Vote NO on
SB 802
“SB 802 is a power grab disguised as reform. It shuts out local voices, dismantles proven partnerships, and rewards dysfunction at the expense of vulnerable residents. We need collaboration—not centralization—and accountability, not bureaucracy.”
“Ashby’s move to create a single super-authority for homelessness came out of the blue. There was no months-long transparent process that preceded it. There was no public opportunity for stakeholders to provide their input. Instead, there was a press conference… SB 802 elevates La Shelle Dozier, the current head of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (which now manages affordable housing and other efforts for Sacramento and the county), into a county homeless czar overseeing a new Sacramento Area Housing and Homeless Agency. State and federal funds that now go to the county and cities would go straight to this new agency.”
-THE SACRAMENTO BEE EDITORIAL BOARD
July 2, 2025
Click the button below to submit a letter of opposition to SB 802 and tell the legislature to not make homelessness worse in Sacramento
SB 802 would take housing and homelessness responsibilities away from cities and counties and hand them over to a new unelected regional bureaucracy run by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA)—an agency with a well-documented track record of vacant housing, poor transparency, and mismanagement. It doesn’t build a single new unit of affordable housing or open a single new shelter—but it does reduce Sacramento’s housing obligations by 20% and dismantles local control over how housing dollars are spent.
Why This Bill Is Bad for Housing and Regional Equity
It Undermines California’s Housing Laws: SB 802 sets a dangerous precedent by cutting the region’s housing targets by 20%—allowing Sacramento-area jurisdictions to sidestep state-mandated RHNA obligations. If this loophole is allowed, other regions will follow, weakening California’s ability to confront the housing crisis.
It Lets SHRA—an Agency with a Troubled Record—Control Everything: SHRA has left over 100 public housing units vacant during a homelessness emergency, despite having federal and local funding available. Instead of improving transparency and performance, SB 802 hands SHRA even more power under a new agency name, with less oversight and no structural reform.
It Shifts Housing Burdens from Wealthier Cities to Rural Counties: By redistributing RHNA obligations region-wide, SB 802 allows cities like Sacramento to push their housing requirements onto rural counties like Yuba, Sutter, or El Dorado—counties that often lack infrastructure, transit, and services to support affordable housing development.
It Delays Urgent Action on Homelessness: This bill prioritizes long-term planning bureaucracy over immediate action. Vulnerable populations—including foster youth, domestic violence survivors, and people with disabilities—can’t wait three years for another plan. They need housing and services now.
SB 802 reduces housing goals, centralizes power in a broken system, and weakens regional accountability. It’s a backwards step that undermines fair-share housing, regional equity, and real progress.
Join us in Opposing SB 802
What SB 802 Actually Does
Creates an unaccountable super-agency to control all housing and homelessness services in the Sacramento region.
Reduces the region’s housing production goals by 20%, setting a dangerous precedent statewide.
Centralizes control under SHRA, despite their failure to occupy more than 100 publicly owned homes during a homelessness crisis.
Shifts housing obligations from wealthier cities onto rural and suburban counties, making it harder to plan for sustainable growth.
Local Jobs & Labor Standards
The bill guts local project labor agreements like Sacramento’s Community Workforce and Training Agreement (CWTA), jeopardizing apprenticeship programs, local hiring, and equitable access to construction careers.
Affordable Housing & Accountability
SB 802 takes power away from city councils and county supervisors—elected officials who answer to the public—and gives it to an unelected board with no direct accountability.
A Fair Share Approach to Housing
By consolidating and reducing RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) numbers, the bill lets some jurisdictions off the hook for building housing, and passes those obligations to communities that lack the infrastructure to support it.