Action Alert! Urge Assembly Republicans to Support SB 586 - Housing Innovation Funds

CHC today submitted letters to each of the Assembly Republicans urging them to support SB 586, the vehicle for programing $100MM worth Prop 1C money for housing innovation.  Republicans in the Assembly have taken issue with a $5MM teaching housing program contained in the bill on the grounds that funds should not be set aside for such a narrow group of people. 

CHC has asked the Republican Assembly Members to not reject the bill outright but rather to amend the bill to split the nominal $5MM into two other innovation programs, namely a construction defect liability reform and a mobile home resident ownership program. 

Below is the text of CHC's letter.  We encourage you contact your assembly members as well.  Feel free to adapt the text of the CHC letter for a letter of your own.

If you do not know your California Assembly representative you can enter your ZIP code at this site to find out and get the contact info of your Assembly Member: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html.

Dear Assembly Member _________:

The purpose of this letter is to urge your support for Senator Dutton’s legislation known as SB586 that programs $100MM of last year’s PROP 1C housing bond for innovative initiatives to spur additional affordable rental and homeownership opportunities for California’s working families. 

SB586 is a key piece of enabling legislation within the $2.85 billion PROP 1C housing bond and it requires bi-partisan support. Through several months of negotiations, this legislation is currently comprised of (5) separate housing programs, including acquisition funding, matching funds for new and existing local housing trust funds, as well as (3) pilot programs to address construction defect liability reform, promoting sustainable building practices, and providing teacher housing.  While we understand the Republic Assembly Caucus is concerned with any proposal that targets one specific user group (such as the $5MM pilot teacher housing program) our recommendation would be to not reject the whole bill.  Rather, we would urge you and your Republican colleagues to consider amending the bill to eliminate a teacher housing set-aside and splitting the $2.5MM proceeds among the two other pilot initiatives, namely the construction defect liability program and the mobile home resident ownership program.

The California Housing Consortium (CHC) is the state’s “big tent” affordable housing association that brings together builders, for-profit and non-profit developers, lenders and investors, and public agencies to advance prudent housing policies – from sustaining catalytic public funding to improving land use planning and pursuing regulatory reforms.  CHC co-directed the successful PROP 1C housing bond in 2006 and this year we have been engaged with legislative leadership in the enabling legislation to program over $1 billion of PROP 1C funding to create incentives for infill and transit-oriented development, housing-related infrastructure and parks, as well as the innovative initiatives incorporated under SB586. 

Again, we would strongly recommend your support of an amended SB586 in order to make available this critically important $100MM Housing Innovation Set-Aside.  Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 415.677.4436.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey J. Loustau
Executive Director