The United Voice for Affordable Housing 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• A new poll finds a strong majority of likely voters (68%) say they will support Proposition 1, the March 2024 ballot measure seeking to modernize the state’s Mental Health Services Act, increase housing interventions for people suffering from mental illness and substance use disorder, and authorize a $6.4 billion bond to support the program. The survey, released by the Public Policy Institute of California, finds the measure is supported by 85% of Democrats, 66% of independents, and 40% of Republicans.

• Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas announced a wave of leadership changes in the Assembly, elevating affordable housing champions to several key positions: Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), author of ACA 1, was named Majority Leader, Asm. Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), the former housing committee chair, was tapped to lead the Appropriations Committee, and Asm. Chris Ward (D-San Diego), author of several noteworthy affordable housing bills, will chair the Housing and Community Development Committee.

• Kingdom Development has put together an educational platform that is now free for those in the housing industry. If you are interested in accessing Kingdom's resources and courses, you can view their website here.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEWS OF THE MONTH

‘Everything is on the table’ to fix $68 billion California budget gap—even a fiscal emergency (Sacramento Bee)

These Californians live in affordable housing. Why did their rent skyrocket? (CalMatters)

Editorial: L.A.’s ‘mansion tax’ is a lifeline to ease homelessness, but it remains in limbo (Los Angeles Times)

Migrant farmworkers want to live in California. There’s just no affordable housing for them. (Sacramento Bee)

S.F. passes crucial housing reforms. Will it be enough to satisfy the state? (San Francisco Chronicle)

Inside the world’s largest AIDS charity’s troubled move into homeless housing (Los Angeles Times)

FEDERAL UPDATE FROM DAVID GASSON

It is the end of the calendar year and what a year it has been. While nothing has been typical in recent decades let alone years, the political theater that has captivated, or shall I say held the House captive, over the past 12 months has been surreal and unfortunately, nonproductive.

We now have two early 2024 budget/CR deadlines and if we are being honest, nothing that has occurred in the House gives us hope that they will reach an agreement with the Senate on an FY 2024 budget. If this does play out and we have a yearlong continuing resolution, it will be devasting for HUD and those with vouchers. We continue to work with appropriations staff on HUD language and other issues but even some of them volunteer that these changes may have to wait for the FY 2025 budget. I can tell you it has been some time since I have been told by staff of both parties and on both sides of Capitol Hill, that legislative efforts in the House are stymied due to dysfunction in the chamber.

Yet for affordable housing, a tax bill does seem to be working its way through the tax committees under the radar, which we prefer. I was recently in France having Thanksgiving with a friends’ family whose daughter is studying abroad for the semester.  In the course of that visit, I had no less than three phone calls from Senators working on the tax bill. Conversations are ongoing regarding language of the LIHTC provisions, and I recently spoke with both Ways and Means Ranking Member Neal (D-MA) and Minority Whip Clark, both of whom were enthusiastic about their outlook for a tax bill. It is likely the bill will be focused on the Child Tax Credit and the R&D credit, but we are consistently told the LIHTC is tops on the list of issues that could ride along. What we are working on as DC advocates is having our Republican leads and supporters weigh in with as much enthusiasm as our Democratic leads to ensure our bipartisan proposals are included.

It is likely the tax bill will slip into January and perhaps February 2024, so it is important we keep the pressure on our supporters. 

I thank you all sincerely for your advocacy and wish you a very happy holiday season.

CHC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

CHC Member: AMCAL Housing

Project Name: Somis Ranch Farmworker Community

Location: Somis, California

Units: 360 units (30%-60% AMI)

Opening Date: 2025

State & Federal Financing Sources: 

• Low-Income Housing Tax Credits
• Bond Allocations
• Recycled Bonds from the Bond Recycling Program

The first phase of the Somis Ranch Farmworker Community is an affordable multi-family apartment complex currently under construction in the Somis community of the County of Ventura. The new 11.4-acre community will consist of 200 apartments set aside for farmworker households who live and work in the area with incomes at 30, 40, 50 and 60 percent of the area median income (AMI). Construction of phase 1 is projected to be completed by spring of 2024.

Somis Ranch is designed to foster a sense of community among residents. To bring residents together, a centrally located community center will house the full-time social services coordinator. The service coordinator will coordinate with tenants to determine the appropriate menu of social services to include instructor-led adult educational, health and wellness or skill-building classes, and an after-school program for school-age children.

“These apartments will not only provide affordable housing to one of our County’s hardest-working communities, it will also provide important resources families need to build their future,” said Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund Ventura County and Housing Land Trust Ventura County. “Affordable housing is about more than building structures, it’s about creating a strong and stable foundation for our residents, which in turn helps our community to thrive as a more inclusive environment in which we all work, raise our children, and live.”