If you noticed that this edition of our newsletter is arriving a little later than usual, trust me, we noticed too. The California Legislature spent the final weeks of session in full sprint mode, and CCAH was running right alongside it. August is always a busy time in Sacramento, but this year felt especially intense as we worked to move our sponsored bills and other priority legislation through the final legislative hurdles and onto the Governor’s desk.
I’m pleased to report that both SB 677, which helps with TEFRA and parcel map appeals, and AB 2089, which deals with the welfare tax exemption, successfully cleared the Legislature and are now headed to the Governor for consideration. Getting there was no small task. In fact, SB 677 required us to be working the halls of the Capitol on Sunday, August 30, during one of the Legislature’s final pushes. It was incredibly
rewarding to see our team fully engaged, advocating on behalf of our members and ensuring policymakers understood the importance of these measures. Those long days and late nights pay off for us when we see affordable housing developers and owners with a lightened burden.
Unfortunately, not every effort crossed the finish line. AB 2748, which proposed leaving the requirment for EV chargers at 40% instead of bumping it to 100% of reserved parking for 100% affordable projects, never emerged from the legislative black box known as the Suspense File. Our team worked hard with the opposition to the bill, offering and accepting several rounds of amendments, but in the end the opposition won the day. While that was disappointing, it doesn’t change the underlying issue we’re trying to solve. Requiring affordable housing developers to provide EV charging at 100 percent of reserved spots, regardless of actual resident demand, simply makes no sense. It drives up construction costs, reduces housing production, and diverts resources that could otherwise be used to create more affordable homes. We’ll dust ourselves off and take another run at this issue next year.
While legislative session may be winding down, our fall conference season is heating up.
Our Fall Conference in San Diego is nearly sold out. As this went to print, we had only 25 registrations remaining, and our room block is sold out. Sponsorships are still available and if you’ve been planning to attend, now is the time to register before the remaining spots disappear. We have an outstanding program planned, important policy discussions ahead, and, as always, unparalleled opportunities to connect with your colleagues from across the affordable housing industry.
We’re also excited to be planning a CCAH PAC Reception during the conference on the evening of November 11 directly following our welcome reception. We’re working to bring together elected officials, policymakers, and affordable housing leaders for what promises to be a great evening supporting candidates who understand the critical importance of housing affordability in California. This will be a ticketed event and more details will be announced soon, but I hope you’ll plan to join us.
Before we get to San Diego for the conference, Paul and I will be heading to the Home Builders Alliance Retreat in late October. This coalition brings together organizations representing various sectors of the housing industry to identify opportunities for collaborative policy solutions that can help California build more housing. CCAH was invited to join the group last year, and we’ve found tremendous value in being part of these discussions. Many of the most meaningful housing policy changes happen when organizations that don’t always agree on every issue come together around common goals. We are proud to have affordable housing represented at that table and look forward to continuing the conversation.
Finally, as we begin thinking about the 2027 legislative session, we want to hear from you. If there are laws, regulations, or policies creating unnecessary barriers to affordable housing development, preservation, financing, or operations, please reach out to Paul (pshafer@californiacouncil.org). Some of our most successful legislative efforts have started with ideas brought forward by members who are dealing with challenges in the real world every day.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support, engagement, and advocacy.
In partnership,
