Final Budget Maintains Prior Housing Commitments with Additional Investments, Emphasizes Need for Deeper Strategy Ahead

This week, the State Legislature passed and Governor Gavin Newsom will sign the 2023-24 state budget deal, which contains important investments to address affordable housing needs and reduce homelessness throughout the state. The state’s housing shortage is exactly the critical environment that required us to remain steadfast with our investment commitments in the final state budget.

Key Summary The final budget includes funding for critical programs (including prior year commitments and some additional investments) that will provide relief for state residents who can’t afford California’s rising housing costs or who are experiencing homelessness. In order to meet the scale of our state’s housing needs, however, deeper investments and strategic efforts are needed. (See below, “Critical Strategy for Deeper Investments”)

What’s in the Budget NPH appreciates the work of Governor Newsom and the Legislature to maintain prior year commitments to affordable housing production and preservation, homelessness resources, and housing-related infrastructure – as well as the additional investments of $500 million in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and $100 million in the Multifamily Housing Program. The final $310 billion state spending plan protected several core housing programs from cuts while also covering a $30 billion-plus deficit.

NPH was part of a historic coalition of housing industry stakeholders that fought for the preservation and expansion of funding for our priority housing and homelessness programs.

Read Our Joint Statement

Our Takeaway The budget demonstrates that Governor Newsom and state lawmakers recognize the need for progress and are working with our communities to lead the nation in common-sense, humane, and just housing solutions for all our neighbors, no matter their race, income, or background. The investments in the final budget present the possibility of health and wellness over stress and anxiety; stability and home over insecurity and injustice. At the same time, we are disappointed that the budget allocations fall short of the deep investment we need to truly meet the annual affordable housing goals our agencies have set for the state. We also join with our homelessness prevention colleagues in lamenting the lack of ongoing investment, which is critical to scale up the kind of homelessness responses we need and our unhoused neighbors deserve. 

Critical Strategy for Deeper Investments The 2024 ballot will be a timely opportunity to support long term housing investments. Cities, counties, and regions are essential partners in achieving our housing goals and state leaders have a vital role to play in facilitating local communities’ ability to scale investments. This is why we support reducing the voter threshold for affordable housing bonds, to empower local governments to raise funding for their housing needs. By setting the voter threshold for local affordable housing bond measures at 55%, we have the potential to unlock billions of dollars of local funding for affordable housing.

---

The 2023-24 state budget includes the following budget allocations:
(The finalized state budget agreement takes effect immediately with the end of this fiscal year on June 30.)

Affordable Housing: 

• Includes an allocation for $500 million in state low-income housing tax credits
• Directs an additional $100 million (for a total of $325,000,000) to the Multi-Family Housing Program
• Includes $250 million for Adaptive Reuse
• Includes $225 million for the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program
• Includes $100 million for the Portfolio Reinvestment Program
• Includes $75M for the State Excess Sites Program
• Restores $50 million for the Accessory Dwelling Unit Grant Program by rejecting proposed cuts
• Includes $50 million for the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program
• Includes $43 million for HCD’s Transitional Housing Program
• Includes $27.5 million for the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program

Homeownership: 

• Restores $200 million for the California Dream for All shared-equity down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers by rejecting proposed cuts
• Retains $82.5 million for the Foreclosure Intervention and Housing Preservation Program
• Retains $50 million for the CalHome Affordable Housing Retention and Rehabilitation Program

Homelessness: 

• Provides $1.1 billion in Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) funding to support Round 5 of local efforts to reduce and prevent homelessness.
  • Requires regional planning and establishes additional accountability mechanisms for local spending of homelessness reduction and prevention resources across programs including, but not limited to, HHAP. 
  • Repurposes part of the HHAP bonus funding ($170 million) for the Homekey Program that is available on a competitive basis to HHAP-eligible jurisdictions
• Includes intent language for an additional year (“Round 6”) of HHAP program funding.

---

Our Conclusion We appreciate that this budget protects and strategically expands investments for the interest and well-being of our state’s residents who require the most assistance now. Collectively, these investments will make an important difference for everyday Californians who need relief; but moving forward, deeper investments will be needed to meet our state’s housing needs at scale.

What’s Next NPH will continue to work diligently with our partners and allies to make the case for affordable housing because all our neighbors deserve a decent place to live. NPH looks forward to continuing our work with state lawmakers so that affordable housing solutions become the norm and an undisputed necessity for our communities all across California.

What Can I Do Now?

• Learn more about NPH’s legislative agenda for 2023, including ways you can support our advocacy alongside our members and partners.
• Support NPH’s work ahead, donate to sustain our efforts!
• Become an NPH member or renew your membership to make sure you’re getting all the perks our membership offers, including discounted events, more opportunities to engage, and exclusive access to our member-only offerings.