Bipartisan Legislation Would Provide Cities with Greater Flexibility In How They Spend Their Local Housing Funds

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Bipartisan Legislation Would Provide Cities with Greater Flexibility In How They Spend Their Local Housing Funds

 Legislation that is jointly authored by Orange County Assemblymembers Tom Daly (D – Anaheim) and William Brough (R – Dana Point), has passed both houses of the State Legislature and is now at the desk of Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr.

The two lawmakers introduced the bill to give cities more flexibility in how they use local housing funds to help the homeless.

Assembly Bill 346 authorizes redevelopment “successor” agencies, under specific conditions, to use funds in the agencies’ affordable housing fund for the development of homelessness services, transitional housing, or emergency housing services. It also allows a successor agency to transfer up to $1 million to a neighboring jurisdiction for the development of a regional homeless shelter.

“California cities have fewer financial resources to address a growing range of local housing and homelessness needs,” Daly said. “This bill will provide our communities with an additional tool to help the homeless.”

Brough noted that “the homeless population in Orange County is nearly 4,800 people, and our cities don’t have the funds to provide adequate services and housing relief. With AB 346, we are simply providing cities with a commonsense solution to best help our communities.”

The legislation by Daly & Brough is sponsored by the Association of California Cities — Orange County, and is supported by more than a dozen municipal and nonprofit groups. There is no opposition to the measure.

If signed into law by Governor Brown, AB 346 would take effect on January 1, 2018.

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Contact: David W. Miller, Legislative Director

Assemblymember Tom Daly, 69^th Assembly District

Main Office Line: 916-319-2069

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