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Statewide Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026 Introduced
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and Senator Christopher Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento) have introduced housing bond legislation in their respective houses—AB 736 (Wicks) and SB 417 (Cabaldon). If passed, $10 billion in general obligation funds will be placed on the 2026 ballot to support the construction, rehabilitation and preservation of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing. The bond is being sponsored by Housing California, an organization that represents affordable housing developers throughout the state.
According to the coalition, at present, the bond bills will:
- Build and preserve over 135,000 affordable homes, including housing for farmworkers and tribal communities.
- Create over 35,000 new homes affordable to very low-income and extremely low-income families while preserving or rehabilitating tens of thousands of additional homes.
- Help over 13,000 families become homeowners, creating generational wealth and stability.
- Create tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, strengthening local economies and supporting California workers.
- CDA will continue to engage with Housing California and other housing stakeholders to ensure that housing development in California’s downtown cores remains a priority in bond discussions as well as other housing legislation.
New Legislation Introduce
As the legislative session kicks into high gear, CDA continues to actively review over two thousand bills that will be introduced by the February 21, 2025 deadline. CDA has elevated a handful of higher-priority bills introduced thus far and is engaged with the authors’ offices on the following:
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Assembly Bill 342 – Haney (D-San Francisco) – Extends the hours that restaurants and bars can sell alcohol until 4 a.m. on select days if the licensee obtains an additional serving hour license. The provisions of the bill are contingent upon local governments enacting ordinances that designate specific areas for additional sales and assess the impacts of the extension.
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Assembly Bill 507 – Haney (D-San Francisco) – Streamlines permitting and approvals and eliminates certain requirements and fees for adaptive reuse projects that meet specific affordability requirements.
Legislators to Join 2025 West Coast Urban Forum
CDA and IDA will be hosting the 2025 West Coast Urban District Forum in San Francisco on March 12–14, 2025. This year’s theme, Building Blocks for Downtown Renaissance, will focus on how place management organizations’ stewardship, programming, arts and culture, innovation and transformation are key to reimagining downtowns.
As part of the program, CDA is excited to have Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Matt Haney from San Francisco join a panel discussion on the critical policies shaping the future of California’s downtowns. The lunchtime Master Talk will explore the intersection of legislation, economic development and urban revitalization, with a focus on housing policy, public safety, workforce development and strategies to support downtown recovery in a post-pandemic world. Both legislators have been strong proponents of vibrant downtowns in California.
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