AB 2396: State Partnership for Affordable Housing Registries in California Grant Program.

Existing law creates the Department of Housing and Community Development and sets forth its powers and duties relating to the administration of housing programs.

This bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, require the department to solicit participation in the State Partnership for Affordable Housing Registries in California Grant Program among eligible entities, as defined, through a notice of funding availability. The bill would require the department to disburse funds awarded to eligible entities, and require program administrators, as defined, to launch Phase 1 of the platforms, as specified. The bill would require the department to disburse funds to applicants in geographically diverse communities to the extent feasible.

This bill would authorize a program administrator to contract, as specified, with a vendor and would require a vendor selected to create and maintain the platform to meet the requirements of the bills provisions. The bill would require the platform to have certain capabilities, including that Phase 1 functions include the capability to view affordable housing listings and information, as specified, and that Phase 2 functions include the capability to apply to affordable housing units, as specified. The bill make any personally identifiable information collected by the platform or shared between eligible entities and the department in administering this chapter confidential and exempt it from public disclosure, as specified.

This bill would become operative upon appropriation by the Legislature of sufficient funds and would provide for augmentation of funding with moneys from other government sources, private or philanthropic donations, and any recoveries or reversions resulting from activities pursuant to these provisions.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.