SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Friday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a historic set of housing bills to address the affordable housing crisis in California.
Among the bills signed by the governor are SB 2 (Atkins), SB 3 (Beall), SB 35 (Wiener) and AB 1505 (Bloom/Chiu/Gloria). Assemblymember Todd Gloria co-authored SB 2, SB 3, and SB 35 and was a joint author of AB 1505.
Sate lawmakers hailed the signing calling it a down payment for our children’s future.
“Every Californian deserves a safe, affordable home,” said Assemblymember David Chiu. “But today, we are living through the worst housing crisis in the state’s history, which threatens our shared prosperity, deepens inequality and increases homelessness.
“Today, we are making a down payment for our children’s future, for people struggling to pay the rent or the mortgage or even to have a roof at all, and for our teachers and firefighters who can’t afford a home in the cities they serve.
“I want to thank Governor Brown for his leadership, and for collaborating with the legislature on developing and signing this innovative package of bills that increase funding, and incentivize and streamline housing creation.
“The bills he signed today address many of the underlying causes of the housing crisis, but we must continue to take on the complex issues surrounding the housing affordability crisis including incentivizing housing as much as commercial development, helping local communities build infrastructure to support housing, and preventing displacement while protecting vulnerable tenants.”
Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) said, “Skyrocketing housing costs have squeezed California’s working and middle-class for too long. I am proud to join the Governor and my fellow legislators to pass a historic package of bills that makes specific and tangible progress to give some relief to those struggling to pay their rents and mortgages.
“We have more work to do on housing affordability and I look forward to building on this year’s achievements in the months ahead. Our goal must remain the same: a roof over the head of every Californian at a price they can afford.”
California State Treasurer John Chiang lauded state lawmakers and the governor for taking decisive steps to address the state’s long festering, 1.5 million-unit affordable housing deficit.
“California’s housing shortage has rapidly multiplied, moving from a problem to a crisis to, now, a full-scale catastrophe,” said Chiang. “But with the governor’s signature advancing a $4 billion housing bond, a permanent source of funding, and regulatory reform to ease construction, we are making a meaningful down payment on a roof and four walls for every Californian.”
The raft of measures signed into law includes a key $4 billion bond ballot measure that Chiang both supported and wanted to see made larger. He initially urged lawmakers to approve a $6-to-$9 billion bond issue in order to do more to meet the housing needs of working class Californians who have found themselves locked out of home ownership by one of the highest priced housing markets in the nation.
Habitat for Humanity California, a statewide coalition of more than 40 independent Habitat affiliates that serve communities across California, hailed the signing of the housing bills. “We applaud Gov. Brown and leaders in the legislature for taking on this affordable housing challenge with this meaningful first step,” said Sharon Ellis, the chair of Habitat for Humanity California. “But by no means is the work done. While our leaders made an important down payment on affordable housing today, it’s time for the monthly payments to show they are up to the long-term challenge.”
