Larry Klein
Mayor
Richard Mehlinger
Vice Mayor
Alysa Cisneros
Councilmember
Murali Srinivasan
Councilmember
Linda Sell
Councilmember
Charlsie Chang
Councilmember
Eileen Le
Councilmember
May 11, 2026
T
he Honorable Catherine Stefani
California State Assembly
1021 O Street, Suite 5220
Sacramento, CA 95814
R
E: Assembly Bill 2146 (Stefani): Supportive housing: prospective tenants:
barriers to access – SUPPORT
D
ear Assemblymember Stefani:
O
n behalf of the City of Sunnyvale, we want to express our support of Assembly Bill 2146, which will expedite the housing referral process for people experiencing homelessness by removing unnecessary and burdensome documentation requirements related to housing history. This bill would also allow housing providers the option to source tenant referrals outside of the Coordinated Entry System (CES) or an equivalent referral system for units that have been vacant for 6 months.
I
n California, under SB 1380 (Mitchell, 2016), unhoused applicants cannot be denied supportive housing due to poor or inconsistent housing history. However, state funding programs still require that applicants provide documentation related to their housing history, including third- party verification of homelessness, two years of rental history, and, in some cases, landlord or personal references. These programs often copy federal or other documentation requirement practices voluntarily, even though they are not legally required to. For applicants who have risen to the top of the CES queue due to the severity and chronicity of their situation, these burdensome documentation requirements slow down the process of becoming housed for those who need it most.
C
ES is an important tool for creating equity and tracking data and outcomes; however, the capacity of CES organizations varies across the state, and in some places, these organizations are also underfunded, understaffed, and backlogged. This can lead to a small number of supportive housing units remaining vacant for over 6 months, creating delays for people experiencing homelessness.
Attachment 11
The Honorable Catherine Stefani, State Assembly
May 11, 2026
AB 2146 would create a “Direct Access to Supportive Housing” (DASH) designation for non- federally funded affordable housing units to remove documentation requirements including housing history documentation, a third- party verification of homelessness, or landlord referrals. Removing these duplicated requirements creates fewer delays in accessing desperately needed supportive housing. This bill also allows affordable housing developers to obtain tenant referrals beyond CES for units that have been vacant for over 6 months. This creates a backstop for the most problematic vacancies without undermining the important role of CES in prioritizing the most vulnerable Californians for housing.
As identified in City Council Legislative Advocacy Position 5(B), Sunnyvale encourages the State government to expand supportive housing and services to address the needs of residents who are experiencing homelessness. By removing burdensome documentation requirements, SB 2146 provides greater flexibility for supportive housing providers to help meet the needs of our most vulnerable residents.
For these reasons, the City of Sunnyvale is proud to support AB 2146. Thank you for your leadership on this crucial issue and your consideration of our position. Please do not hesitate to contact me or Trudi Ryan, Community Development Director at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Larry Klein
Mayor
cc: Senator Dr. Aisha Wahab
Assembly Member Patrick Ahrens
City Council
Tim Kirby, City Manager
Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Connie Verceles, Assistant City Manager
Trudi Ryan, Director of Community Development
Attachment 11