Committee advances bill to make prevention central to California homelessness strategy

Assemblymember Gabriel presented AB 19 24 as a measure to center homelessness prevention in the state's response, citing research and local practice that show prevention reduces demand for more costly rehousing interventions. Janie Rountree of the California Policy Lab (speaker 38) said targeted prevention approaches can reduce homelessness among participants by 70% in some programs and urged the state to adopt measurable, agency‑specific prevention goals.

Erin Stanton of Sacred Heart Community Service (speaker 39) described Santa Clara County’s prevention system and outcomes: since launching, their program helped stabilize nearly 44,000 people and kept 93% of households housed two years after receiving assistance, according to testimony. Supporters told the committee that a statewide strategy would provide consistent, evidence‑based tools to prioritize limited state funds toward high‑impact prevention interventions.

Committee members from both parties praised the bill and requested clearer numerical goals and timelines for accountability; the committee passed the bill to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations with the expectation of further work on measurable targets.