SACRAMENTO — The California COVID-19 Rent Relief Program marks another significant milestone today with $650 million paid out to 55,000 households as the state prepares to transition to new eviction protections that take effect from October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022.

“The COVID-19 pandemic left many families without the income needed to cover their rent and stay in their homes,” said Lourdes Castro Ramírez, Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. “And too many tenants have lived with the fear of eviction. We have moved quickly to disburse help to renters and landlords, assisting nearly 55,000 households.”

Coupled with statewide eviction protections, the California COVID-19 Rent Relief Program has addressed months of accumulated rental debt and provided assistance for current and future rent, keeping tens of thousands of Californians housed who might otherwise have been forced to leave their homes because of the economic impact of the pandemic.

Beginning October 1, new state eviction protections will be in place but, as with the existing protections, tenants must take steps to remain protected.

“The first and most important step is to apply for rent relief,” said Secretary Castro Ramírez. “There is still plenty of money in the California COVID-19 Rent Relief program and local programs, resources that will provide full assistance for back and future rent.”

California’s existing eviction protections under AB 832, which protected many tenants statewide from eviction for nonpayment of rent, end September 30. On October 1, the state will transition to an extended eviction protection period that will primarily serve tenants that are at or below 80% area median income and who have timely completed an application for rent relief.

But it is not necessary to wait for an eviction notice to apply and be protected.

“Tenants who owe back rent or who will have trouble paying rent on the first of the month should not wait to apply for rent relief,” said Department of Housing and Community Development Department Director Gustavo Velasquez. “The sooner they apply for rent relief, the sooner they will be protected from eviction for non-payment of rent.”

California still has ample funds to provide relief, and the California COVID-19 Rent Relief Program continues to increase the amount paid on behalf of tenants. As of today, more than $650 million has been paid to assist more than 55,000 tenants. In addition, all $1.5 billion dollars of Round 1 federal funding for the state program has been paid or approved for payment and the state is now beginning to spend Round 2 dollars.

The California COVID-19 Rent Relief Program has recently increased its advertising and awareness efforts as more local jurisdictions have joined the state program, with statewide radio, television, billboards and other targeted advertising, as well as social media outreach.

In addition to a statewide advertising and education campaign, the state has been working with Local Initiatives Support Corporation, or LISC, which has brought aboard 140 community-based organizations throughout California to help get the word out about the availability of rent relief and to provide culturally competent on-the-ground assistance in completing applications for those who need it.

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until funds are exhausted. Applicant information is private and will not be shared between landlord and tenant, and applicants will not be asked about immigration status or asked to provide proof of citizenship.

For more information and to apply for the program, visit HousingIsKey.com or call the California COVID-19 Rent Relief Call Center at 833-430-2122 (toll free) daily between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) today provided a big boost to its new Housing Accountability Unit (HAU) with the appointment of David Zisser as its new leader. The new Accountability Unit will play a critical role in ensuring that local leaders fulfill their legal responsibility to plan, zone for, and permit their share of the state’s housing needs.

“The Governor has set ambitious housing goals for California, and it’s imperative that we do everything in our power to work with all our partners to achieve those goals,” HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez said. “The appointment of David Zisser will help us amplify and grow our accountability efforts. His vast experience in housing policy will be an enormous benefit to HCD and we are excited to welcome him to the team as the leader of the Housing Accountability Unit.”

Zisser will head up a team charged with expanding on HCD’s accountability work through a holistic strategy that combines: Prohousing incentives and planning grants supporting local jurisdictions to comply with state housing laws; education and technical assistance to help jurisdictions understand the law, and strong accountability actions for non-compliance as needed. He brings more than 14 years of professional experience in local, regional, and statewide housing policy, advocacy, and accountability to HCD, and his appointment comes less than a month after Governor Newsom announced the launch of the HAU at a bill signing ceremony in Oakland.

