Housing California

HOUSING CALIFORNIA BRINGS TOGETHER A DIVERSE, MULTI-SECTOR NETWORK TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS, INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF SAFE, STABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS, AND REVERSE THE LEGACY OF RACIAL AND ECONOMIC INJUSTICE BY BUILDING POWER AMONG THE PEOPLE MOST IMPACTED BY HOUSING INJUSTICE, SHAPING THE NARRATIVE, AND ADVOCATING FOR STATEWIDE POLICY SOLUTIONS.

CHANGING POLICYHOUSING CALIFORNIA USES ITS RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS TO ADVANCE POLICY RELATING TO CREATING A CALIFORNIA WITH HOMES, HEALTH, AND WEALTH FOR ALL IN THRIVING, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES BY FOCUSING ON THREE AREAS: CHANGING POLICY, SHIFTING AND BUILDING POWER, AND SHAPING THE NARRATIVE.THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUALLY SEEKS WAYS TO ADDRESS THE STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS DRIVING HIGH HOUSING COSTS IN CALIFORNIA THROUGH: TAX POLICY; LOCAL CONTROL; TENANT PROTECTIONS AND DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES. AS THE FOREMOST STATEWIDE VOICE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS AND RELATED ISSUES, HOUSING CALIFORNIA BUILDS ON ITS EXPERTISE BY CONNECTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO OTHER ISSUES SUCH AS: CLIMATE CHANGE; HEALTHCARE; AND INCARCERATION. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CALIFORNIA HOUSING PARTNERSHIP (CHP) AND THE CALIFORNIA BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER, SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED THE CALIFORNIA ROADMAP HOME 2030 INITIATIVE WHICH INCLUDES: A TEN-YEAR STRATEGIC VISION; FOUR GOALS; A FIVE-PRONGED TRANSFORMATIONAL, EQUITY-CENTERED FRAMEWORK; AND A COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE OF FIFTY-SEVEN EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS DESIGNED TO CREATE SYSTEM CHANGES AND STRUCTURAL REFORMS ESSENTIAL TO REALIZE THE CALIFORNIA DREAM WITH HOMES, HEALTH, AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL IN THRIVING, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING 2021 ON THE ROADMAP INCLUDED:THE ROADMAP HOME WAS LAUNCHED IN MARCH 2021 AND REPRESENTS THE PRIORITIES AND COMMITMENT OF MORE THAN FORTY MULTI-SECTOR PARTNERS AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH A PROVEN RECORD OF CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FIGHTING HOMELESSNESS, AND ADVANCING TENANTS RIGHTS, ALL ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A RACIAL JUSTICE LENS.BY THE CLOSE OF 2021, HOUSING CALIFORNIA HAD OVER 13,500 DIGITAL FOLLOWERS AND SUPPORTERS, AS WELL AS PUBLIC ENDORSEMENTS FROM FORTY-FIVE MISSION-ALIGNED ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS CALIFORNIA. IN YEAR ONE OF THE ROADMAP HOME, MORE THAN TWENTY ROADMAP HOME-ENDORSED BILLS PROGRESSED TO THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE'S FLOOR, OF WHICH SEVEN WERE PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE, AND FOUR OF THOSE WERE SIGNED INTO LAW. THE ROADMAP HOME COALITION ALSO ADVOCATED TIRELESSLY FOR SUBSTANTIAL STATE BUDGET INVESTMENTS IN HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, WHICH HELPED SET THE TABLE AND AMPLIFY PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S HISTORIC $12 BILLION INVESTMENT PACKAGE. AT ITS CORE, THE ROADMAP HOME IS A TEN-YEAR PLAN TO CREATE 1.2 MILLION NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR LOW-INCOME CALIFORNIANS, PROTECT ONE MILLION LOW-INCOME RENTER HOUSEHOLDS FROM LOSING THEIR HOMES, END HOMELESSNESS FOR THE MORE THAN 160,000 CALIFORNIANS WHO ARE UNHOUSED EVERY NIGHT AND ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY IN HOUSING. HOUSING CALIFORNIA AS DEVELOPED CLEAR, MEASURABLE GOALS