The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously to support Senate Bill 450, or SB 450, legislation in Sacramento that would streamline the process of converting motels into supportive and transitional housing.
“Converting motels into supportive housing should be a quick and cost-effective way to address our homelessness crisis– but stricter regulations often make these conversions more difficult and more expensive than other housing projects,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who authored the motion to support SB 450.
“By streamlining motel conversions we can get people off the streets quickly and into safe, supportive units where they can begin the long process of putting their lives back together,” Hahn said.
SB 450, authored by State Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana), would exempt projects related to the conversion of a motel into supportive or transitional housing from the California Environmental Quality Act.
Projects that would qualify for exemptions would not increase the number of dwelling units and would make only minor alterations to the interior of the buildings to add cooking facilities and the provision of a hotplate or microwave to individual units.
“Our communities need more transitional and supportive housing to come as soon as possible, considering the state’s homelessness crisis,” Umberg said.
“Too many families are staying in these motels because they cannot pass a credit check to lease an apartment, and as a result, they end up paying more to reside in a motel,” he said. “This will make extraordinary opportunities for our state’s cities, as we continue to support our local communities when they diligently work to implement life-changing efforts for those in need. There is no single solution to tackling homelessness, but this gives local communities a sound option.”
The legislation is sponsored by the city of Long Beach and also supported by the city of Los Angeles.
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