December 12, 2024
READ AND DOWNLOAD THE FULL MEETING NOTES HERE
Special Guest: Asm. Mark Gonzalez (AD 54)
Former Chair of the LA County Democratic Party, where he organized support for laws to make community college free, protect our air and water, make housing more affordable, and safeguard abortion rights
Policy interests in 2025:
Permit streamlining (closely watching Asm. Wicks’ work)
Impact Fees
Starter homes and first time homeownership opportunities
Tying programs to outcomes (outcome oriented approach)
Adaptive reuse and fair housing
Currently kicking ideas around to see what folks are excited about and where there are opportunities for collaboration
Reach out: Brad.Fingard@asm.ca.gov | (815) 354-7823
Special Guest: Asm. Anamarie Farias (AD 15)
Raised in the East Bay, former Martinez City Councilmember
Worked in affordable housing development and housing advocacy for 30 years!
First Latina to be elected out of Contra Costa County
Policy interests:
Production-side housing policy
Reviewing existing bills and analyzing how they are performing
Looking at the financing and lending side
Helping people to become first time homebuyers and build wealth
Affordable rentals, especially for aging population and those with disabilities
Working with developers to understand and clear up the road blocks at the local level
ADUs
Reach out: anamariead15@gmail.com
Sacramento Update
December 2nd all the new members were sworn in, and 114 bills have been introduced already!
Leadership in both Houses articulated lowering the cost of living as a top priority (which will absolutely include housing)
Governor called a special session to “protect California values against Trump”
Legislature is back in regular session January 6
2025 Policy Previews
HWG Tiger Team (policy subcommittee) met in mid-November to discuss top priorities and policy ideas for 2025, and surfaced three bill ideas they are most interested in pursuing:
Priority Order
LIHTC for homeownership: State tax credits for affordable for-sale (homeownership) production
Building code reform: Bringing down the cost of building by reforming and updating building codes that unnecessarily raise costs (while still ensuring safety)
SB 4 expansion: Expanding SB 4 streamlining and by-right permitting provisions to Federally Qualified Health Clinics (as well as potentially other classes of nonprofits as well)
Currently looking into all three and doing information gathering, doing research and having conversations with stakeholders to understand where there is a path forward.
If you have interest in these ideas, information that may help answer some key questions, people you think would be good to talk to about these ideas, please let us know!!
Local Updates
New Way Homes/Workbench
At the recent California Debt Limit Allocation Committee meeting, a Workbench project in Scotts Valley secured tax credits through the rural set aside
For the first time in over a decade, a 100% affordable housing development will be built in Scotts Valley!