Sacramento, CA – Senator Aisha Wahab in 2023 authored the Stable Affordable Housing Act of 2023 (SB 555), which was signed into law last October. It is currently in its implementation phase with the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
She applauded the introduction of the Homes Act of 2024 (HR 9662) which she said contains all the elements of her 2023 law.
“The Stable Affordable Housing Act of 2023 was the first in the nation law to call on the state to actively engage in the rehabilitation, construction, and maintenance of permanently affordable housing,” said Dr. Wahab. “For far too long we have relied too heavily on private interests to ensure our most vulnerable community members are in housing they can afford. That reliance led to increases in homelessness across our state and nation, as well as a growing socio-economic divide that is destroying our middle-class. With the introduction of the Homes Act of 2024, it is clear California is leading the way on how the government can play a more active role in the ongoing housing and homelessness crises.”
The core of the Stable Affordable Housing Act of 2023 is the inclusion of both newly-constructed units and rehabilitated units, and the definition of social housing, which includes:
- Ownership and management of housing units by a public agency or one of the specified types of organizations.
- Developments that accommodate a mix of household income ranges, especially extremely low, very low, low-, and moderate-income households.
- Basic protections for residents against termination without just cause or any other discriminatory, retaliatory, or other arbitrary reason.
- Housing units that are protected for the duration of their useful life, and permanent protection for the land associated with the housing units.
- The right for residents to participate directly in the decision-making of the operation and management of the units in which they reside
