Sacramento County, California

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 802, requiring Sacramento city and county, along with Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights and Folsom, to form a joint powers authority to coordinate the region's homelessness response by January 2028. It marks the first time California's Legislature has mandated such an arrangement, which is typically voluntary, and supporters say it could set a template for other regions where cities and counties often clash over responsibility for shelter beds and services.

The law follows decades of dysfunction in Sacramento, where nearly 90 officials across eight boards worked without coordination. The city supports the measure, but Sacramento County and Folsom oppose being forced into cooperation and are threatening legal action. Critics point to the troubled Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, now under federal scrutiny and defunded by the county, as a cautionary example, while supporters cite Solano County's joint authority, formed in 2022, as a working model. The outcome could influence how other California counties structure future homelessness governance.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill authored by state Sen. Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento) that requires Sacramento County and its cities to form a new Joint Powers Authority dedicated to homeless services, coordinating outreach, prevention, and shelter programs regionally. The law comes as a January point-in-time count found more than 7,400 people without permanent housing in Sacramento, a 12% increase over two years, despite the state providing nearly $500,000 to the county for homelessness over the past five years.

Ashby argues current efforts are fragmented across more than eight boards and nearly 90 officials working without coordination, and some city councilmembers support the new structure. Sacramento County opposes the mandate, questioning its legality and arguing it adds bureaucracy on top of reforms already underway in shelter operations, street outreach, and mental health and substance abuse services. The county is considering a legal challenge. The new agency must be established by January 2028.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, have listed their Fair Oaks mansion near Sacramento for $7.5 million, roughly double the $3.7 million they paid for the property in December 2018, shortly before Newsom took office. The 12,700-square-foot, seven-bedroom estate sits on 8.2 acres along the American River bluffs and features a resort-style pool, hot tub, cold plunge, tennis court, private casita and a 5,000-bottle wine cellar. It is being marketed by Sotheby's International Realty.

The Newsoms briefly lived in the state's official governor's mansion before relocating to Fair Oaks, and in 2024 they also bought a $9.1 million home in Kentfield in the Bay Area. As his second and final term nears its end, Newsom has spent less time in Sacramento, a city he once called "so dull." In July, the couple disclosed tax returns showing at least $11 million in income since 2019. The sale effectively closes out his time in the capital region and comes as Newsom is widely viewed as a potential frontrunner for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.