By Toni G. Atkins |\u00a0Notes from Toni<\/p>\n
As this column, derived from my newsletter \u201cToni Times,\u201d was being prepared, my top-priority bill, SB 2, was still under consideration in the Assembly \u2014 the deadline for Senate bills to pass \u201cthe other house\u201d is Sept. 15.<\/p>\n
SB 2 \u2014 the Building Homes and Jobs Act \u2014 is part of a package of bills aimed at addressing California\u2019s severe housing crisis. Gov. Jerry Brown, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon all pledged to make the package a priority during this session\u2019s home stretch.<\/p>\n
SB 2 would create a permanent source of funding for affordable housing. The bill would raise roughly $250 million annually to provide homes for struggling families, seniors and people experiencing chronic homelessness. The revenue would come from a $75 fee imposed on the filing of certain real-estate documents. SB 2 would exempt all property sales from the fee.<\/p>\n
Coupled with an additional $4.6 billion in leveraged funding over five years, SB 2 would create tens of thousands of new homes and good jobs. That means it would spur economic activity in communities up and down the state, in addition to ending housing instability for many Californians.<\/p>\n
SB 3 and SB 35 are the other bills in the package. SB 3 would place a $3-billion bond measure on the November 2018 ballot to fund statewide housing programs. SB 35 would streamline the approval process for projects in cities that are not meeting state-mandated housing goals at various affordability levels.<\/p>\n
The situation in California is dire, and San Diego is feeling it.<\/p>\n
The median rent in our region has risen 36 percent since 2000. At the same time, the median household income for renters has increased just 4 percent. Our lowest-income earners spend nearly 70 percent of their income on housing. To meet demand for middle- and working-class housing, we\u2019d need to immediately create 142,000 rental units.<\/p>\n
We are building housing locally, but it\u2019s mostly being built for wealthy residents. Relatively speaking, only a small amount is being built for the middle class and the working poor.<\/p>\n
While this package of bills won\u2019t instantly solve the housing crisis, it will help. It attacks the problem with a mix of funding and regulatory reform, making it easier to build more housing in the right locations and provide homes quickly for residents who are struggling the most. Funding will always be needed \u2014 there will always be people who are priced out of the housing market.<\/p>\n
Back in July, I helped cut the ribbons on two affordable-housing projects \u2014 Talmadge Gateway and Cypress Apartments \u2014which will provide a total of 122 new homes in San Diego for people who are representative of those who will always need help: seniors on fixed, low incomes and folks who had been homeless and suffer from difficult, chronic medical issues. I met people who were grateful to be moving in.<\/p>\n Those two projects are exactly the kinds of projects that my bill, SB 2, would help finance. We need more of them \u2014 in San Diego County and throughout California.<\/p>\n SB 2 is a heavy lift. Because it includes a fee, it requires a two-thirds vote.<\/p>\n I hope my Assembly colleagues realize how important it is that we create a reliable, ongoing source of funding for affordable housing, and I hope to have good news about my bill the next time I update you.<\/p>\n![\"Guest](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/web-Toni-Atkins-IMG_9625-Headshot-215x300.jpg\")