Earlier this week, NPH and dozens of our coalition partners came together to send a clear and coordinated message to state legislators: California needs more affordable housing and we need it now. A joint advocacy letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and other elected officials calls for an investment of nearly $8 billion in the 2023-24 state budget for housing production and preservation and homelessness solutions, designed to advance housing affordability and economic resilience in California.

What’s Missing: January State Budget Proposal

The above state budget advocacy efforts come after Governor Newsom released his initial state budget proposal in January, which preserves critical investments for the production of rental affordable housing and homelessness response but should also include investments, at scale, to truly address California’s housing shortage and affordability challenges.  

What’s Needed: Investments at Scale

NPH and partners are eager to work with the Newsom Administration and state legislators on collaborative and creative approaches this budget cycle, from exploring new, dedicated revenue sources to providing long-term funding solutions toward affordable housing production and preservation.

Don’t miss these upcoming learning and sharing opportunities:

• Brown Bag: Building Strong Relationships with Cities to Promote Affordable Housing, Thursday, March 2, 12:00PM - 2:00PM PT More often than not, interpersonal relationships make the difference between affordable housing proposals sailing through the entitlement process or dying a painful death of delay. This training will orient housing activists toward productive, collaborative involvement with local policymaking processes.
   
• Resident Services Peer Sharing Call, Friday, March 17, 2022 from 12:00PM-1:00pm PT Join other resident services staff for a session designed to make room for everything– from venting about the challenges you’re facing to brainstorming solutions that improve the lives of your residents.

Want to dig deeper into the affordable housing issues you work on the most? Consider joining one (or all) of our working groups! NPH convenes working groups across a variety of issue areas – such as legislation, communications, racial equity & inclusion, and permanent supportive housing –  to bring together members to take action, develop strategies, and advance solutions.

Upcoming Meeting! Join the Strategic Communications Council for their first convening of the year on Thursday, February 23 from 12:30PM-1:30PM PT, where they’ll be discussing regional coordinated communications efforts for Affordable Housing Month as well as facilitating an interactive peer-led discussion on story-centered and story- gathering strategies.

Want Strategic Communications Tips? Stay up to date on narrative-focused opportunities by joining the Shift the Bay mailing list!

(NPH programs are for members only. Click here to learn more and become a member.)

NPH is currently looking for an experienced California political Campaign Director to lead a two-pronged campaign strategy, a state ballot initiative in 2024 to lower the threshold for local housing bond measures to a simple majority, followed by local measures to take advantage of the lower threshold. Our ideal campaign director has experience with statewide ballot measures, political or electoral campaigns. Affordable housing policy or legislative experience is not required.

2/10, CHCDF: Fiscal Year 23 & Outlook for Fiscal Year 24 Join the Campaign for Housing & Community Development Funding (CHCDF) for a webinar that will cover funding enacted in the FY 2023 budget as well as the funding outlook for FY 2024. Speakers will share ways for advocates to push for the highest possible funding for HUD and USDA affordable housing, community development, and homelessness programs.

2/24, HCD: Housing and Local Land Development Opportunities Map This webinar introduces the Housing and Local Land Development Opportunities Map, a new interactive public map of local government-owned properties and housing element sites to help find land for housing development.