CHC's Industry Insight
A Note from our Executive Director

Almost every day, someone asks me if it is possible for Sacramento leaders to get anything done on California's housing crisis? Is the problem just too big? Earlier this month, Governor Brown and legislative leaders began to answer those questions when they came together on a multi-billion-dollar transportation investment plan that required a two-thirds vote. There is no question that our elected leaders can tackle big problems  when they have the political will to do so. It is now time for them to have the political will on affordable housing.
 
At a news conference last week with Asm. David Chiu, Speaker Anthony Rendon said his caucus will put as much energy into building homes for vulnerable Californians as they did moving a transportation infrastructure package. That's good news for the one in three Californians who are struggling to pay their rent each month.  As your voice in the Capitol, CHC intends to hold legislators to this commitment.
 
In two weeks, CHC will celebrate our 20th Anniversary at the 2017 Policy Forum & CA Housing Hall of Fame Awards in Santa Monica on May 11. When we asked CHC founding board members to reflect on the last 20 years, each one mentioned the first meeting convened by CHC at San Jose's Hayes Mansion as a memorable moment:
  • "At that first meeting in San Jose, we expected there would be a dozen people and more than 60 showed up." - Alex Sanchez
  • "The idea of creating a big tent where all the widely diverse perspectives on affordable housing were brought together really resonated.  At our first meeting, I was blown away by the size of the crowd and the quality of discussion and interactions." - Dianne Spaulding
  • "The first meeting at the Hayes mansion was super neat... it was so exciting to see the idea really blossom." - Leslye Corsiglia
  • "We had more people than we expected - the room didn't hold all of us. It shocked all of us. People who came from up and down the state without having any name recognition of what CHC was; it was somewhat overwhelming." - Michael Costa
With California's just-retired Senator and long-time affordable housing champion Barbara Boxer as a keynote speaker, this year's event is sure to be another for the memory books.
 
The idea of building a larger chorus to support affordable housing still drives us at CHC. We were excited to launch a new resource, BringCAHome.org, to engage the public in understanding the housing crisis and how to solve it. The website highlights the startling statistics behind California's shortfall of affordable homes and what it means for our state's people and economy. It also offers tools anyone can use to become engaged in solving the crisis. Already, the new site has proven helpful in engaging California partners, and was featured last week on the California Economic Summit's website.

Don't forget to join our conversation online with the #BringCAHome hashtag, and share your memories from CHC's two decades of collaboration, innovation, and advocacy with #CHC20.

  Sincerely,
  





  Ray Pearl 
  CHC Executive Director 
In Case You Missed It...
  • On April 6th, the governor's 12 cent gas-tax hike was approved by the Legislature, following a major push by Democratic leaders. After some behind-the-scenes maneuvering and a public relations blitz by Democratic leaders, the California state Legislature, approved a $52 billion transportation funding package that raises the gas tax and imposes new vehicle fees to fix the state's roads. SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 passed the Senate by a 27-11 vote. The Assembly passed the bill on a 54-26 vote. In the first major test of the Democratic super-majority, the bill cleared the two-thirds hurdle needed to pass a major funding bill without a single vote to spare. All major funding bills for housing will also require a 2/3 vote, including SB 2, SB 3, & AB 71. Read more about about the passage of the transportation bill in the Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Chronicle, and L.A.Times.
  • CHC co-sponsored AB 1505 (Bloom), which authorizes jurisdictions to adopt inclusionary zoning ordinances, passed its first hurdle after it was approved on April 5th by the Assembly Committee on Local Government, with a vote of 6-3 along partisan lines. The bill now moves on to the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development.
  • CHC signed on to a letter from the CA Economic Summit assessing the progress toward the One Million Homes Challenge in the 2017-18 legislative session.While over 100 housing bills have been introduced, offering a dizzying array of potential solutions, the question remains: Are these initial proposals focused on the right issues-and will these efforts be enough to make housing more affordable for millions of Californians?
  • A major deadline looms for the CA Legislature, as policy committees have till April 28th to hear and report fiscal bills for referral to fiscal committees.
Bring California Home 
 
CHC is proud to announce the launch of a new website:  BringCAHome.org , to educate Californians on the roots of the crushing affordability problem facing families and to empower Californians to make their voices heard on the solutions needed to fix these broken and backwards state housing policies.

Some of the features  of 
BringCAHome.org  include:
  • A "Take Action" section that empowers Californians to make their voices heard on the solutions needed to fix broken and backwards state housing policies.
  • A recap of the latest news about the housing affordability crisis in California.
  • Statistics that help describe the scope of the housing crisis faced by millions of Californians.
  • A toolkit that includes fact sheets about affordable housing in each of the state's counties, also included, are fact sheets detailing which occupations are held by people who are being priced out of many Californian communities due to housing costs.

Stay connected with us as we share ideas for creating a California where everyone has a place to call home. BringCAHome.org will also provide updates as the State Legislature considers bills to start investing in affordable homes and hold local governments accountable for creating places that are affordable for families to live. Together, we can send a strong message that it's time to fix broken laws that have made the housing crisis worse for families. To learn more about the opportunities to fix our state's housing policies so seniors, families, students, veterans, and workers can afford to live in the Golden State, visit BringCaHome.org. 
2017 Policy Forum & CA Hall of Fame Awards

On May 11th, at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, CHC will convene the 2017 Policy Forum and CA Housing Hall of Fame Awards. This year's forum will be a special one, as we celebrate CHC's 20th Anniversary and will feature a federal policy discussion, exciting guest speakers and awards recognizing industry leaders who have shared CHC's vision the last two decades.

We are thrilled to have longtime California champion, Barbara Boxer, as our keynote speaker. A forceful advocate for families, children, consumers, the environment and her State of California, Senator Boxer became a United States Senator in January 1993 after 10 years of service in the House of Representatives and six years on the Marin County Board of Supervisors. In January 2017, she stepped down after four terms in the Senate. Please click here to register.
Affordable Housing in the News

California's housing crisis   has plagued California with rising home prices and climbing rents, affecting all areas of life here in the Golden State. The Mercury News  highlighted a new study that recommends California turn toward infill development near jobs and public transit to meet it's ever growing housing needs, while meeting climate emission reduction goals for 2030. A new survey of 14 major Los Angeles employers reported on in the Los Angeles Times found that high housing costs are deterring workers from putting down roots. 60% of respondents agreed that the general cost of living is a challenge for retaining employees, and 64% of the companies said they had to factor in cost of living when negotiating hiring packages for high-level employees. The survey also found that when employees can't afford housing near their jobs, they have to undergo long, taxing commutes, which can hurt employee satisfaction and productivity.  The Sacramento Bee  reports that state lawmakers are seeking to address the widening crisis, and it's statewide consequences through 130 housing-related bills in the Legislature this session.
Is your CHC membership current? If you would like to join CHC or have questions on your membership, please contact Nancy Martin.  

STAY CONNECTED:
CHC is a non-partisan advocate for the production and preservation of housing affordable to low- and moderate-income Californians. We represent the development, building, financial, and public sectors united in their goal that every Californian has a safe, affordable place to call home.