Homes, Hope & the Future – What AB 736 Means for California & BOSS

With housing prices skyrocketing and emergency shelters filling faster than ever, California stands at a crossroads. The newly passed AB 736, also known as the Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026, marks a significant milestone in addressing the state's housing crisis. Authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and supported by a coalition of housing advocates and community organizations, the bill proposes a $10 billion statewide bond to fund critical housing infrastructure.

The bill now heads to the State Senate, and it couldn’t come at a more urgent time.

Why This Bond Matters

Current voter-approved funds for affordable housing are running out in 2024, with many housing projects statewide stalled due to a lack of financing. Homes, Hope, and the Future proposed legislation represents a blueprint for stability, offering a future where housing access, community investment, and dignity are possible for all Californians. AB 736 proposes:

• 📦 40,000+ new affordable homes

• 🛌 5,500 families protected from displacement

• 🔑 13,000 first-time buyers supported

• 👷‍♀️ Tens of thousands of new jobs in housing and construction

The Crisis in Alameda County & Oakland

In Alameda County:

• Over 9,700 people are unhoused on any given night (Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless, 2023).

• In Oakland, the average rent has increased over 45% in the last decade, while wages have stagnated for working-class families.

• Black residents make up 47% of the unhoused population in Oakland—despite being less than 24% of the city’s overall population.

Home, Hopes, and the Future

We’ve been providing housing navigation, eviction prevention, and transitional-to-permanent housing support for over 50 years. Our shelters and reentry housing programs have housed hundreds of formerly incarcerated individuals, survivors of violence, and families on the brink.

If AB 736 passes, it will help:

• Unlock funding for permanent supportive housing

• Stabilize projects already in development

• Empower local organizations like BOSS to continue delivering frontline services

With AB 736, California has a chance to deepen its commitment to housing justice and empower organizations like BOSS to expand life-saving programs. This bond measure would give our communities the resources they need to break cycles of displacement, preserve dignity, and build a future where housing is not a privilege, but a guaranteed right.

What Are You Willing to Do?

AB 736 is now heading to the California Senate. If passed there, it could be added to the 2026 ballot for voters.

This is a rare chance to reshape the future of housing in California. And we can’t afford to miss it.

Find your state senator HERE and email them to tell them you support AB 736.

Partner with BOSS! Your donations directly support individuals in our transitional and permanent housing programs.

Source: Assemblymember Buffy Wicks – AB 736 Press Release

Source: Housing California, 2024 Legislative Priorities