Successful Leadership at Work
Through unparalleled policy leadership and expert advocacy, CHC has secured billions of dollars in new affordable housing funding and spearheaded the most significant breakthroughs on affordable housing policy in decades. Together, these budget and advocacy victories are opening the doors to affordable homes for hundreds of thousands of Californian families, seniors and veterans.
CHC prioritizes policy solutions that match the enormous scale of the state’s shortage of affordable housing — which is at least one million homes affordable to lower-income households, according to the state Department of Housing Community Development.
CHC is a trusted resource for policymakers working to solve California’s biggest challenge: building enough affordable homes for seniors, families, and workers.
Bulldozing Barriers to Affordable Home Production
- Paving the way for affordable homes and high road jobs: In 2022, CHC co-sponsored precedent-setting legislation (AB 2011, Wicks) that opened underutilized commercial sites to affordable housing, streamlined approvals, and ensured affordable housing projects continue to support a well-paid, middle-class construction workforce. An independent analysis conducted by Urban Footprint and Economic & Planning Systems concluded AB 2011 has the capacity to produce between 300,000 to 400,000 affordable homes across California, increase net local and state tax revenues, and dramatically reduce the new housing’s environmental footprint.
- Speeding affordable housing approvals: CHC helped make affordable housing the centerpiece of the state’s first groundbreaking housing streamlining legislation (SB 35, Wiener) and follow-up legislation (SB 423, Wiener) that extended the successful SB 35 process for another 10 years. A report from the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC-Berkeley called SB 35 “the streamlining method of choice among affordable housing developers”—responsible for development of over 18,000 affordable homes since it was passed.
Billions in New Funding for Affordable Home Production
- Permanent funding: CHC helped secure a landmark, ongoing investment in affordable housing in 2017, and the program continues to generate over $200 million for affordable housing each year (SB 2, Atkins).
- Budget resources: CHC also secured billions of dollars for affordable housing programs in the state budget, none more impactful than California’s “enhanced” $500 million Low Income Housing Tax Credit, which has been included in every budget since 2019.
- Bond campaigns: CHC was a key architect of the last statewide housing bond (Proposition 1, SB 3, Beall), a $4 billion measure that voters overwhelmingly approved in 2018. CHC also co-led the successful campaign for Proposition 2, which dedicated $2 billion in revenue bonds for the construction of permanent supportive housing for people living with severe mental illness who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless.
Accelerating Affordable Home Production
- Density bonuses for affordable units: Density bonuses for affordable units: CHC pushed for expansion of state Density Bonus Law to accelerate production of affordable homes by making 100% affordable housing and infill developments pencil out for developers (AB 1763, Chiu) and (AB 2334, Wicks).
- CEQA modernization: CHC shaped several recent bills to address abuses of the legal system by groups opposed to affordable housing. Two noteworthy recent examples were SB 439 (Skinner), a bill that provides courts with a new special motion to throw out frivolous lawsuits brought against affordable housing, and AB 1449 (Alvarez), legislation extending new CEQA exemptions to 100% affordable housing projects.
- State funding efficiencies: CHC convened affordable housing leaders from across California to develop new, modern frameworks for the state’s two biggest affordable housing programs in 2020. As a result, the California Debt Limit Allocation and California Tax Credit Allocation programs will reach more low- and moderate- income households.
Tough Accountability Opens Doors to Affordable Homes
- Holding local governments accountable for meeting housing goals: CHC co-sponsored one of the first bills expanding state enforcement of existing housing laws (AB 72, Santiago) in 2017, legislation that has authorized Department of Housing Community Development (HCD) to notify the Attorney General when local governments fail to approve projects consistent with their local plans. HCD estimates more than 6,000 affordable homes have already been “unlocked” as a result of these efforts. Increased state enforcement has also encouraged bodies like the Southern California Association of Governments to adopt regional strategies with ambitious new housing goals—including plans to produce more than 1.3 million housing units across Southern California by the end of 2029.
CHC keeps its finger on the pulse when it comes to both challenges and opportunities for the creation and preservation of affordable housing in California. Our broad, diverse membership has the expertise and knowledge on how to make the affordable housing system work for all players. That’s why state policymakers and statewide agencies listen."
