The end of February was a whirlwind of activity in Sacramento, with the much anticipated bill introduction deadline hitting February 22. As usual, there was no shortage of activities by CHC members and staff in advancing our policy and budget goals. We met with senior leaders in Governor Newsom’s Administration and various legislative leaders committed to affordable housing that addresses the state’s housing crisis.

I continue to be reminded of the tremendous progress we have made over the last decade building CHC’s reputation as the go-to experts for the affordable housing development community. Our work continues to pay off as we are sought out by state leaders to help them figure out how to break down barriers to providing homes and strategically invest in affordable housing. These opportunities include:

• Hosting Sen. Scott Wiener at CHC’s Board of Directors meeting and sharing how the many partners who care about ensuring Californians have stable, affordable home can work together to achieve the most effective policies this year.

• Meeting with the Governor’s Senior Housing Advisor Tia Boatman Patterson and Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary Jason Elliott, as well as Lynn von Koch-Liebert, Deputy Secretary of Housing and Consumer Relations, which oversees HCD and CALFHA; they were all eager to learn more about our top budget and funding priorities.

• Highlighting the work of our developers as CHC Board Chair Doug Shoemaker and President of Mercy Housing California did before the Senate Budget Committee at its Informational Hearing on Affordable Housing and Homelessness. He urged state leaders to keep sustained investment in affordable homes a top priority and expand support for the successful Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. Doug’s thoughtful testimony can be found here and begins at 2:38:00.

• Continuing our work and partnership with HCD by meeting with Director Ben Metcalf and staff to discuss the MHP Draft Guidelines.

• Educating state leaders next week as CHC’s Policy Chair Robin Hughes, President and CEO of Abode Communities, testifies before the Senate Housing Committee on March 5.

As you will read in the In Case You Missed It section, with nearly 200 bills on housing and homelessness introduced, the year is just getting started. I am proud to know that CHC will be at the forefront of helping to determine how the state can best facilitate the production and preservation of the affordable homes California needs.

Sincerely,

Ray Pearl
CHC Executive Director