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Hello Housing California Supporter,
In this edition of the Capitol Reporter:
Housing California Partners with Transit and Environmental Allies on Affordable TOD-Transit Funding Proposal
"Cap-and-Trade"
Revenues Will Approach $14 Billion
As
an outgrowth of our work on regional land-use and transportation planning,
Housing California and TransForm are spearheading a proposal to dedicate a significant portion of so-called "cap-and-trade"
auction revenues to affordable transit and transit-oriented development (TOD). MoveLA
and Global Green are also supporting this effort. Cap and trade may generate up
to $14 billion annually by 2020.
The
state Air Resources Board developed the Cap-and-Trade Program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by auctioning emission allowance to
polluting entities. Over the next year, the program will generate approximately
$1 billion, with that amount growing every year as the state tightens emissions
limits.
Program
funds must be used to further reduce GHG emissions or to mitigate their
impacts. Research by the CA Air Pollution Control Officers' Association demonstrates
that expanded transit and TOD affordable to lower-income people can reduce GHG
emissions from driving by 65 percent. This approach to GHG reduction is at the
heart of the Sustainable Communities Strategies developed regionally under SB
375.
Our
proposal is also in line with Governor Brown's suggested
approach of allocating the revenue to four broad categories, one of which is "sustainable
infrastructure development, including transportation and housing."
Two
bills on this topic are set for hearing in legislative policy committees next
week, AB 1532 (Pérez) and SB 1472 (Pavley). Both are works in progress; we're urging the authors to include a
specific affordable TOD and transit piece.
Contact: Julie Snyder, 916.447.0503 x102 or jsnyder@housingca.org.
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Redevelopment Bills Move Forward
Redevelopment
-- past and present -- is a hot topic in the legislature. Here's the latest on
the key bills we're following:
AB
1585 (Pérez): This measure to preserve former redevelopment housing funds, among
other provisions, was referred today to the Senate Transportation and Housing and Senate Governance and Finance Committees. The author hopes to have it
heard in early May. Ongoing conversations with the Department of Finance give
us hope the administration is open to the bill's housing provisions.
Take Action!
- If you've already sent your letters, please forward this article to your contractors, vendors, city council members, or other organizations explaining why preservation of the low-mod fund is good for their business, constituents, etc. Ask them to use the links below to send a quick letter. (IMPORTANT! Please ask them to cc: Julie Snyder (fax: 916.447.1900) on any letters, so we can track who elected officials are hearing from.)
- If you haven't sent your letter to the governor and legislators yet, there is still time to influence upcoming negotiations. Use the click-and-send letters below.
SB 986 (Dutton): This new bill faced its first hearing today in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee, where it passed on a bi-partisan 8-0 vote. SB 986 allows successor agencies to keep former redevelopment agencies' bond proceeds and enter into new enforceable obligations funded by those proceeds. It isn't clear whether the bill would allow any proposed housing developments to move forward, and Housing California has not taken a position on it.
SB 1151 and SB 1156: This two-bill package by Senate leader Darrell Steinberg passed Senate Governance and Finance today on a party-line 6-3 vote. SB 1151 allows a city-county joint powers authority (JPA) to retain control of some of its former redevelopment agencies' assets and use them for housing, among other things. SB 1156 allows those same JPAs to tap tax-increment financing for new redevelopment project areas around transit and clean manufacturing sites.
We are working with the author to ensure both measures reflect the legislature's strong support for redevelopment's housing function. The bills represent a key opportunity to compensate for the $17 billion in future tax increment for housing that was lost when AB 26x dissolved redevelopment agencies. We anticipate taking a position on them soon.
Both Steinberg bills will be heard in Senate Transportation and Housing Committee next Tuesday.
Contact: Julie Snyder, 916.447.0503 x102 or jsnyder@housingca.org.
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More than 300 Signatures for Governor Brown's "Millionaire's Tax" Initiative Gathered at Housing California Conference
Assemblymember Toni Atkins Connects Importance of the Tax Initiative to Housing Funding Goals
After
formally endorsing the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012 (also known as the "Millionaire's Tax") in early April, Housing
California demonstrated our commitment to passing the initiative by making it the
cornerstone of our 2012 Annual Conference.
We
offered several institutes and workshops on tax reform, giving attendees the
opportunity to delve deeper into the connection between the need for more
revenue and structural budget solutions and our success in obtaining funding for
affordable homes and homelessness.
The
focus on tax reform culminated in a keynote address by Assemblymember Toni
Atkins (San Diego), one of our strongest champions in the legislature. Assemblymember
Atkins deftly spoke about the need to pass revenue increases this fall if we
are to be successful in passing The HOMeS Act and winning other funding.
With
signature gatherers circulating throughout the conference and at tables during
our Thursday lunch session, more than 300 signatures were gathered, showing we
can be a powerful force in affecting change.
Qualifying
this initiative for the November ballot requires a short turnaround. If you or
your organization is holding an event and you would be willing to gather
signatures, please contact Zack Olmstead for more information.
For
more information on the initiative, visit protectschoolsandpublicsafety.com.
Contact: Zack Olmstead, 916.447.0503 x108 or zolmstead@housingca.org.
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Housing California's 2012 Annual Conference Deemed a Success
Once again, Housing California was pleased to host the nation's largest annual conference on affordable homes and homelessness. This year's conference was held April 10-12 at the Sacramento Convention Center. The three-day event welcomed 1,000 attendees and featured 72 workshops, 50 exhibitors, 5 half-day training institutes, 2 networking receptions, and 1 interactive fundraiser.
Housing California was proud to include keynote addresses by Jonathan Hunter (Corporation for Supportive Housing) and HOMeS Act authors Senator Mark DeSaulnier (Concord) and Asssemblymember Toni Atkins (San Diego). Attendees also bid a fond farewell to long-time CA Housing and Community Development employee and dedicated affordable-homes advocate Cathy Creswell, who received a standing ovation as she accepted an award from Housing California.
Watch for a separate e-mail from Conference Director Lynda Chandler with a more-detailed recap of the event, including photos and this year's Members' Tribute video.
Thank you to all our attendees, sponsors, speakers, and volunteers for making the event a success!
Contact: Lynda Chandler, 916.447.0503 x101 or lchandler@housingca.org.
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