Strategic Growth Council Approves $122 million in Affordable, Transit-Friendly Housing Grants and Loans
First Round of Shovel Ready, Transformative Investment Projects to Combat Climate Change
SACRAMENTO – July 8, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The California Strategic Growth Council today unanimously approved $121.9 million in competitive grants and loans to 28 housing and transit-friendly infrastructure projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change.
Today’s awards are part of the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, which is being implemented by the Department of Housing and Community Development in coordination with the Strategic Growth Council and California Air Resources Board. California Climate Investments are programs funded by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund using proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade auctions.
“These projects represent a unique opportunity to make sure Californians of diverse income levels have access to more livable, affordable communities and quality public transit – all as a means to reduce carbon pollution and fight climate change,” said California Secretary for Environmental Protection Matthew Rodriquez.
“California leads the nation in developing innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gases. The Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program will fund projects all over the state by supporting compact development along transit corridors. More importantly, it is recommended that 77 percent of this year’s funds be used to benefit disadvantaged communities,” said California Business Consumer Services and Housing Secretary Anna Caballero.
Ken Alex, Strategic Growth Council Chairman, said, “Today the Strategic Growth Council has approved funding across multiple regions of the state that help provide housing, improve transportation and transportation options, benefit disadvantaged communities, and most importantly, reduce greenhouse gas emissions while promoting a broad array of worthwhile projects.”
These grants and loans help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by supporting more compact, infill development patterns, encouraging active transportation and transit usage, and protecting agricultural land from sprawl development. This year’s 28 recommended projects leverage nearly six to one in matching funds and will reduce an estimated 723,286 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions—the equivalent to taking 140,483 cars off the road for one year.
“California’s investments are helping bolster innovative and sustainable transportation to limit greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change,” said California State Transportation Agency Secretary Brian Kelly. “This year’s cap and trade investments help increase access to housing that is close to reliable public transportation, a smart investment that improves overall quality of life in California.”
“This slate of grants recognizes the important role of California’s farmers and ranchers as partners in our state’s efforts to adapt to climate change and its effects, including drought,” said California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. “Preserving our agricultural lands for future generations is an important step toward making our communities more sustainable.”
Fifty-two percent of the recommended projects include transit-oriented developments, which include both housing and transportation capital improvements and at least one transit station or stop served by high-quality transit. More than $31 million in funding, or approximately 25 percent, supports bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, transit station area improvements, transit service and other connectivity between housing and communities.
The selected projects represent dozens of diverse communities from all over the state of California. Seventy-seven percent of this year’s recommended grants benefit disadvantaged communities. By law, at least 50 percent of funding must be dedicated to affordable housing and benefit disadvantaged communities. In addition, these recommended projects will support the development of more than 2,000 affordable housing units to support a range of incomes and populations across the state.
California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley said, “Reducing greenhouse gases is critically important to the individual health of all Californians. With rates of asthma and other respiratory complications on the rise, the projects funded today are a down payment toward incorporating a “health in all policies” approach at all levels of government.”
The 28 projects are part of a larger statewide commitment to investing in sustainable communities and public transportation. Along with the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities Program, SGC in conjunction with the California Natural Resources Agency, also awarded $4.6 million in awards to the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation program.
Resources Agency Secretary, John Laird said, “This modest $4.6 million investment in protecting California agricultural lands has been highly leveraged, and will bring over 15,000 acres under permanent protection. This keeps important farmland in production, while helping to manage growth within discrete boundaries.”
In 2014, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed the Budget Act of 2014, which appropriated $832 million in cap-and-trade auction proceeds to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen communities, and improve quality-of-life. Under this program, Caltrans will soon announce approximately $24 million in low-carbon transportation grants to transit operators across California while the California State Transportation Agency announces $224 million in grants for the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program.
A complete list of selected projects can be found at:
http://www.sgc.ca.gov/docs/Attachment_A_AHSC_Award_Recommendations_FINAL.pdf.
For more information on California’s Climate Investments visit:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/auctionproceeds/ggrfprogrampage.htm.
The Strategic Growth Council (the Council, or SGC) was created in 2008 by Senate Bill 732 (Steinberg). The SGC brings together agencies and departments within the Business, Consumer Services and Housing; Transportation; Natural Resources; Health and Human Services; Food and Agriculture; and Environmental Protection Agencies, with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and three public members to coordinate activities that support sustainable communities emphasizing strong economies, social equity and environmental stewardship.
More information on the SGC can be found at www.sgc.ca.gov. More information on the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program can be found here.
http://www.sgc.ca.gov/s_ahscprogram.php
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Contact: Mike McCoy, SGC Executive Director
(916) 324-6665; mike.mccoy (at) sgc.ca (dot) gov
