SB 225: Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program: statewide contract.

Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and makes the department responsible for administering various housing programs throughout the state, including, among others, the Multifamily Housing Program and the California Emergency Solutions Grants Program. Existing law, upon appropriation, authorizes the department to make either or both loans and grants to rehabilitate, capitalize operating subsidy reserves for, and extend the long-term affordability of department-funded housing projects that have an affordability restriction that has expired, that have an affordability restriction with a remaining term of less than 10 years, or are otherwise at risk for conversion, as provided.

This bill would establish the Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program for purposes of funding the acquisition and rehabilitation of unrestricted housing units, as defined, and attaching long-term affordability restrictions on the housing units, while safeguarding against the displacement of current residents. The bill would require the department to issue a request for qualification to select a private sector entity or consortium to manage the program for a period of 5 years. The bill would require the program manager to make loans to eligible borrowers, as defined, based on underwriting guidelines approved by the department. The bill would authorize the department to issue grants or loans from program funds to local public entities upon request for purposes of allowing the local public entity to use the moneys to issue loans to eligible borrowers within its jurisdiction in accordance with the bills provisions and department regulations. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations for the operation of the program and would exempt the adoption of regulations by the department for these purposes from the Administrative Procedure Act.

This bill would apply specified tenant protections to projects funded by the program and would require the department to develop technical assistance and capacity building for the development and ongoing operation of projects funded pursuant to the program, as specified.

This bill would establish the Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Fund in the State Treasury. The bill would make moneys available to the department for purposes of the program, upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would set forth requirements for the use of moneys in the fund.