As part of the 2021-2022 state budget, HCD received new positions to grow its accountability efforts and as part of this expansion was able to form the Housing Accountability Unit with a total of 25 staff. The new team will work to boost the accountability efforts already taking place at HCD. Currently, HCD has the authority to enforce various state housing laws, including: Housing Element Law, including housing element fair housing and program commitments; Housing Accountability Act; No Net Loss Law; Density Bonus Law; Land Use Discrimination Law; Accessory Dwelling Unit laws; Affordable Housing Preservation; Noticing Law; and Surplus Land Act. The HAU will also be empowered to take escalating enforcement steps to bring municipalities into compliance with state housing legislation in the event of persistent non-compliance.

“A housing element is no longer a paper exercise – it’s a contract with the state of housing commitments for eight years and the Housing Accountability Unit will hold jurisdictions to those commitments,” said Megan Kirkeby, HCD Deputy Director for Housing Policy.

While the accountability work is still growing, the existing team has been busy. To date, HCD has issued 253 letters ranging from inquiries, technical assistance, notices of noncompliance, and housing element decertification.

As an example of its success, 320 housing units were approved in September in Norco when the City Council overturned the Planning Commission’s original denial of a housing project. Prior to the appeal hearing, HCD provided technical assistance that highlighted the city’s commitments in its housing element and obligations under the Housing Accountability Act (HAA).

In another instance, the City of Bakersfield formally welcomed Casa Esperanza, a transitional home for women and their children who have been experiencing homelessness. Technical assistance provided by the Housing Accountability Unit led the City to update its municipal code to properly accommodate transitional and supportive housing, paving the way for Casa Esperanza. The formation of the Housing Accountability Unit and addition of new staff to this work will allow HCD to more proactively pursue outcome-based resolutions that increase housing supply throughout California.

In addition, starting January 1, 2022, HCD will also have authority to enforce Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing law, The Housing Crisis Act of 2019 – SB 330, Streamlined Ministerial Permit Processes – SB 35, By Right Supportive Housing Provisions – AB 2162, By Right Low Barrier Navigation Centers – AB101, and limitations on development standards – AB 478.

While education and technical assistance is always the first step, the Housing Accountability Unit will hold jurisdictions accountable for their housing element commitments and these other state laws.

David Zisser Bio

David Zisser most recently served as the Associate Director of Housing California, a statewide affordable housing and homelessness advocacy organization. He previously served as Senior Staff Attorney at Public Advocates, where he created a robust practice around Surplus Land Act accountability and led the organization’s efforts to enforce local jurisdictions’ obligations to affirmatively further fair housing. Zisser started his career in local government as a Housing Fellow at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. He went on to serve as Counsel at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law where he developed a post-Katrina Gulf Coast initiative, working with dozens of local organizations in Louisiana and Mississippi to hold communities accountable for affordable housing, fair housing, tenant protections, equitable development, and environmental justice.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, the Newsom Administration today announced
$125 million in grant awards for the sixth round of funding of the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program (VHHP). This latest round of awards allows organizations to construct affordable housing across California to serve veterans and their families, people experiencing homelessness, and seniors.

Governor Newsom appeared today at one of the funded sites – the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Campus – to discuss the to discuss the significance of veterans and homelessness.

In all, the 12 organizations on the receiving ends of the funding will construct over a 1,000 housing units, including rental apartments, supportive housing, and transitional housing - all located near important amenities and services to support residents.

VHHP finances the development of a variety of rental housing for veterans and their families. The program is administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in collaboration with the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) and the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

“HCD is honored to be a partner and administrator of this program that for the past six years has brought us closer to ending veteran homelessness in California – where we have the largest veteran population in the nation,” Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Director Gustavo Velasquez. “We are not there yet, but this funding certainly helps. Also, state funds for housing of this kind are typically required to stay affordable for at least 55 years, so the housing we fund today will go on to serve thousands of veterans, families and individuals for decades to come.”

The organizations receiving funding will construct and operate 15 properties and work closely with service providers to meet resident and community needs. The locations of the sites range and include Redlands, several parts of Los Angeles, the Central Coast, and the Bay Area. Most of the homes are estimated to be completed within the next three years.

