Mayors representing 11 million Californians gathered Friday in Riverside to establish a shared policy agenda for the state’s next governor and the 2027 legislative session, focusing on homelessness, behavioral health treatment, housing affordability and rising litigation costs.
The bipartisan California Big City Mayors coalition held its annual C13 summit, led by Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson, the group’s chair.
The mayors said their priorities build on efforts to restore funding for the state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program in the most recent state budget. They are now seeking more predictable funding, improved access to mental health treatment and changes to municipal liability laws they say are diverting taxpayer money from essential city services.
“We set out to restore HHAP funding, and we’ve accomplished that,” Lock Dawson said in a statement. “But restoring HHAP funding was just the beginning. We’ve built this coalition into a powerful, unified voice at the state level, and will use that influence to deliver results on the challenges facing our communities.”
Lock Dawson said this summit’s main aim is to “turn that collective strength into action (by) identifying the issues our cities cannot solve alone and working directly with the Governor and Legislature to advance meaningful, statewide solutions.”
The agenda for the gathering Friday also included discussions on increasing housing production, expanding economic opportunities and strengthening partnerships among state, county and local governments.
Long-term homelessness funding
The mayors said California has made progress in reducing homelessness but warned that continued improvements depend on reliable state funding and better coordination among local and regional agencies.
The state’s HHAP program provides funding for emergency shelters, street outreach, interim housing and permanent housing programs. The state allocated approximately $890 million for the program’s seventh funding round, according to the coalition.
However, the mayoral coalition pointed out that annual funding decisions make it difficult for cities to maintain successful programs and plan for long-term solutions.
Mayors are calling for multiyear HHAP commitments, clearer performance standards, expanded homelessness prevention resources and stronger regional partnerships.
“Cities can’t build a long-term solution to homelessness on a year-to-year funding commitment,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. “We need predictable resources, clear performance measures and the flexibility to invest in programs that are actually moving people off the streets and into stable housing.”
Irvine Mayor Larry Agran said locally operated outreach, interim housing, permanent housing and prevention programs are important resources for residents facing housing insecurity and behavioral health challenges.
“Our interim and permanent housing, outreach, and prevention programs work because they are run locally, in partnership with the communities they serve,” Agran said.
Future state investments should complement rather than replace flexible funding that allows cities to address local needs, he added.
Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said the city’s HHAP funding has helped move people off the streets and transition nearly 500 people into permanent housing.
“When deployed with purpose and intention, these dollars are investments into our community that produce real, life-changing results,” Aitken said.
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi said sustained state investment is necessary to connect people with shelter, treatment and permanent housing.
“HHAP gives cities flexible funding to connect people with shelter, treatment, and permanent housing,” Fugazi said, adding that funding should accurately recognize “each city’s needs so more Californians can find stability and a place to call home.”
Stronger behavioral health programs
The mayors also called for more effective implementation of California’s behavioral health reforms, including CARE Court, expanded conservatorship standards and Proposition 1.
Approved by voters, Proposition 1 authorized $6.4 billion in bonds to expand behavioral health treatment facilities and supportive housing.
The state’s initial goals included 6,800 residential treatment beds, 26,700 outpatient treatment slots and 4,350 permanent supportive housing units.
Although substantial funding has been awarded, the mayors said they want greater transparency about when facilities will open, how residents will access services and whether the programs are producing lasting results.
The coalition is seeking faster connections to treatment, clearer referral processes for families and first responders, sufficient treatment capacity and stronger accountability for implementation.
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said cities need continued homelessness funding, changes to CARE Court to improve access to treatment for people with serious mental illness, and liability reforms to protect public resources.
“The challenges facing California’s cities are too important for any one city to tackle alone,” Dyer said.
The coalition provides an opportunity for mayors to work across political lines on issues affecting communities throughout the state, he added.
Rising lawsuits raise concerns about city budgets
Another major focus was the increasing cost of lawsuits and liability judgments against California cities.
An August 2026 analysis by Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy and Beacon Economics found that public-entity liability costs had tripled over seven years, with large claims accounting for a disproportionate share of financial exposure.
The coalition said rising costs could put additional pressure on municipal budgets that support public safety, infrastructure, homelessness programs and other services.
The mayors are advocating changes to California’s tort laws, including reasonable limits on noneconomic damages, requiring cities to pay only their proportionate share of damages and greater transparency and limits on attorneys’ contingency fees.
The coalition said the proposed changes should preserve fair compensation for people who are injured.
“Every dollar cities spend on excessive litigation costs is a dollar we cannot invest in repairing streets, keeping neighborhoods safe and addressing homelessness,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said.
Gloria said the coalition supports changes intended to protect taxpayers while maintaining accountability and fair compensation.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said lawsuits also can divert resources from programs addressing affordability and other community needs.
He said taxpayer money spent on legal costs and additional insurance could otherwise support affordable housing, transportation, libraries, health services and public safety.
“When families are facing affordability challenges and instability, they expect their mayors to be focused on helping them, not dealing with frivolous lawsuits,”Richardson said. “Frivolous lawsuits distract us from our focus on affordability, and divert taxpayer money toward lawyers and extra insurance.”
Housing production remains a priority
The coalition also emphasized the need to increase housing construction and affordability as cities confront high housing costs and demand for additional homes.
Mayors are seeking stronger state and local partnerships to reduce barriers to development, support infrastructure investments and expand housing options for working families, seniors and residents at risk of homelessness.
The group plans to continue working with state officials, legislators and regional partners to advance its priorities during the 2027 legislative session.
The coalition said its efforts will focus on sustained investment, measurable results and policies that address challenges facing the state’s largest cities.
