• U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), David Valadao (R-Hanford), and Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) recently reintroduced bipartisan legislation to use federal dollars for programs that provide safe overnight parking locations for people experiencing homelessness and living in their vehicles, as well as supportive services, like rapid rehousing services and facilities like restrooms and showers. The bill was inspired by the nation’s first safe parking program in Santa Barbara, according to Carbajal’s office. Carbajal helped establish the 2004 program through his role as a staff member for the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. The Santa Barbara program, overseen by the local nonprofit New Beginnings, has served as a model for similar programs across the country. “For the past 20 years, I’ve been proud to support Santa Barbara’s safe parking program. It’s a proven initiative that has helped hundreds of Central Coast residents transition from homelessness into secure accommodations,” Carbajal said in an Aug. 27 statement. “Santa Barbara has shown that investing in safe parking works. That’s why I’m reintroducing bipartisan legislation to expand this vital service nationwide.” The Naomi Schwartzand Susan Rose Safe Parking Act of 2025, named in honor of the two Santa Barbara County Supervisors who developed the program, would allow federal housing funds to support safe parking programs by making these programs eligible for grants to support the operation and expansion of these critical lifelines. “Everyone deserves a safe, secure, and affordable place to call home,” Rep. Vargas said in a statement from Carbajal’s office. “I am proud to co-lead this legislation to support safe parking programs and help those experiencing homelessness transition to stable housing.”
•On Aug. 25, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio, Texas), Democratic co-chairs of the Senate and House Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Caucuses, issued a joint statement on Aug. 25 condemning the Trump administration’s recent letter that declares it will no longer defend the $350 million HSI annual grant program in court, effectively ending the program, according to Padilla’s office. “The Trump administration’s refusal to defend the [HSI] program will jeopardize the education of not only the two-thirds of all Latino college students who attend HSIs, but of millions of students from all backgrounds who attend these important institutions across the country,” Padilla and Castro said in their joint statement. “A good education is the foundation of the American Dream and builds up our workforce. Stripping institutions of this critical funding stream simply because they serve Latino students is unjust and unsustainable. Our nation’s more than 600 HSIs play a key role in promoting America’s economic growth, and cutting off these vital resources would cause far more long-term damage than dollars saved. Make no mistake: The Trump administration’s threat to shut off HSI funding is a threat to similar minority-serving programs across the country that are essential to educational equality and our economy.”
•On Aug. 27, State Controller Malia M. Cohen announced that special districts from throughout California will be reunited with a combined $181,728 in unclaimed property. California’s Unclaimed Property program currently safeguards unclaimed properties worth a total of $14 billion, according to Cohen’s office. Since 1959, this consumer protection program’s aim has been to ensure businesses and other entities return properties belonging to a customer with whom they have lost contact. Common types of unclaimed property include bank accounts, stocks, bonds, uncashed checks, insurance benefits, and safe deposit box contents.
This article appears in Sep 4 – Sep 14, 2025.