AND A UNIFIED MISSION: HOMES, HEALTH, AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL CALIFORNIANS IN THRIVING, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES. OTHER POLICY ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDED:ADVOCATED FOR, AND WON, A HISTORIC $12 BILLION IN THE 2020-2021 STATE BUDGET, DEDICATED TO COMBATING HOMELESSNESS AND PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING RESOURCES. AS PART OF THIS INVESTMENT, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, CALIFORNIA COMMITTED MULTI-YEAR FUNDING ($2 BILLION OVER TWO-YEARS) TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, WITH THE FIRST EVER COMMITMENT OF INTENT TO FUND THAT PROGRAM IN A SUSTAINABLE MANNER. HOUSING CALIFORNIA'S ADVOCACY ALSO HELPED SECURE AN EXPANSION OF THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT BY $500 MILLION, AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR HOMEKEY AND $1.75 BILLION TO ADDRESS THE STATE'S BACKLOG OF PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT.SPONSORED SIX BILLS, SUPPORTED TWENTY-SIX BILLS, AND OPPOSED TWELVE BILLS DURING THE 2021 LEGISLATIVE CYCLE. WHILE THE STATE DID NOT FULLY ADOPT HOUSING CALIFORNIA'S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, SEVERAL BILLS WERE SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS, ADVANCE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IMPROVE STATEWIDE AND LOCAL SYSTEMS, AND INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENFORCEMENT OF LAND USE LAWS AND PRACTICES AND AUGMENT ACCOUNTABILITY BY CLOSING LOOPHOLES.STRENGTHENED RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND DEPUTY SECRETARIES ON HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS TO CURATE TOP-LEVEL STRATEGIC THINKING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ESPECIALLY IN THE COVID-19 ERA. HOUSING CALIFORNIA LEADERSHIP ALSO HELD REGULAR STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONS WITH KEY LEADERS FROM THE BUSINESS, CONSUMER SERVICES AND HOUSING AGENCY, THE HOMELESS COORDINATING AND FINANCING COUNCIL (HCFC), DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (HCD), AND CALIFORNIA HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY. THESE RELATIONSHIPS HAVE POSITIONED HOUSING CALIFORNIA AS A TRUSTED ADVISOR, HELPING TO SHAPE ONGOING POLICY WORK AND EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF, THEIR EXISTING AND EMERGING PROGRAMS.IN MARCH 2021, THE HCFC VOTED TO APPROVE THE FIRST-EVER ACTION PLAN FOR PREVENTING AND ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN CALIFORNIA. HOUSING CALIFORNIA WORKED CLOSELY WITH HCFC LEADERSHIP TO DEVELOP THE PLAN TO ENSURE ALIGNMENT WITH THE ROADMAP VIA MONTHLY MEETINGS WITH HCFC AS WELL AS PARTICIPATING IN STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS AND ONGOING REVIEW OF THE PLAN AS IT WAS DEVELOPED.PROVIDED COMMENTS TO HCD REGARDING THE DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING PROGRAM.ADVOCATED FOR CHANGES TO THE HOMELESS HOUSING, ASSISTANCE, AND PREVENTION PROGRAM TO HELP ENSURE IT IS IMPLEMENTED IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES. ADVOCATED FOR PROJECT ROOMKEY/HOMEKEY AND WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TO MAKE THEM A REALITY.HIRED JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (JEDI) CONSULTANTS TO ADVANCE AN ANTI-RACIST/JEDI INITIATIVE IN 2021.ALTHOUGH NOT A PRIMARY AREA OF FOCUS, HOUSING CALIFORNIA SUPPORTED THE POLICY AGENDA OF THE NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION AND THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND SIGN-ON LETTERS TO ENSURE THAT THE NEEDS OF LOW INCOME CALIFORNIANS WERE HEARD AS FEDERAL POLICIES SUCH AS THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT AND BUILD BACK BETTER ACT WERE DEVELOPED.

