Industry Insight - March 2019
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Note from the Executive Director
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March 30, 2009, began on a Southwest Airlines flight from Burbank to the Bay Area where I settled into CHC’s offices that were then located in San Francisco and spent time talking with CHC’s Chair at the time Elizabeth Bluhm, and concluded the day with a meeting with BRIDGE’s then-CEO Carol Galante. Who knew that day would be the start of what has become a 10-year journey? As I reflect on these 10 years as CHC’s Executive Director, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to each of you. This organization’s growth and triumphs are truly about our strength and collaboration as a team over the last decade and building on the foundation our visionary founders worked so hard to create.
I think of my tenure through the lens of CHC’s story: an organization that has a small but mighty team who has always believed it could achieve significant victories on behalf of Californians who need safe, affordable homes. I believe our steady mix of strategic decision making and believing we could always do more is why we are able today to count the passage of Propositions 1 and 2 in November 2018, as well as 2017’s legislative package, including SB 2, as among our greatest successes.
When I came on board in 2009, the Board of Directors and I envisioned us reaching these highpoints – and many others we’ve hit along the way. It took time, planning and reflection and constantly asking how we convey our value to a host of for- and non-profit businesses and partners that had not previously engaged in policy and advocacy work. Those early days forced us to examine what success would look like as we advocated for the production and preservation of housing affordable to low- and moderate-income Californians. I recall many conversations outlining why this journey with CHC would be meaningful not only for each member organization but also for the prosperity of all Californians – with CHC adding its unique brand of leadership to Sacramento policy making.
Today, we are still a small and mighty team of three CHC staff members supported by a team of advocacy and communications consultants who have a significant impact on public policy in California. CHC is now recognized as
the
leader in affordable housing policy but it sure did not happen overnight. It starts with passionate and visionary Board Members who provide guidance and support to me, Vice President of Government Affairs Marina Wiant, Director of Operations Nancy Martin, veteran lobbyist Maureen Higgins and our communications team of Paschal Roth Public Affairs. As a team, we ensure we have a healthy and robust membership, shape laws and work closely with legislators and communicate our core messages both internally and externally.
As I look to what lies ahead for CHC and myself, I am humbled by the fact that the state’s housing crisis continues to loom large and that many families, children, seniors and veterans are still waiting for a safe, affordable place to call home. I am immensely proud to get to work with each of you and play a role in ensuring all Californians have an affordable home.
Thank you for the opportunity to lead this organization.
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Sincerely,
Ray Pearl
Executive Director
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- AB 10 (Chiu) – This bill will leverage federal 4% credits and tax-exempt bonds to create thousands of new low-income homes each year.
- AB 1484 (Grayson) – This bill would prohibit local agencies from imposing any additional fees on a housing development project after the project application has been accepted as complete.
- AB 1743 (Bloom) – This bill would exempt affordable housing developments from being subject to Mello-Roos Community Facility District Fees.
- AB 1763 (Chiu) – This bill would reduce barriers to developing affordable housing units by creating an enhanced density bonus for 100% affordable housing developments.
- CHC just returned from two days of advocacy in Washington DC. We met with 17 members of Congress or their staff; needless to say, it was a busy trip! Our group focused our advocacy on the housing credit and critical HUD funding programs; you can read our full list of federal priorities here.
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CHC Delegation (Richard Gerwitz, Citi Community Capital; Marina Wiant, CHC; Kelsey Brewer, Jamboree Housing; Linda Mandolini, Eden Housing; Caleb Roope, The Pacific Companies; Michael Gaber, WNC) with Rep. Gil Cisneros.
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Federal Update from David Gasson, Boston Capital
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Despite all the noise we are making progress in Washington with our affordable housing agenda. If only we had a president that was a pro-housing as Governor Newsome but that is a decision for voters in 2020. As for present day, we are very excited about the reintroduction of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA). Senator Cantwell and her staff, along with the finance committee staff and the ACTION steering committee, have been working diligently to get to a final product. We hope to have the bill introduced by Senator Cantwell and her lead co-sponsors in the near future.
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Affordable Housing in the News
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The
Los Angeles Times
details proposed
housing affordability solutions
from Bay Area legislators Sen. Scott Wiener and Asm. David Chiu and looks at whether these policies have the potential to reach beyond the region and impact California as a whole. Some legislators and activist groups are wary of legislation that doesn’t account for the challenges faced in the state’s diverse regions, while others contend pushback from communities and creative resolutions can provide universal lessons.
The
Talk Policy to Me podcast
– from the
UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy
– helps listeners understand how California reached this crisis level where rents are too high and there is not enough housing for those who need it in the places they want it. Even for policy and housing leaders who know the housing crisis inside and out, it’s an insightful take on NIMBYism, geographical limitations and weaponized policies that have led to the biggest housing crisis in state history.
Finally, the
San Francisco Chronicle
documents the
rise in homelessness
among people 50 and older and notes that often people have worked for decades but simply don’t have enough saved up from low-income jobs to afford rising rents. The story also finds in many cases: “The parents in a multigenerational rental home die, and those left behind can’t afford to stay. Or the older lady or man they were caring for as a home health aide dies, and so does the job.” Margot Kushel, a UCSF professor who studies geriatric homelessness, urges enforcing fair housing laws and creating more affordable housing as ways to address the rise in homelessness among the elderly.
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CHC Member:
Mercy Housing California
Project Name:
The Frederic Lohse Apartments
Location:
Roseville, CA
Units:
58
Opening Date:
January 31, 2019
State & Federal Financing Sources:
Federal 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits and HCD Infill Infrastructure Grant Program
This community was named in honor of long-term Mercy Housing affiliate board member and lifelong downtown Roseville resident, Frederic Lohse. Fred Lohse (1943-2016) was a passionate, life-long advocate for affordable housing. Fred spent nearly his entire adult life living in downtown Roseville just a few blocks from the 623 Vernon Street site. He joined Mercy Housing’s affiliate Rural California Housing Corporation (RCHC) Board of Directors in 1987 and served consistently until his death in 2016. From 2000 to 2008, Fred also served on the Mercy Housing California Board of Directors as the RCHC representative. He was a Planning Commissioner for the City of Roseville and sat on the Roseville Cemetery Board.
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California Housing Consortium
30141 Agoura Road, Suite 106
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
818-735-9551 phone
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Sacramento Office
1107 9th Street, Suite 710
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-272-2325 phone
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