Contact: Rev. Rae Huang, [email protected], 919.695.5157

ADVOCATES URGE GOVERNOR NEWSOM AND LEGISLATURE TO FUND CRITICAL ANTI-DISPLACEMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM

SACRAMENTO, CA – Last week, the California State Legislature released its Fiscal Year (FY)2022–23 legislative budget agreement, in response to Governor Newsom’s budget proposal. Ahead of today’s deadline for passage of the state budget bill, PolicyLink, Enterprise Community Partners, Housing California, Public Advocates, California Housing Partnership, California Community Land Trust Network, Housing Now!, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), and the Stable Homes Coalition issued the following statement:

“Skyrocketing housing costs are driving displacement of people from their communities, contributing to an unconscionable surge in homelessness, and rising housing instability. This impacts all of us, but low-income renters and communities of color are disproportionately harmed. This crisis is preventable, and with a record surplus of $97 billion, state leaders have a unique opportunity to take action in ending it.

“By dedicating critical State resources towards preventing displacement, stabilizing communities, and growing our supply of permanently affordable housing, we can create healthy and affordable homes and communities for low-income Californians. The Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program (CAPP) being championed by a broad coalition of community organizations and local jurisdictions across the state will do exactly that.

“We are grateful to the California State Legislature for their leadership in including the Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program in their legislative budget agreement. Given the urgency of our housing crisis and the proven impact of acquisition preservation, we respectfully urge Governor Newsom and the Legislature to include the full request of $500 million for the Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program in the final FY 2022–23 budget.

“In communities across California, local leaders recognize that every person deserves stable affordable housing, and they are coming together to keep residents in their homes – all while building something that is even more equitable and resilient than what we had before. But they cannot do it alone. We need state leaders to play their part.”

Background

After two years of advocacy by Assemblymember Richard Bloom, the Stable Homes Coalition, and other partners, the Legislature included $200 million for the Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program (CAPP) in its proposed budget bill.

● A study by the California Housing Partnership identified over one million unsubsidized affordable homes statewide. The overwhelming majority of low-income Californians live in these homes, but this supply of affordable housing is declining rapidly as residents are priced out of their homes or otherwise displaced.
● Between 2012 and 2017 the Bay Area lost 32,000 unsubsidized affordable homes annually.
● Over the last twenty years, San Diego lost an estimated 72% of its unsubsidized housing stock affordable to very low-income households.
● Stable, affordable housing is also a prerequisite for leveraging a high return on investment for other human services, and provides significant economic benefits:
○ Eliminating California’s rent burden would give residents an additional $26 billion to spend on food, school, health care, or other basic needs.
○ On average renter households would gain over $8,000 in disposable income per year.

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