“VHHP guarantees that more housing units are available to veterans experiencing homelessness, and it also ensures that our most vulnerable veterans have a stable future in the communities where they live and the support they need to thrive,” said CalVet Secretary, Vito Imbasciani MD. “I am exceedingly proud of the successful partnership among our departments. VHHP collaboration means we help provide housing and services to our veterans when and where they need it most.”

Several VHHP-awarded organizations have more than one project in the works. The Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) received $15.5 million for two phases on one site, the largest award in terms of unit count with 245 homes. Their First Street North Apartments were renamed as such after the Los Angeles City Council approved expanding its footprint from 77 to 245 affordable and supportive homes. Fifty percent of the funds awarded will serve veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness, which is required by VHHP.

Little Tokyo is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, said LTSC Communications Manager Tenaya Senzaki, and after years of redlining and gentrification, has been whittled down to just a few blocks.

“This part of town has always been the heart of Little Tokyo,” said Takao Suzuki, Director of Community Development at the Little Tokyo Service Center, of the new apartments. The center’s plans for the mixed-use, transit-oriented development also include more than 40,000 square feet of commercial spaces for legacy small businesses as well as arts and cultural spaces that enhance the neighboring Union Center for the Arts, home to the oldest Asian American theatre group in the country.

Suzuki added, “Because of gentrification, it feels like we have significantly less dedicated spaces for legacy businesses. With the increased anti-Asian sentiment taking place in America due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we feel that having a more positive and visible project is a good way to pay tribute and assert our presence in our community. Telling the story of [First Street North] allows us to weave in a narrative that educates and challenges what we’re going through as a community.”

Eight projects in Los Angeles County will be awarded in this round of funding, totaling more than $73 million in grant funds and 313 total veteran-specific units built.

The next round of VHHP will be released early 2022 as part of the new streamlined application process, per AB 434, that allows applicants to select more than one funding source and receive awards from those sources at the same time.

To learn more, please view award list and the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program webpage.

SACRAMENTO — Newsom Administration officials today detailed a $30 million investment to upgrade the state’s 24 migrant housing centers, thus creating more welcoming spaces for upwards of 11,000 farmworkers and their families when they return this coming spring.

State and local officials were joined by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) in announcing the $30 million California Comeback Plan investment – the largest of its kind – at the Hollister Migrant Housing Center, which has served thousands of farmworker families for more than 50 years. The investment is part of Newsom’s broader housing plan that has released billions of dollars over just a few months.

“This administration is taking every step to advance housing solutions that are inclusive and equitable. This includes housing for seasonal farmworkers and their families,” said Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez of California’s Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. “I had the opportunity to visit with residents and operators of these centers with Senator Caballero, Housing and Community Development (HCD) Director Gustavo Velasquez and other local leaders to see firsthand the need to improve the livability and condition of these communities that nearly 1600 farmworker families call home. And now, I am pleased that HCD has moved swiftly to deploy these funds appropriated by the Governor and Legislature in the Comeback CA Budget to support migrant farmworkers and their families.”

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of a federal infrastructure plan that will bolster what California has already begun, including expanding broadband and upgrading water infrastructure, especially in farmworker and rural communities.

HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez, whose team oversees the 24 migrant housing centers and administers state funding to the local entities that manage the centers said, “This investment is part of the state’s multipronged strategy to address the disparities in housing faced by farmworkers. We know firsthand that providing quality affordable homes and services during the months migrant families are here makes a big difference in their children’s outcomes and is better for our state. We must be vigilant and ensure a high quality of living for those who do the backbreaking work to feed this nation.”

Senator Caballero, Director Velasquez, and San Benito County officials met with Hollister housing center residents to share the good news and discuss other strategies the state is implementing to improve access to and quality of housing and support services available for the state’s farming workforce, which has been historically underfunded.

