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May 2021
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Steve Snider
Downtown Oakland Association

1st Vice President
Emilie Cameron 
Downtown Sacramento Partnership
 
2nd Vice President
Austin Metoyer
Downtown Long Beach Alliance

Secretary
Chloe Shipp
San Jose Downtown Association
 
Treasurer
John Caner
Downtown Berkeley Association
 
At-Large Directors
Marshall Anderson
Downtown San Diego Partnership

Karin Flood
Union Square Business Improvement District

Kathy Hemmenway
Walnut Creek Downtown
Business Association

Suzanne Holley
Downtown Center Business Improvement District (LA)

Rena Leddy
LA Fashion District
 
Steve Mulheim
Old Pasadena Management District

Steven Welliver
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.

Immediate Past President
Andrew Thomas
Westwood Village Improvement Association 
CDA MEMBERS
Arts District Los Angeles BID
BLVD Association
Carmichael Improvement District, Inc.
City of Morgan Hill
City of Ontario
Civitas
Downtown Alameda Business Association
Downtown Berkeley Association
Downtown Center BID
Downtown Long Beach Alliance
Downtown Modesto Partnership
Downtown Oakland Association/ Lake Merritt Uptown District Association
Downtown Sacramento Partnership
Downtown San Diego Partnership
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
Downtown Vacaville BID
Downtown Ventura Partners
Downtown Visalians, Inc.
Figueroa Corridor Partnership
Gilroy Economic Development
Greater Broadway District
Hollywood Property Owners Alliance
Kono CBD
LA Downtown Industrial District BID
LA Fashion District BID
Morgan Hill Downtown Association
NBS
Old Monterey Business Association
Old Pasadena Management District 
Placerville Downtown Association
Playhouse Village Association
Progressive Urban Management Associates, Inc.
R Street Sacramento Partnership
Riverside Downtown Partnership
San Jose Downtown Association
South Park BID
Telegraph BID
The Unity Council
Tracy City Center Association
Tulare Downtown Association
Union Square BID
Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association
Westwood Village Improvement Association 
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MESSAGE FROM CDA AND IDA
If you joined CDA and IDA last month for the first in a series of DEI Summits to be convened in 2021, we hope you were inspired by the content presented by our expert facilitators Jackie St. Louis with D-Fine Concepts Consulting and Ishmael Nuñez with BDS Planning and Urban Design both out of Seattle, Washington, and Maureen Benson with Cultivating Intersectional Leadership, out of Oakland, California. If you missed the event, we are including a link below to watch the recorded portions of the presentation. 
The work we started to explore on April 29th is important to each and every CDA member, both personally and professionally, and to the communities we serve. The core purpose of the California Downtown Association is to collectively lead and empower urban places to attract investment, promote culture, and offer opportunities for growth to all. We value diverse, inclusive places, and organizations that allow all to prosper, and this critical work will help us begin to bring this vision for a better future to fruition.

During April's kickoff DEI Summit, Jackie's powerful presentation on the historical background of race and place in American history set the context for the excellent insights and perspectives on the intersection of racial equity and placemaking provided by Ishmael drawn from his experience as an urban planner. Maureen helped model the cyclical and deeply personal nature of anti-racist work. Three key takeaways from the summit were:

  1. Wherever you are in the journey is where you are supposed to be.
  2. It's OK to be vulnerable and not have all the answers.
  3. Move at the speed of trust.

Be sure to mark your calendars to attend the second DEI Summit this July as we continue this important work. More information will be coming next month.

  • Watch the April 29th DEI Summit recording on IDA’s YouTube channel.
  • Download the combined slide deck from panelists here.
  • Explore the California Downtown Association Core Values on the CDA website.

In Community,
 
Steve Snider, CDA President
Executive Director
Downtown Oakland Association


David Downey, CAE, ASSOC. AIA
President & CEO
International Downtown Association (IDA)
PARTICIPATE IN A CDA COMMITTEE
Every day policymakers at the state level make decisions that greatly affect CDA’s members. This year, the CDA board created a committee to focus our legislative priorities and develop positions on legislation covering issues critical to our members. The committee has reviewed more than 80 bills that could affect and/or support the health and revitalization of California’s urban centers, taking a position on nearly 2 dozen bills this legislative cycle. This model for in-depth discussion spurred a new committee launching this month to focus on building a policy framework around a key policy issue affecting every urban center today: homelessness and mental health.
 
As a CDA member, you have an opportunity to get involved too! To participate in the Homelessness & Mental Health Committee, contact John Caner at jcaner@downtownberkeley.com.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE
Governor’s “May Revise” Budget Proposal Provides Major Investments in Homelessness & Housing  

Earlier this month, Governor Newsom presented his 2021-22 “May Revise” – an updated spending plan reflecting new revenue projections based on current year tax revenues, stimulus money and anticipated expenditures. Newsom has spent the last several weeks traveling throughout the state to unveil key features of the new budget proposal which is now a $268 billion plan – reflective of a $75 billion general fund surplus and an additional $25 billion in federal stimulus.

With massive budget surpluses the Governor’s budget makes major investments in homelessness. This budget allocates $12 billion into homeless prevention programs including $7 billion to expand the state’s “Homekey” program which provides grants to local governments to purchase hotels and convert them to supportive and permanent housing.  The budget also invests $1.75 billion for affordable housing projects and $447 million to address homelessness in the state’s higher education system. The budget also allocates $3.5 billion to address families who are experiencing homelessness which supports housing and rental support for families.

In a recently published report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), California’s homeless population grew by nearly 7% to an estimated 161,548 individuals – an increase of over 10,000 from a year ago. Experts believe that number will grow this year given the impacts of job loss during the pandemic.

With the Governor’s “May Revise” budget proposal released, the Legislature will now review key elements of the fiscal plan and recommend adjustments before approval of the state’s spending plan by June 15th.

The full summary of the Governor’s latest budget plan can be found here: http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/budget/2021-22MR/#/BudgetSummary


Jason Bryant 
Bryant Government Affairs
May 2021 Government Affairs Update
IN THE NEWS
High Cost Of Los Angeles Homeless Camp Raises Eyebrows And Questions
NPR
In Los Angeles, city officials grappling with an ongoing homelessness crisis have turned to an idea that for decades was politically unpopular and considered radical: a government-funded tent encampment.

Town Hall Calls for More Density Along El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego Downtown News
A third Boulevard Business Improvement Association town hall was held on Thursday, April 8 to discuss improvements to the central hub on El Cajon Boulevard between ...

San Carlos Continues Street Closure Program
The Daily Journal
Despite community concerns for public safety during the pandemic, the San Carlos Street Closure Program will continue into the fall with council members calling on each other to...

Eliminate Parking Requirements: Housing People is More Important Than Housing Cars
LA Times
With California deep in a housing crisis that is degrading the state’s quality of life, it’s time to prioritize housing people over housing cars..

Safe Ground Homeless Camps Will Test Sacramento’s Humanity. Are we ready for this gut check?
The Sacramento Bee
This summer will be the ultimate gut check for Sacramento and whether this city is capable of doing anything meaningful to reverse the tide of the homelessness crisis.
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CDA District Digest Copyright 2021
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