- “SB 634 is a victory for those seeking to assist our neighbors who are homeless.” – Adam Murray, CEO of Inner City Law Center
By Vanguard Staff
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Inner City Law Center (ICLC) announced Wednesday that Senate Bill 634, authored by state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, has passed, marking what advocates call a crucial step in protecting people and organizations providing essential services to unhoused Californians from criminal penalties.
The legislation arrives one year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial ruling in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which cleared the way for local governments to impose harsher restrictions on people experiencing homelessness. The decision has fueled a wave of ordinances across the country, many of which focus on punitive measures rather than systemic solutions.
Against that backdrop, advocates said SB 634 is designed to ensure that compassion is not treated as a crime. The measure prohibits local jurisdictions from adopting or enforcing laws that penalize individuals or organizations for offering food, water, legal aid, medical care, or other forms of assistance to those living without stable housing.
“SB 634 is a victory for those seeking to assist our neighbors who are homeless,” said Adam Murray, CEO of Inner City Law Center. “Criminalization pushes unhoused people further into crisis. This legislation takes an important step toward ensuring that people are not punished for helping those in need.”
Advocates emphasized that the new law is not simply about protecting service providers but also about shifting the broader narrative around homelessness. Instead of focusing on punitive policies that push people further into instability, the bill directs attention to root causes such as lack of housing, poverty, and systemic inequities.
“SB 634 affirms a simple but fundamental truth: helping people in need is not a crime — it’s a responsibility and an indispensable part of the solution. In California, extending a helping hand by providing food, water, legal aid, or medical care ought to be celebrated, not penalized,” said Ishvaku Vashishtha, ICLC Equal Justice Works Fellow. “This bill lifts up the individuals, faith communities, and service providers on the frontlines of combatting poverty and homelessness, and makes clear that we will not end this crisis by criminalizing poverty and compassion, but by investing in housing and services.”
Advocates point out that California, despite its wealth and resources, remains the state with the largest homeless population in the nation. Thousands of people rely daily on charitable and nonprofit service providers for survival. SB 634 ensures that those who step forward to provide assistance do not have to worry about facing fines or criminal charges for offering help.
Mahdi Manji, ICLC’s director of policy, underscored the day-to-day stakes for both providers and the people they serve. “Every day, we work with tenants and unhoused neighbors who are forced to navigate a system stacked against them,” he said. “SB 634 ensures homeless services providers and good samaritans can assist our homeless neighbors without the risk of being charged with a crime.”
For ICLC, the passage of SB 634 is also a testament to coalition-building. The organization co-sponsored the legislation alongside Disability Rights California, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and the Western Center on Law & Poverty. Together, they credited Pérez with championing the measure in the face of growing political pressure to adopt punitive responses.
ICLC said the law strengthens the ability of service providers, faith communities, and grassroots groups to continue their work without fear of criminalization, sending a message that compassion is part of the solution.
Based in Los Angeles’ Skid Row, ICLC is the only legal-services provider with offices in the heart of the community. The nonprofit provides legal services to low-income tenants, working-poor families, housing-insecure veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and those living with disabilities or HIV. For decades, it has fought housing discrimination and advocated for policy changes aimed at protecting the state’s most vulnerable residents.
In its statement, ICLC made clear that, while SB 634 is a victory, it is also a starting point. The group said California’s housing crisis will not be solved by criminalizing acts of compassion, but by long-term investments in affordable housing, healthcare, and supportive services.
The organization said it would continue to advocate for systemic reforms, but hailed SB 634 as a significant safeguard in the ongoing fight against criminalization.
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