“From spring through the fall season, hundreds of families relocate to migrant centers all over rural California to support the peak harvest season to guarantee that families all over the country continue to receive the fruits and vegetables that we all love. Laborers responsible for a reliable harvest need quality and safe housing, childcare and services so that they and their children can be cared for as they perform their work as an essential worker,” Senator Caballero said. “I believe this $30 million investment in the Office of Migrant Services is necessary to support the unique needs of farmworkers – the labor force behind California's billion-dollar agriculture industry.”

Improvements to many of the migrant housing centers include adding broadband Internet, renovating apartments and community spaces, adding or improving playgrounds and tot lots, and upgrading old infrastructure, among other renovations. Essential services onsite include children’s education, health education, food banks, and more.

”Farmworkers are this state's most vulnerable essential workers and they deserve affordable, high-quality housing. Unfortunately, far too often, they are forced into unhealthy and overcrowded spaces in order to save money and live close to where they work," said Asm. Robert Rivas (D-Salinas). "This bold new investment from the state will begin to address not only the housing disparities that these essential workers face but also the intersecting issues of broadband access and safe, outdoor recreational space. I applaud the Governor and the Department of Housing and Community Development for this decisive step forward.”

HCD is implementing other ways to help farmworker and rural communities, including releasing an additional $100 million in farmworker housing grants, targeting Homekey funds – money to acquire and construct homes to prevent and end homelessness – in rural areas, and expanding efforts around employee housing and mobilehome regulations and funding.

“We commend the Newsom Administration and the Legislature for allocating this much-needed funding for upgrades – not just for the Migrant Center in San Benito County, but for all 24 migrant centers statewide,” said Bea Gonzales, Chair of the San Benito County Board of Supervisors. “The hard-working men and women who live in these centers deserve a safe and secure place to call home.”

SACRAMENTO — The State today issued a Request for Qualifications for developers capable of redeveloping a state-owned site consisting of two city blocks in Downtown San Diego into a mixed-use community. Located in close proximity to the waterfront, Amtrak station, and San Diego International Airport - which is the future Phase 2 high speed rail terminus - the development will likely become a model for sustainable transportation and land use investments for other excess sites.

The 2.7-acre site located at 1350 Front Street is available because of a 2019 Executive Order signed by Governor Gavin Newsom to address the housing affordability crisis. Governor Newsom ordered the Department of General Services (DGS) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to identify and prioritize excess state-owned property, enter into low-cost long-term ground lease agreements with housing developers and accelerate affordable housing development on prioritized properties for public benefit.

“In partnership with local governments and affordable housing developers, the state is rolling out a variety of solutions to increase access to affordable homes for low-income Californians and people experiencing homelessness,” HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez said. “The excess sites executive order helps remove barriers to delivering housing more quickly, and we hope to see highly innovative, cost-effective ideas for this prime location in San Diego that can be replicable throughout the state.”

HCD and DGS will score qualifying developers based on how well they will do in meeting goals of housing affordability, community development, sustainability, equity, innovation and feasibility.

The San Diego site provides an opportunity to either adaptively reuse the existing office building and construct new housing on the largely vacant adjacent lot or demolish the office building and construct on both lots. The State is interested in the adaptive reuse concept, but if additional housing could be more feasibly developed under one scenario over the other, that would be preferable.

Respondents are encouraged to consider San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s Homes For All of Us, a major package of initiatives aimed at producing more homes across the City that residents of all income levels can afford.

“The City of San Diego is proud to partner with the State of California to ensure we are doing everything we can to leverage public lands to tackle our housing crisis head on. The two blocks being offered up today present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a significant number of homes San Diego families can afford,” said Mayor Todd Gloria, who authored Assembly Bill 1164 to designate this land as surplus and allow this process to occur. “I thank Governor Newsom for his leadership and look forward to working with the State and the chosen developer to reimagine this important piece of real estate.”

Developers interested in learning more and potentially submitting proposals must attend the mandatory pre-submittal meeting about the site on December 7. Responses to the Request for Qualifications are due February 3. Interested parties can review more information at Executive Order N-06-19 Affordable Housing Development (ca.gov).

