In recent months, we’ve been working to improve coordination on smart growth legislation in California, a challenging endeavor in this crazy fiscal and political environment! Major policy problems such as the gaping hole left by redevelopment’s dissolution have become the norm, and now there’s an urgent need to work with legislators to solve these problems. Fortunately, ClimatePlan partners and allies are working fast and furiously to ensure that these problems are addressed by smart and effective legislation.
Over the past months, we’ve been tracking legislation that helps to create sustainable and equitable communities. Since today is the last day for the Legislature’s policy committees to hear and report bills, below we’ve highlighted a couple of hot bills that are moving forward. Keep your eyes open – we’ll send out our partners’ action alerts in the future to build support for these bills!
SB 1220: This legislation creates a permanent source of funding for affordable housing. It just cleared the Senate policy committee and is now moving into the Senate Appropriation Committee. Visit Housing California’s website to support this bill!
SB 1151 and SB 1156: These two pieces of legislation work together to reinvent redevelopment by creating “Sustainable Community Investment Areas” where cities and counties can work together to invest in TOD infrastructure and affordable housing. For more information, read the fact sheets on SB 1151 and SB 1156. Both of these bills cleared the Senate policy committees and are moving into the Appropriation Committees. Read NRDC’s letter of support for this bill and check out the League of Cities’ analysis on SB 1156 here.
If you’re itching for an opportunity to learn more about these issues and meet with face to face with a legislator, we invite you to attend TransForm’s Transportation Choices Summit on May 1st and May 2nd in Sacramento! May 1st is the Transportation Choices Summit, a series of conversations to share information. Topics include: solving the funding crisis, achieving “complete streets”, affordable homes near transit; and how to communicate our message with urgency and impact. May 2nd will be an Advocacy Day where groups of 3-5 will spend the afternoon visiting state legislators and the governor’s office to advocate on several key bills. Register here!