CA State Senate Passes 'Unaccompanied Women Experiencing Homelessness Act of 2021” by Senator Susan Rubio

SACRAMENTO, CA – The California State Senate today passed the “Unaccompanied Women Experiencing Homelessness Act of 2021” by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park). California would become the first state in the nation to recognize unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness without children or dependents as a distinct homeless subpopulation if this bill is signed into law. 

A Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation priority bill, Senate Bill 678 requires the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council to collect data about this subpopulation in accordance with state and federal privacy and confidentiality laws, and include that data in the state’s Homeless Data Integration System in order to improve the state’s ability to design programs and strategies to address their specific needs.

“Unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness face unique challenges,” Sen. Rubio said. “Eighty percent of this group report trauma or abuse as a cause of their homelessness. Too many of these women face an unimaginable choice – stay in an abusive relationship, or possibly end up homeless. The first step to solving our state’s homeless problem is having accurate data about who is unhoused and what their needs are, and I’m proud to author this bill to accomplish that.”  

“We remain so deeply grateful for Senator Rubio's championing of SB 678," said Amy Turk, C.E.O. of the Downtown Women's Center, which sponsored the legislation. "Today's passage of the 'Unaccompanied Women Experiencing Homelessness Act of 2021' in the State Senate is a historic step toward California becoming the first state to recognize unaccompanied women, and we look forward to our continued partnership with Senator Rubio to ensure that SB 678 is signed into law.”

Since joining the State Senate, Sen. Rubio has prioritized addressing the state’s affordable housing shortage and homelessness crisis. A member of the Senate Housing Production Working Group, she has helped author several affordable housing bills over the past two years. In 2019, Sen. Rubio authored SB 751 to create the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust for local communities to collaborate regionally and support affordable housing projects and homeless shelter programs.

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Media Contact: Edward Barrera, edward.barrera@sen.ca.gov