The Assembly Committee on Local Government voted unanimously this week to approve AB 346, legislation by Assemblymembers Tom Daly (D – Anaheim) and William Brough (R – Dana Point). The bill would provide cities with greater flexibility in the use of housing funds to help the homeless. In a vote last month, the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development also unanimously approved the bill.
AB 346 authorizes redevelopment “successor” agencies to use portions of their existing affordable housing funds for the development of homelessness services, transitional housing, or emergency housing services. The bill also allows a successor agency to transfer up to $1 million to a neighboring jurisdiction to develop regional homeless shelters.
“California cities have fewer financial resources to address a growing range of local housing and homelessness needs,” Daly said. “This bill will provide our communities with an additional tool to help the homeless.”
Brough noted that “the homeless population in Orange County is near 4,500 people, and our cities don’t have the funds to provide adequate services and housing relief. With AB 346, we are simply providing cities with a commonsense solution to best help their communities.”
AB 346 is sponsored by the Association of California Cities — Orange County and is supported by the cities of Garden Grove, Santa Ana and more than a dozen municipalities and local government agencies, along with nonprofit groups. The bill now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
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Assembly Member Daly represents the 69th Assembly District which includes the cities of Santa Ana, Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Orange.
Assemblyman William P. Brough represents the 73rd Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the communities of Aliso Viejo, Coto de Caza, Dana Point, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Las Flores, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, and San Juan Capistrano.
The Association of California Cities – Orange County (ACC-OC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization representing the interests of the 34 cities in Orange County. ACC-OC is committed to protecting local control and revenues while offering a vast array of benefits and resources for city staff and elected representatives. Learn more at www.accoc.org.
Diana Victoria Coronado
Legislative Affairs Director
Association of California Cities – Orange County
