Senator Wiener’s Statement on the Passage of Senate Bill 2 to Provide Significant New Affordable Housing Funding

July 6, 2017

Sacramento –  Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) offered the following statement on the passage of Senate Bill 2, which authorizes a fee on real estate transfers that will be used  to fund affordable housing. Senator Wiener is a co-author of SB 2, along with lead author Senator Toni Atkins (D-San Diego). SB 2 now heads to the Assembly for consideration.

“California is being strangled by our housing shortage, and we need solutions to both fund the construction of more affordable housing and improve the process for creating housing throughout our state. As a co-author of SB 2, I’m proud that the Senate today passed a measure that will bring more funding to build the affordable housing we so badly need in California. I want to recognize the leadership and tenacity of Senator Atkins, who has put in years of work to move this incredibly important proposal forward. By pairing funding measures like SB 2 with housing process reform bills like SB 35, which will streamline the production of both affordable housing and market-rate housing, we can make a real difference in our housing crisis. Whether it’s increasing housing subsidies or reducing barriers to creating housing, we need to improve how we build in our state, particularly for the people who are getting evicted and displaced far from their communities and their jobs. The lack of housing harms our environment, our economy, our health, and our quality of life. I am committed to working to pass legislation that will set California back on a path where we are actually building housing for our residents, not ignoring the problem in hopes that it will just go away.”

 

Senate Bill 2 Details

Senator Atkins’ SB 2 would create a new, reliable source of funding for affordable homes through a modest recording fee on certain types of real-estate documents, excluding sales of residential and commercial property. The fee will generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually. SB 2 passed the Senate by a vote of 27-12 and now heads to the Assembly.  Link to SB 2

 

Senate Bill 35 Details

Senator Wiener’s SB 35 would create a streamlined approval process for housing in cities that are not meeting their housing goals required by the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). This streamlining will expedite the construction of critically needed housing. SB 35 was approved by the Assembly Local Government Committee last week by a vote of 7-2, with support from both Democrats and Republicans. SB 35 will be heard in the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development on July 12th. SB 35 passed the State Senate by a vote of 25-12 last month. Link to SB 35.