Resources
Housing California's 2009 Policy Priorities
For 2009, Housing California will continue work on a variety of key policy initiatives. Each of these major efforts is focused on increasing the variety and supply of affordable homes and/or ending homelessness in California:State Level
- Budget and Funding -- Passage of a bill (or ballot measure) that creates a dedicated revenue stream for California's Housing Trust Fund.
- Homelessness -- Integrated Services for Mentally Ill Parolee-Client Program (IMISP) Supporting the $10 million appropriation in the governor's budget and continuing to work with the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to implement the program.
- Land Use -- Last year's SB 375 (Steinberg) created a new regional land use planning requirement, the Sustainable Communities Strategy. Various provisions need to be clarified through follow-up legislation. Also, working with Air Resources Board staff on implementation.
- Budget and Funding -- SB 16 (Lowenthal): Lobbying and building organizational support for quick passage. The bill allows a developer or investor to claim the Low Income Housing Tax Credit as a refundable credit. It is an urgency measure that will take effect when the governor signs it.
- Budget and Funding -- Pooled Money Investment Board: Continued advocacy to help members of the Pooled Money Investment Board understand the critical need to release bond funds for Prop 46 and 1C commitments.
With the Affordable Homes Collaborative in the lead, we will also be working to restore $4 million in Emergency Housing and Assistance Program (EHAP) funding in the 2009-10 state budget.
Federal Level
In partnership with California Housing Partnership Corporation, Community Economics, and Pacific Coast Affordable Home Network (PCAHN), we are organizing support for a number of programs in the federal Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, including fixes to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program.
March 2009 Policy Summit Will Identify Additional Priorities
On March 18, 2009, the Housing CA Board and members of the "Land Use and Finance" and "Homeless Policy" working groups will hold a summit in Sacramento to review introduced legislation and develop recommendations for Housing CA's Tier 2, 3, and 4 priorities. For Tier 2 priorities, Housing CA will actively lobby, testify, and send letters. For Tier 3 priorities, Housing CA will send letters and testify if we're at the hearing for another purpose. For Tier 4 priorities, Housing CA will send letters if requested by a legislator or bill sponsor and will actively track the bills.
