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Hi John,

The 2026 California legislative session has officially concluded. NPH worked closely with our members, partners, and champions in the Legislature to help launch the new California Housing and Homelessness Agency, secure meaningful investments in state and local housing solutions, and pass our sponsored legislation that addresses challenges and improves systems within affordable housing.

Details on these victories can be found in our full analysis of the legislative session [[link removed]] , while key takeaways from the session are highlighted below.

Read the Wrap-Up [[link removed]]

The Legislative Session at a Glance The final year of the Newsom administration was a generally good year for housing with important specific wins for affordable housing and the Bay Area. Some highlights include:

* The New State Agency Elevates Housing The biggest structural change for housing in a generation took effect on July 1: the new California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA). For the first time, California has a cabinet-level secretary dedicated solely to housing, homelessness, and civil rights. With this new agency and the creation of the Housing Development and Finance Committee (HDFC) underneath it, California will reduce the complexity of affordable housing finance, moving closer to a “one-stop shop” than ever before. We thank Secretary Tomiquia Moss for her leadership and vision for the state’s housing programs.

* NPH-Sponsored Legislation Addresses Affordable Housing Challenges In his likely last round of bill signings as California governor, Governor Newsom signed two NPH-sponsored bills:

* AB 2146 (Stefani) [[link removed]] tasks the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) with a comprehensive statewide study of the coordinated entry system and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing. NPH’s framework, developed with Enterprise Community Partners [[link removed]] in the recent “ Strengthening Coordinated Entry in California [[link removed]] ,” offers a starting point that has been endorsed by more than 30 organizations [[link removed]] . We look forward to supporting Cal ICH’s study with our members’ experience in operating supportive housing. AB 2146 was co-sponsored by NPH and Housing California [[link removed]] . We thank Assemblymember Catherine Stefani for her deep commitment to moving this piece of legislation forward and improving housing access for our most vulnerable community members.

* AB 2020 (Gabriel) [[link removed]] authorizes the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to approve the movement of some funds between properties in the same portfolio. This means an Affordable Housing developer managing multiple properties can use excess reserves from a financially stable building to stabilize a distressed one within the same portfolio, subject to HCD’s approval. In an environment where costs continue to increase, every tool for financial flexibility is valuable in protecting the affordable housing we’ve already created. A previous version of AB 2020 was drafted and sponsored by the California Housing Partnership [[link removed]] and Enterprise Community Partners [[link removed]] in last year’s session. NPH and the California Coalition for Rural Housing [[link removed]] joined as sponsors this year. We thank Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel for his continued leadership and moving this legislation forward to strengthen the sector.

* Defending Laws that Build Affordable Housing NPH again defended the Surplus Land Act (SLA), a law that NPH helped modernize and update in 2019 with AB 1486 (Ting). Through the SLA’s right of first offer for affordable developers when a local jurisdiction is looking to sell unneeded land, NPH members get a necessary advantage in a difficult real estate market like the Bay Area. It’s also working well; HCD's Surplus Land Act dashboard now shows more than 43,000 homes [[link removed]] , including more than 27,000 deed-restricted affordable homes, enabled by the law since 2021. Thanks to NPH’s work with a coalition that includes Public Interest Law Project [[link removed]] , East Bay Housing Organizations [[link removed]] , and San Diego Housing Federation [[link removed]] , the SLA remains well-protected.

* $7 Million to Strengthen the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) During the State budget process, NPH organized a joint letter representing local organizations across the state [[link removed]] requesting funding for California's regional housing finance authorities, including BAHFA. While we were unsuccessful at securing funding in the larger state budget, a round of local earmarks were possible thanks to continuing strong tax revenue. We thank Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, Senator Jesse Arreguín, and Senator Josh Becker for their leadership and their commitment to BAHFA.

Read the Full Analysis [[link removed]]

Thank You to Our Housing Champions NPH is grateful to the elected officials in the Assembly and Senate who have supported housing solutions for their leadership in championing these historic investments. We are also thankful for the support of Governor Gavin Newsom and his administration for investing in affordable housing progress.

Get Involved Stay updated and connected on all the ways we’re working for transformative change in the next legislative session and beyond by joining NPH’s Legislative Working Group [[link removed]] ! (Please note: Working Groups are for NPH members only. Join/renew today. [[link removed]] To confirm your membership status, or for any questions about your membership, please contact Oksana at [email protected] [[email protected]] .)

Onward,

J.T. headshot [[link removed]]

J.T. Harechmak,

NPH Policy Director

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Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California
49 Stevenson Street
Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94104
United States

[email protected] [[email protected]]

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