State Legislative Update

NPH has been working hard with our partners around the state to ensure that 2016 will be a big year for affordable homes. This is the second year of the two-year 2015-2016 session. Find the calendar of legislative deadlines here.

We have provided information and links below to several of the key affordable housing bills that have been introduced and are now in print. In some cases, these are spot bills, or bills containing only intent language at this time that will be amended soon. Over the coming weeks NPH will provide additional information and fact sheets. We’ll put out a call to action for you to submit support letters for key bills and get involved in NPH’s strategic advocacy campaign to push for our priority pieces of legislation. This advocacy will advance along side our collective budget advocacy in the Senate and Assembly. Please see below for the 2016 Affordable Housing State Legislative Bills at Play:

AB 2502 (Mullin and Chiu), this is the “Palmer Fix” bill to clarify that local jurisdictions may require, as a condition of approval, inclusion of affordable units in a multiple unit rental development. In 2013, NPH cosponsored AB 1229 (Atkins), an identical bill that was vetoed by Governor Brown. In his veto message, here,  Governor Brown wrote that he sought the benefit of the thinking of the California Supreme Court before making adjustments to this area of law. In June of last year, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously to uphold  the right of San Jose, through its police power, to enforce its inclusionary zoning ordinance in the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) v. City of San Jose case. Find the full Supreme Court opinion here.  Find the text of the bill here, the AB 2502 Fact Sheet here and a sample support letter here.

AB 2817 (Chiu), this is a reprise of NPH-cosponsored AB 35 (Chiu) from last year, a bill that was ultimately vetoed by Governor Brown after receiving nearly unanimous and bipartisan support in the Legislature. The bill would increase the value of the State Low Income Housing Tax Credit and increase the annual amount of available credits by $100 million per year for five years. Find the text of the bill here and a support letter template here.

SB 873 (Beall), would increase the value of the State Low Income Housing Tax Credit by allowing credits to be “certificated” by nonprofit affordable developers. The legislation is a reprise of SB 377 (Beall) which was sponsored by the California Housing Partnership Corporation and supported by NPH last year. SB 377 had no fiscal impact to the state’s general fund, received unanimous and bipartisan support in the Legislature but, nonetheless, was vetoed by Governor Brown. Find the text of the bill here, the fact sheet here and a support letter template here.

AB 2734 (Atkins), this bill, which was just introduced last Friday, would dedicate 50% of state general fund savings from the dissolution of redevelopment agencies to affordable housing. Find the text of the bill here.

AB 2031 (Bonta and Atkins), conceived and cosponsored by NPH, this legislation would authorize local jurisdictions to issue affordable housing bonds against the revenue stream of “boomerang funds” which are a portion of “net available revenue” received by cities and counties after the dissolution of redevelopment. The bill does not redirect property taxes from any other taxing entity and has no state general fund impact. The City of Oakland is also cosponsoring the bill. Find the text of the bill here and the fact sheet here.

SB 1053 (Leno), this bill would prohibit landlords from refusing applications from renters who wish to use a Housing Choice Voucher, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) voucher or other federal, state or local tenant-based rental subsidy. NPH is a cosponsor of this bill along with the Western Center on Law and Poverty. The National Housing Law Project has provided invaluable legal and technical assistance and the California Association of Housing Authorities (CAHA) has taken a support position on the bill. 11 other states – a diverse array including New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon and Oklahoma – have already prohibited such Source of Income (SOI) discrimination in housing. Find the fact sheet and additional information here.  Find the text of the bill here.

AB 2176 (Campos), this bill would provide flexibility to the City of San Jose in addressing the local shelter crisis that has caused homelessness and outdoor encampments by providing a waiver of state building codes that would allow the development of a transitional village of tiny homes to be set up on county fairgrounds property on a temporary basis while permanent supportive homes are developed for the homeless. Find the bill fact sheet here.

SB 879 (Beall) was introduced last month by State Senator Jim Beall, Chair of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, to serve as a spot bill for legislation that would authorize a statewide $3 billion affordable housing bond that could be placed on the November 8, 2016 presidential election ballot. Placing this bill on the statewide ballot would require 2/3rds majority votes in the Legislature and a signature by Governor Brown. Find the bill Fact Sheet here and a sample support letter here.

AB 2140 (Hernandez, Alejo and Garcia) would change the existing state farmworker tax credit at the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) to make it more valuable and facilitate its utilization. For more information, find the text of the bill here and view the AB 2140 Fact Sheet.