The Apple Valley City Council is opposing state Sen. Catherine Blakespear’s legislative proposal that changes how cities and counties plan for homelessness in their housing plans.
Apple Valley City Manager Guy Eisenbrey, who began his role on April 1, explained the town’s position at the April 14 council meeting.
He stated that the proposed bill is “Really a burden on the local jurisdictions’ additional recording requirements,” and added that the bill specifically targets cities that aren’t receiving funds from the state to provide services to the homeless.
Senate Bill 866 does not directly fund or build homeless housing. Instead, it strengthens planning and accountability requirements for local governments, especially those that do not receive state Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) grant funding.
The city wrote its opposition in a letter that was heard by the Senate Housing Committee on April 15. No final committee vote was taken at that hearing, meaning the bill remains in the committee process.
The Senate bill seeks to close accountability gaps between cities that do and do not receive HHAP funding, improving statewide data consistency and discouraging avoidance. However, it could strain cities that have not budgeted for the added requirements.
The Daily Press reached out to the Town of Apple Valley for additional comment.
The goal of Senate Bill 866
The bill’s core purpose is to force more data‑driven homelessness planning in jurisdictions that currently fall outside California’s main homelessness funding programs.
California law already requires every city and county to adopt a housing element as part of its general plan. The bill proposed by Blakespear, D-Encinitas, adds new homelessness‑specific requirements to that document for jurisdictions that do not receive HHAP funding.
What does this bill require of local governments?
Local governments will be required to include specific data on unhoused residents in their housing elements, intended to eliminate vague or incomplete homelessness assessments in local plans. Cities would be required to record:
No funds provided
The bill does not provide new funding, and the state does not reimburse local governments for the additional work. Included in Senate Bill 866 is the requirement to show how the cities funded the recording effort, and identify existing programs that serve unhoused residents.
As stated by Eisenbrey, the cost is a burden on towns like Apple Valley, which don’t receive grant money for homeless efforts, and they will need to reallocate funds.
Apple Valley outreach
The most direct, on‑the‑ground program serving unhoused residents in Apple Valley is the Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement (H.O.P.E.) Team led by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, which provides policing services for the town.
The H.O.P.E team provides direct outreach to people living in encampments and gives referrals to emergency shelter, mental health treatment and housing programs.
The city does not operate a city-run homeless shelter, but several nonprofits and churches in the area provide homeless outreach, such as Feed My Sheep of the High Desert.
McKenna is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at mmobley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Apple Valley pushes back on California homelessness bill
Reporting by McKenna Mobley, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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