New Housing Program Details

The State of California's 2000-01 budget and various pieces of legislation created several new programs and expanded some existing housing programs under the Department of Housing and Community Development.

They new programs include:

o Jobs-Housing Balance Improvement Program. $110 million. Covers three areas:

— Economic development grants to local agencies in "housing rich" areas to attract new businesses and jobs.

— Incentive grants to cities and counties that adopt HCD-approved housing elements by the end of 2001. Grants are based on a jurisdiction's increase in the issuance of residential building permits during 2001 compared to the average of the previous three years, and on approval of multi-family housing, transit-oriented development and infill projects. The money can fund capital projects such as roads, parks, schools, community centers, and police and fire stations.

— Urban predevelopment loans to local governments and nonprofit corporations for financing initial costs of constructing, converting, preserving or rehabilitating housing developments near transit stations.

o Inter-Regional Partnership (IRP) grants. $5 million. A pilot program that provides funding for certain cities, counties and councils of government in the East Bay and Central Valley to development plans, policies and incentives to improve the jobs-housing balance in a five-county region. (Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.) The money is available only for two or more agencies working together, or for a county working with the state.

o CalHOME Program. $50 million. Provides grants to local public agencies and nonprofit corporations for first-time homebuyer downpayment assistance, property acquisition and rehabilitation, and self-help mortgage assistance. Loans can also serve as permanent financing for mutual housing and cooperative developments.

o Downtown Rebound Program. $25 million. Provides low-cost loans to local public entities, for-profit and nonprofit corporations, and housing cooperatives. The money is available for conversion of vacant or underused commercial and industrial space into housing, with 20% to 40% of units reserved as affordable. Money is also available for residential infill projects, high-density housing near transit stations and other forms of downtown housing development.

o Downtown Rebound Planning Grants program. $2.5 million. Provides grants to cities and counties for planning and technical assistance related to infill housing, mixed-use developments, and transit corridor developments. Cities and counties may use the money to update zoning ordinances and general plans.

The expanded programs include:

o Multi-family housing assistance program. $188 million. Provides low-cost, deferred-payment loans to local public entities, for-profit and nonprofit corporations, and housing cooperatives for construction, rehabilitation or acquisition of, or conversion to, multi-family rental housing. Costs of developing support facilities, such as child care centers, are also eligible. This is the program's second year.

o Farmworker Housing Grant Program. $46.5 million. Provides grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations for any construction-related cost in the development of homeowner or rental housing for agricultural workers. The program also has a manufacturing housing component, offers assistance to people displaced by unsafe conditions, and funds developments that provide health services for residents.

o Mobilehome Park Resident Ownership Program. $9 million. Provides loans to local public agencies, nonprofits and resident organizations to purchase mobilehome parks and for other efforts to preserve affordable mobilehome parks.

o Emergency Housing Assistant Program. $39 million. Provides grants to local governments and nonprofits to construct rehabilitate and renovate homeless shelters. Also funds equipment purchases and voucher programs.

o Child Care Facilities Finance Program. $16 million. Provides loans and loan guarantees for child care operators and local public agencies to develop, expand or improve child care facilities.