CSAC Bulletin Article

Department of Housing and Community Development Funding Opportunity and Housing Grant Program Guidelines

November 7, 2019 Mark Neuburger Kristina Gallagher

November 7, 2019

CSAC is seeking feedback from counties on the Prohousing Policies Framework Paper and Survey released by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). We encourage counties to submit any comments to HCD directly by November 15, 2019 via email to ProhousingPolicies@hcd.ca.gov. Please also send any comments to Chris Lee at clee@counties.org by November 14, 2019.

CSAC will be submitting comments focused largely on the capacity of local agencies to financially support affordable housing and increasing options and flexibility to allow local agencies to meet that component of the framework. We urge counties to submit their own comments on those issues and to bring any additional issues to the attention of CSAC staff.

The Prohousing Designation Program was authorized by the 2019-20 Budget Act and tasks HCD to designate jurisdictions as “Prohousing” when they demonstrate policies and strategies to accelerate housing production. In turn, Prohousing jurisdictions will be awarded additional points or preference in programs, such as the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities, Transformative Climate Communities, and Infill Incentive Grant programs.

The 2019-20 Budget Act requires HCD to develop the Prohousing Designation Program emergency regulations by no later than July 1, 2021. However, HCD seeks to provide initial direction to local governments that may elect to utilize the Local Early Action Planning and Regional Early Action Planning grants to establish prohousing policies and eventually earn a Prohousing Designation. The purpose of this paper is to gather input on broader concepts and approaches to facilitate direction to local and regional governments in advance of planning grant funding availability.

CSAC’s summary of AB 101 (Committee on Budget) — the budget trailer bill that reflects the final agreement between the Governor and Legislature on housing and homelessness budget items for fiscal year 2019-20 – is available here. The summary includes a description of the statutory provisions related to incentivizing jurisdictions to adopt prohousing policies on pages 8 and 9.

HCD has also released the Local Housing Trust Fund Program Draft Guidelines and the HOME Investment Partnerships Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). Additional information on upcoming deadlines and workshop dates and locations for each program is listed below.

Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF) Program Draft Guidelines: The public comment period for the LHTF Program Draft Guidelines has been extended from November 12, 2019 at 5:00pm to November 21, 2019 at 5:00pm. Comments on the draft guidelines should be submitted to HCD via email at LHTF@hcd.ca.gov. Please also send any comments to Marina Espinoza at mespinoza@counties.org by November 20, 2019 at 5:00pm.

HCD will be holding an additional public hearing workshop on the draft guidelines on Thursday, November 14 from 3:00 - 5:00pm at HCD’s Hea, CA. Register.

For additional information, please visit the LHTF webpage or email LHTF@hcd.ca.gov.

HOME Investment Partnerships Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA): HCD has released the NOFA for approximately $42 million in federal HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program funds. Applications are due January 22, 2020.

Upcoming workshop dates and locations are listed below.

HOME Multi-Family Projects