SHIFTING AND BUILDING POWERHOUSING CALIFORNIA BUILDS POWER THROUGH MULTI-SECTOR COALITIONS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING NETWORKS AND BELIEVES THAT MANY OF THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDING AND POLICY CHANGE LIE AT THE INTERSECTION OF HOUSING AND OTHER SOCIAL ISSUES, INCLUDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE, HEALTH CARE, CLIMATE CHANGE, TRANSPORTATION, EDUCATION AND CHILD WELFARE. THE ORGANIZATION WORKS DILIGENTLY TO BRING NON-HOUSING GROUPS INTO ITS WORK, EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE ROLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS PLAYS AS AN AID OR HINDRANCE FOR THE GOALS THEY ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE, AND ENGAGE THEM AS HOUSING JUSTICE ADVOCATES. HOUSING CALIFORNIA ALSO BELIEVES THAT BY DEVELOPING RESIDENT LEADERS WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN EXCLUDED FROM DECISION-MAKING TABLES, PROVIDING A MUTUAL AND RESPECTFUL SPACE FOR ACTION, AND UNITING RESIDENT LEADERS WITH NON-PROFIT HOUSING DEVELOPERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, A POWERFUL AND INFLUENTIAL FORCE CAN BE CREATED FOR HOUSING JUSTICE IN CALIFORNIA. THE ORGANIZATION PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN UNITING NON-TRADITIONAL PARTNERS AND RESIDENT LEADERS THROUGH COALITIONS AND NETWORKS WHICH LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND IDENTIFY ACTIONS TO HEAL HISTORICALLY BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS AND COLLECTIVELY ADVANCE BROADER SOCIAL EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING POVERTY, CLIMATE CHANGE, HEALTH, DISPLACEMENT, HOMELESSNESS AND INCARCERATION. ACTIVITIES DURING 2021 INCLUDED:HOUSING CALIFORNIA SERVES AS THE CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE PARTNER ON THE NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION'S FEDERAL HOUSED CAMPAIGN. IN THIS ROLE, HOUSING CALIFORNIA COLLABORATED WITH PARTNERS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA TO ADVANCE ANTI-RACIST POLICIES AND ACHIEVE THE LARGE-SCALE, SUSTAINED INVESTMENTS AND REFORMS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT RENTERS WITH THE LOWEST INCOMES HAVE AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO CALL HOME, AND TO PRESS THE MESSAGE THAT HOUSING IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A ROBUST ECONOMIC RECOVERY.SERVED ON THE GOVERNOR'S COMMUNITY VACCINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS THE ONLY MEMBER WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ADVOCATE FOR EQUITABLE INCLUSION OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING INSTABILITY AS PART OF AN EIGHTY-MEMBER TASK FORCE. AS A RESULT OF OUR ADVOCACY, THE GUIDELINES PRIORITIZED PEOPLE LIVING IN CONGREGANT SETTINGS, PEOPLE LIVING UNSHELTERED AND STAFF LIVING AND WORKING IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE PRIORITY LIST FOR THE COVID-19 VACCINE ROLLOUT.BROUGHT TOGETHER 1,200-PLUS MULTI-SECTOR LEADERS DURING HOUSING CALIFORNIA'S VIRTUAL UNCONFERENCE TO EXPLORE HOW AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS AND MULTI-SECTOR LEADERS MAY COME TOGETHER TO RE-IMAGINE THE CALIFORNIA DREAM AND CREATE A STATE WITH HOMES, HEALTH, AND WEALTH FOR ALL IN THRIVING, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES. SPEAKERS INCLUDED PROMINENT STATE AND NATIONAL LEADERS AND THINKERS. HOUSING CALIFORNIA ALSO INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY BY INCLUDING SPANISH AND ASL INTERPRETATION AS WELL AS CLOSED CAPTIONING.UNITED NON-TRADITIONAL PARTNERS THROUGH COALITIONS AND NETWORKS TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND IDENTIFY ACTIONS TO HEAL HISTORICALLY BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS AND COLLECTIVELY ADVANCE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS SOLUTIONS AS WELL AS BROADER SOCIAL EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING POVERTY, CLIMATE CHANGE, HEALTH, DISPLACEMENT, HOMELESSNESS, AND INCARCERATION.RUN MEMBERS SERVED AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE ADVOCACY ON TWO PRIORITY BILLS (AB 71, AB 328). HOUSING CALIFORNIA AND RUN HELD MASSIVELY SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL LOBBY DAYS WHERE 120 LEADERS FROM ACROSS CALIFORNIA PARTICIPATED IN MORE THAN SEVENTY VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS. RESIDENT LEADERS ALSO TESTIFIED EN MASSE AT HEARINGS AND CONTACTED LEGISLATORS THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, RUN HELD TEN REGIONAL CONVENINGS, BETTER KNOWN AS THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW, WHERE RUN LEADERS SHARED A RECORD-BREAKING NUMBER OF IDEAS FOR STATE LAWS THAT WOULD ADVANCE HOUSING JUSTICE. DURING COMMUNITY CARE CALLS, LEADERS NARROWED THE LIST TO THIRTEEN IDEAS THAT TURNED INTO A SURVEY. THEN, AT THE ANNUAL SUMMIT IN NOVEMBER, SIXTY-THREE OF RUNS MOST ENGAGED LEADERS DECIDED ON FOUR OF THOSE IDEAS TO SUPPORT IN 2022. INCREASED THE CAPACITY OF SIX REGIONAL PARTNERS TO SUPPORT AND SUSTAIN RUN INFRASTRUCTURE AND BUILD GREATER RESIDENT POWER IN STATE POLICYMAKING BY PROVIDING SIGNIFICANT PASS-THROUGH FUNDS, ENCOURAGING INCREASED COORDINATION, AND PROVIDING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.

