Inner City Law Center Celebrates Passage of SB 634, a Key Victory Against the Criminalization of Homelessness
One year after City of Grants Pass v. Johnson unleashed a wave of anti-homelessness policies, Inner City Law Center and partners deliver a crucial victory against criminalization.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (September 11, 2025) — Inner City Law Center (ICLC) celebrates the passage of Senate Bill 634, a critical piece of legislation pioneered by state senator Sasha Renée Pérez that will protect those providing lifesaving services to unhoused Californians from being criminalized for their compassion.
“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.”
SB 634 prevents local jurisdictions from adopting or enforcing laws that would prohibit people or organizations from providing support to those who are experiencing homelessness. This bill shifts the focus to addressing the systemic issue of homelessness rather than punishing those working to address the problem.
“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.”
Mahdi Manji, ICLC’s Director of Policy, added, “Every day, we work with tenants and unhoused neighbors who are forced to navigate a system stacked against them. SB 634 ensures homeless services providers and good samaritans can assist our homeless neighbors without the risk of being charged with a crime. ”
ICLC is proud to have co-sponsored SB 634 alongside Disability Rights California, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Western Center on Law & Poverty. We extend our deep gratitude to the bill’s author, state senator Sasha Renée Pérez, for championing this essential reform.
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About Inner City Law Center
Inner City Law Center is a nonprofit, poverty-law firm based in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. As the only legal-services provider with offices in Skid Row, Inner City Law Center fights for housing and justice for low-income tenants, working-poor families, housing insecure veterans, people experiencing homelessness and people living with disabilities or HIV.
Media Contact: Jacqueline Burbank, Communications Manager, jburbank@innercitylaw.org or (213) 947-7902