With the deadline passing last week for bills to move out their house of origin, we’re nearing the midway point of the legislative session—and have learned a lot about what’s possible this year to help the millions of Californians struggling to find safe, affordable housing, where there can still be progress, and who the true champions are on our issue in the Capitol.

First, there’s no longer much doubt about what’s possible: Thanks to the diligent work of CHC staff and lobbyists—as well as our broad coalition—affordable housing remains a top priority in all of this year’s budget proposals, including the May Revision and the spending plans crafted by Assembly and Senate. When the budget is finalized in two weeks (deadline is June 15^th), we hope and expect it to include a sizeable increase in the state’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, as well as substantial new investments in CalHFA’s mixed-income loan program, HCD’s infill infrastructure grant program, and a range of supportive housing and homelessness services. The governor has also ordered state agencies to make a significant amount of surplus state-owned land available for affordable development—starting this year.

All of this is a huge step in the right direction, and it’s hard to find a member of the Legislature who’s not talking about affordable housing, introducing or coauthoring a bill on the topic, or committed to supporting these critical investments. Even if the budget is all we accomplish this year, it will reflect legitimate, important progress toward raising the profile of our issue—and building the affordable housing low- and moderate-income Californians desperately need.

Still, we know how big the housing shortage is in California, with 1.4 million more affordable units needed to bring supply into balance with demand—roughly a third of the 3.5 million units the governor has committed to producing.

Facing numbers this daunting, a lot of attention has been paid to the housing ideas that didn’t advance this year. But the Legislature is still considering a wide range of substantive bills that can make real progress toward achieving this goal. All five of CHC’s sponsored bills advanced in May—without a single no vote—including legislation that will expand resources for affordable housing, reduce barriers to building 100% affordable developments near transit, and help affordable developers build more cost effectively. Additional CHC-supported bills will also take important steps toward preserving existing affordable units (which we know from long experience is just as important as building new ones) and ensuring public housing programs are functioning efficiently and benefitting the largest number of low- and moderate-income households. (More detail on these bills can be found on the CHC Legislative Priorities page.)

It can get lost in the legislative grind, but at the midway point of the session, it’s also clear to me that we have elected leaders who want to achieve our housing goals this year—starting with a new budget and ending with an impactful affordable housing package in September.

We have a governor who remains committed to our issue, committee chairs and members in both houses who are true champions of our cause, and leaders of both the Senate and Assembly who have demonstrated their affordable housing credentials time and time again.

These leaders bear a heavy burden, as they work through the complex politics on this issue. But we owe them our gratitude. And we are prepared to stand with them as they lead us toward the bigger, bolder affordable housing solutions to come.

Sincerely,

Ray Pearl
CHC Executive Director