CHC is closely monitoring the state and federal response to COVID-19—and we are working with our members to preserve and protect access to affordable housing:

California situation:

• Governor Newsom announced this week that the state is “very close” to “meaningful augmentations” to the state-at-home order that has kept millions of Californians sheltering in place since mid-March. “We said ‘weeks, not months’ about four or five days ago. I want to say ‘many days, not weeks,’” Newsom said Friday. “As long as we continue to be prudent and thoughtful in certain modifications, I think we’ll be making some announcements.”
• The Governor unveiled a four-step process earlier this week for lifting stay-at-home orders. While only “essential” services have been allowed to remain open thus far, the Governor has said May could see the reopening of limited retail with curbside pickup, manufacturing, and offices where telework is not possible.
• The state’s jobless numbers climbed past 3.6 million since the beginning of the COVID outbreak, with another 330,000 unemployment claims submitted last week. 

Federal action:

• The California Housing Consortium joined a group of statewide affordable housing advocates to urge federal action to support struggling low-income renters and to address immediate barriers to affordable housing development.
• The House and Senate have begun negotiations this month on the next economic stimulus package. House Democrats are pushing for significant new funding—as much as $1 trillion—for states and local governments. Senate Republicans say they will not agree to additional spending unless Congress also passes liability protections for businesses and health care workers.

State policy activity:

• The state Assembly will reconvene next week after being on recess since March 16. The state Senate will return the following week, beginning May 11. Both houses will spend the month of May reviewing a slimmed-down list of policy legislation and finalizing the state budget, which still must pass by the state constitution’s June 15 deadline.  
• “Our California government is an extension of every single person who lives here, and it must continue to function for the benefit of every single person here,” Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon wrote in the Sacramento Bee this week. “We, as elected representatives, have a duty to continue to steer this state through difficult times.”