Updates on Key Legislative Bills

• AB 1845 (Rivas), which will create a Homelessness Office of the Governor, was passed by the Senate Human Services Committee. It will move to the Appropriations Committee. We must now relentlessly promote this bill to legislators, key influencers, and the public at large to draw attention and build support. Please help by tweeting your support. Below is a sample message.

#AB1845 brings all homelessness programs currently operating in different agencies under the management of a single state office, enabling a coordinated effort to effectively tackle homelessness. #CALeg let’s make this happen.

• AB 1436 (Chiu), which would prohibit evictions for failure to pay rent during a state of emergency related to COVID-19 and 90 days thereafter, is still moving forward. It’s been gaining energy as millions of renters are on edge. Let’s keep this initiative visible by tweeting:

We are asking @GavinNewsom and the #CALeg to pass #AB1436, which would enable CA renters at risk of eviction to remain in their homes. Let’s enable tenants to regain their financial footing so they can repay missed rents w/o hurting their credit.

• AB 3269 (Chiu), which aims to establish the Office of the Housing and Homelessness Inspector General that would monitor the reduction of homelessness, is making its way through the Senate. It passed through the Senate Committee on Housing on August 6. It will now move to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

• AB 1703 (Bloom), which aimed to provide renters the first right of offer on their homes, was cut, along with other many bills from the Senate Judiciary hearing schedule. Yet, the coalition achieved some notable milestones by successfully initiating a tweet storm with a reach of approximately 150,000, spurring 280 conversations, and ultimately trending that day in California. Housing California conveys a deep and sincere thanks to all of our partners who participated in the tweet storm and helped to relentlessly raise this issue with legislators and the public. While we are disappointed with the result, we are encouraged by the acknowledgment both around the state and in the capitol that there is a real threat of speculation in the housing market on the recovery side of COVID-19. We look forward to addressing this issue with our coalition partners in the coming legislative season.

Schools and Communities First Get a New Name

Schools and Communities First, now known as Proposition 15, will be on the November Ballot. Recently, the California Secretary of State posted the official description for the ballot measure, along with an analysis provided in the Title & Summary and Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) analysis. Prop. 15 will finally close tax loopholes which have allowed big corporations to avoid paying their fair share of market value property taxes. It is time to reinvest in our communities and our people, creating a brighter future for everyone. Prop. 15 analysis showed that only 10% of the biggest, most valuable commercial and industrial properties would generate 92% of the revenue.

Housing California has also been working closely with other steering committee members of the Yes on 15: Schools and Communities First campaign to develop an affordable housing policy brief for Prop. 15. This policy brief lays out how equitable reforms to our tax system will incentivize the development of more housing and provide local governments with the revenue necessary to invest in the development of housing affordable to low income people and in permanent housing with supportive services for people experiencing homelessness.

Read the Housing Policy Brief from Yes on 15 - Schools and Communities First to learn more about how Prop. 15 will impact affordable housing in your community.

Yes on 15 Housing Policy Brief

Residents United Building its Network

Keeping the Dream Alive with Community Care

We find inspiration in a multitude of places. This month we found it with Tourmaline, a Black trans filmmaker, who talked about using our imaginations to envision the big changes and the everyday changes we want in our lives. She wrote, “Freedom dreams are born when we face harsh conditions not with despair, but with the deep knowledge that these conditions will change— that a world filled with softness and beauty and care is not only possible, but inevitable.”

If you ask yourself, “What will I do this week to get us closer to a California without homelessness?” and you need some inspiration, then join us on Wednesday for the Community Care call at 1pm. We welcome your freedom dreams.

Leaning into the Challenge

Eviction is top of mind for millions of renters across the state and nation. In April, we created a space for RUN members to start talking about their fears and hopes around this tough subject. This month, the working group held a roundtable which discussed how affordable housing residents and affordable housing developers can work together to prevent pandemic evictions. RUN leaders and developers from Community Housing Works, Self Help Enterprises, and Mutual Housing had a productive conversation about what we need to make sure everyone who lives in affordable housing can stay there. 

More than 40 of us met up online to talk about evictions in affordable housing across California. RUN leaders and developers shared stories from the pandemic in a powerful hour of solidarity and commitment. Rickie Brown, a longtime RUN leader and property manager at City Heights CDC in San Diego, put it this way: “As a parent now, you have to think about, ‘Do I pay my rent, or do I feed my kids?’” We invite you to check out the recording which offers thoughtful contributions and hopes for a collaborative approach so we meet this moment together.

Facing the Future Together

RUN leaders met with staffers of four members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to push for AB 1703 in July. RUN members are especially concerned about corporate landlords buying up affordable housing and increasing rents, which is why AB 1703, which would have given tenants, community land trusts, and nonprofit developers the first right to purchase a building that goes on the market, resonated so deeply. It died along with about 60 other bills at the end of July, but RUN leaders look forward to picking it back up next year.

What can we do to make sure Californians stay housed in the coming months? We can fight for statewide rent relief by supporting AB 1436, which prevents evictions due to unpaid rent from COVID-19. If you’re not already a member, consider joining RUN. For information and to join RUN, contact Tori Truscheit.

Bridging the Language Gap

At RUN, we are always looking for ways to build and enhance our community. This month we added a new feature to our Community Care calls, enabling language interpretation during our meetings. Instead of separate meetings for monolingual Spanish speakers, which we’d implemented in April, technological improvements mean we can now include a Spanish-language interpreter in our Zoom calls. Each week, monolingual Spanish speakers can access a Spanish audio channel, ensuring that even more resident leaders can participate.

A look behind the spoken word

We have two excellent resources on the power of narrative that we wanted to share with you. The first is a framing guide from Dr. Tiffany Manuel in conjunction with Enterprise Community Partners and FrameWorks Institute. Written in 2016, this publication titled, "Why Housing Messages Are Backfiring and 10 Things We Can Do About It", offers some valuable insights and research about messaging around affordable housing. Download the PDF here.

We know that narratives, or compelling stories and strategies, are a powerful force which can be used for positive change. Today, we often see that they are used to elevate some voices while silencing others. We are sharing a great article that provides some insights on developing this narrative power from Oxfam and their collaborative partners around the world. Please check it out.