SHAPING THE NARRATIVEHOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS ARE TREMENDOUSLY COMPLEX TOPICS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CRAFT A COMPREHENSIVE MESSAGE. HOUSING CALIFORNIA MUST FIRST SHIFT CALIFORNIA'S HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS DOMINANT NARRATIVE FROM A PROBLEM-FOCUSED, INDIVIDUAL BLAME FRAME TO A SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED, SOCIETAL CHANGE FRAME IN ORDER TO ADVOCATE MORE EFFECTIVELY FOR BOLD SYSTEMS CHANGE SOLUTIONS THAT CREATE HOMES, HEALTH, AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL. HOUSING CALIFORNIA MUST CONVEY THE VARIOUS WAYS THAT HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS POLICY CAN DELIVER TANGIBLE PUBLIC BENEFITS, THEREBY INCREASING PUBLIC DEMAND FOR CHANGE IN ORDER TO ADVOCATE MORE EFFECTIVELY FOR PROGRESSIVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS POLICY CHANGES.ACTIVITIES DURING 2021 INCLUDED:SECURED TWENTY-FIVE MEDIA PLACEMENTS IN PRINT, RADIO, AND TELEVISION TO ADVANCE AS HOUSING CALIFORNIA'S WORK, THE ROADMAP HOME 2030, AND EXERT NARRATIVE INFLUENCE.COMPLETED A SOFT LAUNCH OF HOUSING CALIFORNIA'S NEW WEBSITE. VISITORS MAY NOW LEARN EASILY AND QUICKLY ABOUT HOUSING CALIFORNIA'S MISSION, EXPLORE POLICY PRIORITIES, CATCH UP ON COALITION EFFORTS AND TAKE ACTION TO ADVANCE GAME-CHANGING INITIATIVES. HOUSING CALIFORNIA COMMUNICATES WITH ITS BASE OF SUPPORTERS VIA EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGING THROUGH WHICH FOLLOWERS SIGNED PETITIONS, CONTACTED ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND EXPRESSED PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR HOUSING CALIFORNIA POLICY PRIORITIES. PRESENTED AT MORE THAN THIRTY-FIVE LOCAL, REGIONAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL CONVENINGS. NOTABLE MOMENTS INCLUDED A ROADMAP HOME PRESENTATION DURING THE NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION'S (NLIHC) HOUSED CAMPAIGN LAUNCH, THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION - CA CHAPTER ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND THE SOUTHERN CA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS HOUSING CONVENING. STAFF ALSO PRESENTED DURING HOUSING CALIFORNIA'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE.COLLABORATED WITH MULTI-SECTOR PARTNERS TO RE-FRAME CALIFORNIA'S HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CHALLENGES, MAKING THE CASE FOR EVIDENCE-BASED POLICIES PROVIDING A LONG-TERM APPROACH WITH SHORT TERM BENCHMARKS. THE NEW HOUSING NARRATIVE FOCUSES ON PEOPLE AND ADVANCES EQUITY-CENTERED SOLUTIONS ADVOCATING FOR SYSTEMIC REFORMS TO ELIMINATE ARTIFICIAL BARRIERS TO PROSPERITY WHICH DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. THE ORGANIZATION'S PRIMARY MEANS OF COMMUNICATION INCLUDE ITS WEBSITE WWW.HOUSINGCA.ORG, NEWSLETTER (9,476 SUBSCRIBERS), FACEBOOK (3,562 FOLLOWERS), AND TWITTER (6,714 FOLLOWERS). ROADMAP HOME 2030: NEWSLETTER (3,783 SUBSCRIBERS), FACEBOOK (5,700 FOLLOWERS), TWITTER (7,370 FOLLOWERS).DURING THE YEAR, HOUSING CALIFORNIA CONDUCTED AN ASSESSMENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF THE BOARD'S EXPERTISE, ACCESS TO RESOURCES, CONNECTIONS/RELATIONSHIPS, AND ABILITY TO PROVIDE CAPACITY TO HOUSING CALIFORNIA. DEVELOPED HOUSING CALIFORNIA'S 2022-2024 STRATEGIC PLAN.