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) today announced the first set of awards for the expanded Homekey program, California’s innovative, nation-leading effort to purchase and rehabilitate structures and convert them into housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Today’s grants include $105 million for four awards, totaling 433 new homes for people exiting homelessness.

“Budgets are a statement of values, and with the California Comeback Plan, we have made it crystal clear – we will not let up on our commitment to doing everything in our power to address homelessness,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Homekey continues to change lives for the better in communities all across California by placing individuals on a path to long-term stable housing with services.”

Since Governor Newsom launched Homekey in June 2020, the groundbreaking program brought 6,000 units of housing online in under six months, for a fraction of the cost of new construction. In September, Governor Newsom expanded Homekey with an additional $2.75 billion to keep people safe and off the streets. This is a part of the Governor’s unprecedented $12 billion in homelessness investments contained in the 2021 California Comeback Plan.

“We applaud Governor Newsom for this historic investment to scale Homekey and house individuals experiencing homelessness– especially as we continue to deal with the uneven impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “These awards show first-hand how the state is partnering with local communities, to develop solutions that safely and quickly house our most vulnerable neighbors.”

“One of our primary objectives is always to act with urgency to address homelessness and housing needs by connecting people with affordable housing faster,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “Homekey is well known for flipping hotels and motels and turning them into housing units for those experiencing homelessness. With this second round of Homekey we will be seeing other project types – repurposing things like multifamily buildings, creating modulars, and adding to mixed-
income and mixed-population buildings. It’s this type of innovation that’s needed to end our housing crisis.”

A total of $105 million was awarded by HCD, which administers Homekey, for four projects, totaling 433 units of housing. Additional awards will be announced in the coming weeks. Today’s announced awards include the following projects:

• The City of Victorville has been awarded $28 million to create and operate 110 modular one-bedroom units with a minimum capacity of 170 beds, to provide interim housing to people experiencing homelessness. The project is part of the Victorville Wellness Center, a campus featuring onsite supportive services and ample community space.
• The Housing Authority of the County of Kern has been awarded $8.4 million to build 40 units of Permanent Supportive Housing. This is a new construction project being developed on vacant land in Bakersfield, CA.
• The County of San Mateo will receive $55.3 million to construct a 240-unit Navigation Center on a 2.5-acre County owned site in Redwood City. The Center will provide transitional housing and intensive support services to those experiencing homelessness to help navigate from unsheltered life to stable housing.
• The County of San Mateo will also receive $13.5 million to acquire and rehabilitate an existing hotel. Of the 44 units, 7 will have accessibility features for persons with disabilities. The project will provide service-rich interim housing options to those experiencing homelessness and in need of immediate housing.

Homekey is part of a historic $12 billion commitment by the Governor and the Legislature over the next two years to make real progress in addressing homelessness. Other efforts include $2 billion in flexible grants to local jurisdictions over two years, $50 million in grants to local jurisdictions to help them develop strategies to resolve encampments, and the Governor's 100-Day Challenge, which, in its fourth cohort, will provide intensive assistance to Sacramento, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz and Merced Counties to develop innovative and community-led strategies to support housing and services connections to persons experiencing homelessness in encampments. The Homekey Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the latest round of grants was released by HCD in September 2021. Completed applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted or May 2, 2022, whichever comes first. For more information, please visit the Homekey webpage.

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) today announced awards for five additional Homekey projects that, when fully operational, will provide nearly 400 units of housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness across the state.

"Homekey continues to be the fastest, largest, most cost-effective addition of permanent housing in California history," said Governor Gavin Newsom. "Today, communities as diverse as Healdsburg and Kern County are stepping up with innovative solutions – such as rehabbing an existing empty office building into supportive housing for homeless youth. This is what Homekey is all about – providing Californians in need with not just quality housing, but quality housing with the supportive services they require, located near the amenities they need."

