18 billion this fiscal year.

Read more about prison wages in Shaanth’s story.

November election: It’s not too early to get informed. Read up on the 10 ballot measures and the history of propositions in California. Check out our Voter Guide , including the FAQ on how to vote . And keep up with CalMatters coverage .

Garvey’s fundraising is picking up

From CalMatters politics reporter Yue Stella Yu :

California’s Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey had a good fundraising quarter after emerging from the March primary in the top two.

Between April 1 and June 30, the former L.A. Dodgers star outraised his Democratic opponent , Rep. Adam Schiff, by more than $1 million, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday.

But Garvey entered July with less cash — $3.3 million in the bank — than Schiff’s $6.5 million, reports show.

Garvey — who is skipping this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and is instead focusing on fundraising , TV interviews and his recent trip to Israel — reported raising $5.4 million during the three-month period, with roughly half from donors who each gave less than $200. He reported spending $3.7 million.

• Garvey , in a statement: “Californians are tired of the status quo… tired of Adam Schiff representing his party bosses rather than them, and now they are speaking up with their checkbooks.”

Schiff’s campaign reported raising $4.1 million , including $3.8 million in direct contributions from donors and almost $150,000 transferred from other committees. He raised a little more than $1 million from small donors who each gave less than $200. He reported spending $2.4 million.

Schiff, one of the Democrats in Congress strongly backing Israel during the Gaza War, also reported an additional $67,000 in checks collected by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on his behalf. From January through June, the pro-Israel political committee has delivered Schiff’s campaign more than $112,000.

The latest fundraising numbers are a shift from previous quarters, where Schiff consistently led Garvey in campaign contributions and spending . Schiff, who launched his campaign months ahead of Garvey, has raised a total of $39 million throughout the election cycle, whereas Garvey has raised $11 million.

Even with a shrinking fundraising gap, Schiff’s outlook in the race remains a near-certain victory. No Republican has won a statewide race in California since 2006. And in a June survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, Schiff earned support from 62% of the respondents, compared to Garvey’s 37%.

Read more about how Garvey and Schiff are navigating presidential politics in the story.

And lastly: How good is AI?

California is leading the way in looking at regulating artificial intelligence . How good are the new AI tools and how meaningful are the industry’s own benchmarks? Find out from Jon Keegan of The Markup, which is part of CalMatters.

California Voices

Medically assisted death enables people to die with dignity, but there’s limited public awareness and scarce support from health care institutions, writes Trudy Pachon , a retired teacher whose husband had a medically assisted death.

CalMatters columnist Dan Walters is away.

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CA plans to ban plants, bushes 5 feet from homes in fire areas // San Francisco Chronicle

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Wife of Trump VP pick JD Vance resigns from SF law firm // San Francisco Chronicle

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Nearly 60 mass layoffs this year across Fresno, Valley // The Fresno Bee