Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Colton) and Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) introduced AB 312 to help individuals and families find, research, and apply to available local affordable housing. Establishing the State Partnership for Affordable Housing Registries in California (SPAHRC) Grant Program would foster a relationship with the California Department of Housing and Community Development and local entities to create an online platform.
“Those eligible for affordable housing face too many hurdles when looking for available units,” said Majority Leader Reyes. “In addition to helping them find and apply to available residences, this registry would ensure California is streamlining access to affordable housing, increasing efficiency, and effectiveness."
“Research shows that increasing access to affordable housing reduces childhood poverty and increases economic security,” said Assemblymember Chris Ward, joint author on the bill. “Creating a central database where individuals and families can easily find listings, additional information and applications will reduce one more barrier to housing while providing a new tool to connect those in need of housing to affordable properties in their area.”
Housing California, a nonprofit that seeks to increase the supply of safe and stable affordable housing options, is sponsoring this bill.
Azalia Gomez with Residents United Network (RUN), a grassroots advocacy organization within Housing California, said “As a RUN organizer and member in the Inland Empire, I’ve seen firsthand that our people are rent burdened, the cost of living is getting more expensive and people are not aware of available resources and programs. Many communities that are in need of affordable housing, including in the Inland Empire, don't always have access to reliable transportation. Also, many residents tell me that it can be frustrating to apply for affordable housing at multiple locations and not be sure if they will even be able to qualify after filling out so much paperwork and paying high application fees each time. The SPAHRC program is a step in the right direction because it will be a one-stop shop for prospective affordable housing applicants.”
“We have a unique opportunity through this legislation to both remove barriers to affordable housing for low-income Californians, and augment our data systems that track the development of affordable housing,” said Amber-Lee Leslie, Legislative Advocate for Housing California. “The SPAHRC Grant Program provides the necessary incentives to ‘spark’ coordination between state and local governments and will ultimately create a user-friendly digital tool for Californians to find and apply to affordable housing.”