Today’s announcement comes just one week after $105 million was approved for four other Homekey projects totaling more than 400 units of housing. All awards are part of Governor Newsom’s $2.75 billion extension of Homekey.

“Local communities continue to demonstrate imagination and innovation for how they utilize their Homekey dollars to help their homeless residents,” Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez said. “From a modular project in Rohnert Park to a project inside of a converted church in Bakersfield serving homeless youth, the state is proud to partner with local communities to prevent and end homelessness with the flexibility provided by Homekey.”

“Homekey has already touched thousands of lives, removing barriers and providing people with new opportunities for success,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “That’s why we continue to operate with a sense of urgency to get resources out to jurisdictions across the state so we can assist even more Californians.”

A total of $113 million was awarded by HCD, which administers Homekey, for five projects, totaling 392 units of housing. Today’s awards include the following projects:

• The City and County of San Francisco has been awarded more than $54.7 million to create and operate 160 units to provide permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness and chronic homelessness. The project features onsite supportive services and is located within a half mile of amenities like transportation, a grocery store, health facility and a pharmacy.
• The Housing Authority of the County of Kern has been awarded more than $7.7 million to provide 34 units of permanent and interim housing for homeless youth or youth at-risk of homelessness. This project is a conversion of nonresidential property – an existing office building and a church - in Bakersfield. The project will offer extensive on-site/off-site supportive services tailored for the youth population, including case management, vocational and educational support, and behavioral health services.
• The City of Rohnert Park will receive more than $14.6 million to construct 60 new modular units on a City-owned vacant lot. The Project will provide interim housing serving homeless and chronically homeless populations with a 60% set-aside for chronically homeless individuals. In addition to onsite supportive services, off-site amenities located within a half mile of the project include a grocery store, pharmacy and transit stop.
• The City of Healdsburg will receive more than $7 million to acquire and rehabilitate 22 units of interim housing. Each unit will have motel-type amenities, and residents will have access to onsite and offsite support services, including mental health services, gardening therapy and pet support. Project is located near amenities, including public transportation, but the site will offer shuttle service for residents.
• The Housing Authority of the City of Sacramento will receive more than $29 million to acquire and rehabilitate an existing hotel. When completed, the project promises 116 units of permanent and interim housing for people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness. On-site services include, but are not limited to, behavioral and physical health support, life skills, social and recreational events, education and employment services, and housing retention services. Units are located less than a mile from transit, grocery and outdoor park space.

Additional Homekey awards will be announced in the coming weeks.

Homekey is California’s innovative, nation-leading program to purchase and rehabilitate housing – including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties – and convert them into permanent, long-term housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. The Homekey Round 2 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) was released by HCD back in September. Completed applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted or May 2, 2022, whichever comes first. For more information, please visit the Homekey webpage.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) today participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the 7th and Campbell affordable housing project – the first project in the state to break ground with the help of the California Housing Accelerator.

Funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and announced by the Newsom Administration in September, the California Housing Accelerator is a $1.75 billion effort to get housing developments that were stuck in the funding pipeline due to an insufficient supply of tax credits and bonds moving again.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced $923 million in Accelerator awards in February, and among the 27 projects funded statewide, 7th and Campbell was awarded nearly $43 million.

“We’re moving with the urgency that’s required to create affordable housing to help alleviate the housing crisis and prevent folks from ending up on the streets,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “The $1.75 billion investment for projects just like this one in the East Bay will rapidly provide thousands of affordable housing units throughout the state.”

Before receiving funding from the California Housing Accelerator, the 7th and Campbell project was unable to attain the necessary tax credits and bonds to complete construction – even after receiving grant funding totaling $18.7 million from two other HCD-administered programs – the Supportive Housing Multifamily Housing Program and the Transit-Oriented Development Housing Program.

“The 7th and Campbell project is proof that the Governor’s Housing Accelerator program is doing exactly what is was designed to do,” said Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. “It’s getting shovel-ready projects the financing they need to break ground in record time – just under three months – so that more affordable housing units can be built to overcome a housing crisis that has been 50 years in the making.”

