September 19, 2023
City Council
DATE: September 19, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Councilmember Claudia Jimenez, District 6
Subject:
Resolution in Support of AB 309, Sponsored by
Assembly Member Alex Lee
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact related to this item.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
AB 309 seeks to introduce social housing to the state of California. Social housing will help to ease the California housing crisis by building housing that is affordable to a range of incomes.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
DIRECT staff to send a letter of support to Anthony J.
Portantino, Chair of the Senate Appropriations
Committee for AB 309 sponsored by Assembly Member
Alex Lee to support social housing
DISCUSSION:
Like other parts of California, the city of Richmond faces a crisis regarding housing affordability and accessibility, the effects of which have a ripple effect on the economy, health, and other domains of people’s lives. Social housing would alleviate the housing AGENDA
REPORT
September 19, 2023
crisis by offering options to people at a variety of incomes levels. This strategy not only protects people from market forces but also prevents residential segregation and concentrated poverty. Social housing also operates on peer support to finance social housing and funding is largely self-sustainable because it would be using existing resources and mixed resident incomes.
Assembly member Alex Lee is the author of AB309. This bill establishes the intent to create the California Housing Authority, an independent state agency with the ability to construct housing and lease it to a mix of household income ranges through both an ownership and rental model. The Authority would ensure rent and mortgage payments are affordable to residents at no more than 30 percent of their monthly income.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Draft letter of support