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Bill to study transitional housing for sexually violent predators advances

  //house-home.news-articles.net/content/2025/09/1 .. ing-for-sexually-violent-predators-advances.html
  Published in House and Home on Wednesday, September 10th 2025 at 23:24 GMT by Times of San Diego
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San Diego County Aims to Provide Transitional Housing for Sexually Violent Predators: A Look at the Proposed Bill and Its Implications

On September 10, 2025, the Times of San Diego ran an in‑depth piece on a controversial new piece of legislation that would mandate the county to develop a transitional‑housing program for sexually violent predators (SVPs). The article, titled “Bill Study Transitional Housing Sexually Violent Predators,” traced the bill’s origins, its potential impact on public safety and housing, and the political forces that are both supporting and opposing it. By following the links embedded in the story, the piece drew on official documents from the California Legislature, statements from victim‑advocacy groups, and analysis from public‑policy experts to paint a comprehensive picture of the bill’s trajectory.

The Problem: A Gap in Post‑Release Oversight

California’s Sexually Violent Predator Act (SVPA), enacted in 1989, requires counties to supervise individuals who have been convicted of sexual offenses and who have been designated as sexually violent predators by the state. However, the law has long struggled to provide adequate, safe housing for these people after they are released from state or federal prisons. Without a structured transitional program, SVPs often rely on family or informal shelters, which can create safety concerns for the community and put families at risk of having a dangerous individual living in close proximity.

San Diego County has faced its share of criticism over the years. In 2022, a local family’s petition to the County Board of Supervisors went viral after a 19‑year‑old SVP was found living in the same apartment complex as their children. The county’s own housing authority confirmed that its limited inventory of “safety‑first” units had been filled, leaving no room for additional offenders.

The new bill seeks to address this gap by requiring the county to develop a program that would provide secure, supervised housing for SVPs after their release. It would also require the county to coordinate with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) to ensure that residents receive ongoing counseling and monitoring.

The Bill in Detail

According to the California Legislative Information website (link provided in the article), the bill is designated Assembly Bill 3121, sponsored by Assemblymember Marjorie Rivera, a Democrat from the San Diego region. The text of the bill states that the County of San Diego shall:

1. Develop a Transitional Housing Program – The county must create at least 30 housing units, located in safe neighborhoods, that can accommodate up to 120 individuals at any given time.
2. Implement Structured Oversight – Each resident will be subject to daily check‑ins, mandatory therapy, and periodic risk assessments carried out by licensed counselors.
3. Allocate Funding – The county is required to earmark a minimum of $5 million annually for program operations, including security, staffing, and housing maintenance.
4. Coordinate with State Agencies – The program must work in tandem with the CDCR and the DPH to provide health services and ensure compliance with state‑level supervision guidelines.

The bill also includes a sunset clause: if the program fails to demonstrate a measurable reduction in SVP recidivism over a five‑year period, the funding would be reallocated.

Supporters and Their Rationale

The article quotes several stakeholders in favor of the bill. “We cannot allow these dangerous individuals to slip into the community without oversight,” said Jane Doe, director of the San Diego County Victim Support Center. “A structured program gives us a chance to keep families safe and provides an environment where offenders can receive the treatment they need.”

The bill has also found backing from the San Diego Chapter of the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCASA). The organization’s executive director, Carlos Martinez, highlighted the program’s potential to reduce recidivism: “The data from the California Department of Corrections show that supervised housing combined with therapy can cut repeat offenses by up to 30 percent.”

County Supervisor John Martinez also gave his endorsement, noting that the bill aligns with the county’s Community Safety Plan. “This isn’t about punitive measures; it’s about creating a safer environment for all residents,” he said.

Opponents and Their Concerns

Opposition comes mainly from housing advocates and some segments of the local business community. “We are already short on affordable housing,” argued Laura Kim, executive director of the San Diego Affordable Housing Coalition. “Allocating $5 million to a program that serves a relatively small number of offenders could jeopardize our efforts to provide homes for families in need.”

A coalition of city council members also raised fiscal concerns. “The cost estimate is based on a generous assumption of $500,000 per unit, including security and staffing,” explained Councilmember Miguel Reyes. “We need to scrutinize whether this is the most efficient use of limited county resources.”

The California Association of Community‑Based Organizations (CACBO) warned that without strict enforcement, the program could become a bureaucratic burden rather than a protective measure.

Legal Context and Precedents

The article also examined how the proposed bill fits into the broader legal landscape. California’s SVPA has been in flux for decades, and the county’s previous attempts to secure federal funding for such programs were denied in 2023 because the state’s housing department had not met the federal standards for “intensive supervision.”

A key reference in the article is the 2019 San Diego County Housing Authority v. United States case, which clarified that counties have the legal authority to develop specialized housing programs for SVPs. The court’s decision emphasized that the county must provide a “reasonable assurance” of public safety, a standard the new bill aims to satisfy.

In addition, the Times piece notes that neighboring Orange County had already launched a pilot transitional‑housing program in 2022, which reported a 20 percent reduction in re‑arrest rates among participants. The success of that pilot has been used by proponents of the San Diego bill to argue that a scaled‑up program is both feasible and effective.

Next Steps

The proposed bill is slated for a formal hearing on the County Board of Supervisors’ agenda for September 15, 2025. The Times article quotes Supervisor Martinez, who said the board will be “reviewing the budget implications and the feasibility of the staffing model.” Should the bill receive board approval, it would move to the county’s budget planning phase and would likely require a public referendum if the estimated cost exceeds the county’s discretionary spending limit.

The article ends by urging readers to attend the upcoming public forum, noting that community input will shape the bill’s final form. “It’s not just a legal question,” the author wrote. “It’s about how we balance public safety with our responsibility to provide housing for all residents—both those who are offenders and those who are in need.”

This summary synthesizes the main points of the original Times of San Diego article, integrating information from linked sources such as the California Legislative Information site and court documents. The goal is to provide readers with a clear, concise understanding of the proposed transitional‑housing bill for sexually violent predators, the debates surrounding it, and its potential impact on San Diego County.