Added HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez: “It’s exciting to see how the 7th and Campbell project is going to completely revitalize this neighborhood and provide opportunities to so many deserving people – and this is just the start. California needs 2.5 million new homes by 2030, as we outlined in the recent release of our new Statewide Housing Plan. It’s an ambitious goal, but Accelerator projects are an important part of how we plan to achieve that goal. We hope to see many more Accelerator-funded projects breaking ground this summer, in a matter of months instead of what would have taken years.”

The 7th and Campbell project is a mixed-use, transit-oriented, infill new construction development that will ultimately provide 79 affordable units for very low and extremely low-income people. Supportive Services will be provided for chronically homeless and special needs residents by the BOSS organization. And, with 20,000 square feet of rooftop solar panels, the building will generate enough energy to be “net zero.”

In addition to affordable housing, the ground floor of the complex will house four Oakland & The World (OAW) Enterprises-sponsored businesses, in accordance with its Mission, to launch and sustain for-profit businesses for ownership by formerly incarcerated and other extremely socioeconomically marginalized people. Those businesses include a fitness center, a neighborhood market, a light manufacturing and retail clothing business and a restaurant. Presently, OAW maintains West Oakland Farms on the site, operated by a cooperative of all formerly incarcerated people.

“When we acquired this property from the City of Oakland back in 2014, it had been vacant and neglected for more than 30 years,” said Elaine Brown, CEO of Oakland & the World Enterprises. “This used to be a vibrant place that represented a better life for Black people migrating to California from other parts of the country, where Black-owned businesses thrived and people had hope. When this project is fully up and running, it’s going to completely resurrect the spirit of what 7th Street used to be – a lively, important corridor of commerce, teeming with vitality and opportunity.”

For more information regarding the California Housing Accelerator, including a full list of the awards from Tier 1 and information regarding the $735 million yet to be awarded in Tier 2, please visit the California Housing Accelerator webpage.

Today the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is announcing that, in partnership with the State Department of Justice, we have prepared for filing, an enforceable judgment against the City of Anaheim, terms of which, if accepted by the Anaheim City Council, and the court, will result in enforcement of the Notice of Violation issued to Anaheim by HCD on December 8, 2021 under the Surplus Land Act.

The stipulated judgment will result in nearly $96 million for affordable housing development in Anaheim. Those funds must be spent in five years and, if leveraged with other sources, will result in homes for thousands of families struggling to make ends meet in the midst of a statewide housing crisis. In addition, this judgment extracts and sets aside another $27 million - which when leveraged with state and federal dollars will build hundreds more affordable homes directly on the Angel Stadium property itself, creating a truly mixed-income community in one of the city’s signature locations – one that will provide workers and new residents with access to critical resources and amenities and connect them to the rest of the city.

While the $96 million is equivalent to the fine provided under the Surplus Land Act, the additional funds and commitments for onsite affordable housing go beyond this requirement – and that is a credit to HCD and Attorney General Bonta for pursuing this enforcement and the City for agreeing to these terms.

While the proposed consent judgment permits the parties to move forward, HCD will continue to monitor the City of Anaheim for future Surplus Land Act compliance. It is our hope that the penalty and additional housing proposed to be built is complied with so we can move forward from the unfortunate missteps the City of Anaheim took when proposing the sale of Angel Stadium in disregard of its Surplus Land Act requirements.

Under the upcoming 6th Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) cycle, the City of Anaheim has a goal of producing 17,453 additional units of housing. The outcome of this judgment gives the City the opportunity not just to make amends under the Surplus Land Act, but to expedite the creation of thousands of new homes and get closer to meeting its RHNA mandate.

On behalf of the Newsom Administration, we want to thank Attorney General Bonta for representing the people of California and HCD and by using public land for public good. His Housing Strike Force and HCD’s Housing Accountability Unit worked hard to get to this point, just like we are in many other instances where the State of California is prioritizing the enforcement of State housing law.