Governors Briefs: Governor Signs Infrastructure Programs Jobs Bill and Long Beach Designated Prohousing Community

SACRAMENTO —  Gov. Gavin Newsom July 10 signed legislation that will enhance California’s job training pipeline, community benefits, and jobs standards in state and federal infrastructure programs. The Governor was joined by the joint authors of Senate Bill (SB) 150: Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), and Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley).  

SB 150 is part of a greater infrastructure streamlining package initiated by Gov. Newsom to address climate change and modernize California’s transportation system. SB 150 will embed workforce and community benefit incentives into state and federal infrastructure programs including the federal Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act or IIJA, the Inflation Reduction Act or IRA, and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors or CHIPS and Science Act. These federal programs, signed into law by the Biden-Harris Administration, will collectively invest approximately $752 billion into roads, bridges and rail systems. The investments will also improve public access to clean drinking water and affordable high-speed internet, and they will support sustainable green industry and semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing.

California Accelerates Housing Production in Five Cities and Counties

SACRAMENTO —  Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced July 14 that Long Beach is one of four other California cities that have been designated as prohousing communities. Through this designation, the jurisdictions are now eligible for funding incentives and additional resources through a state grant program designed to speed housing production. To date, a total of 27 California communities are now designated as prohousing.  

To meet the needs of Californians and address the state’s housing crisis, each local jurisdiction must take accountability to build their share of housing. To tackle this challenge, decades in the making, it will take a concerted effort between state and local leaders in partnership with nonprofits, advocates, and developers to enact Prohousing policies. 

Jurisdictions that earn the prohousing designation have demonstrated a commitment to enacting policies to accelerate housing production. They have shown themselves to be partners with the state in combating the housing crisis. These partners recognize that increasing the availability of housing statewide is critical to bettering the quality of life for all Californians, and to ending homelessness.

Communities that earn this designation receive incentives like additional points or other preferences in the scoring of competitive funding programs administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, giving them an advantage over other jurisdictions.

Details: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/