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CalHFA outlines state bills, budget timing and federal housing package to board
Summary
CalHFA staff briefed the board on state budget timing and bills that name the agency (including AB 2074, AB 2166, AB 2185 and AB 2581), plus a federal housing package and proposals affecting HOME, Section 8 and preservation; directors discussed production vs. demand‑side approaches and bond capacity concerns.
Mehgie Tabar, CalHFA’s director for legislative affairs, told the board that the governor’s May revise and the legislature’s budget process will shape whether proposed housing initiatives reach law. Tabar flagged several bills that explicitly name CalHFA: AB 2074 (Assemblymember Haney), which would create a revolving loan fund to support high‑rise development near transit hubs; AB 2166 and AB 2185, which focus on factory‑built and factory‑enabled housing and would explore CalHFA credit backstops or updated regulatory guidance; and AB 2581, which would direct CalHFA to identify strategies to move tenants in affordable multifamily units toward homeownership.
Tabar also summarized federal activity: the consolidated housing package (the 21st Century Road to Housing Act) had passed both chambers in principle and could move to conference; it contains provisions on HOME program reforms, preservation and rural rental housing, and potential limits on institutional investors that could affect the housing finance ecosystem.
Board discussion focused on production vs. demand: several directors urged greater emphasis on supply‑side initiatives (new for‑sale starter homes and incentives for innovative construction) to complement CalHFA’s demand‑side programs such as Dream For All. Directors also raised the state’s debt capacity constraints and the timing of housing bond proposals that must reach the ballot. Tabar said CalHFA will continue to provide technical assistance to bill authors and monitor changes as bills move through committees.
What to watch: AB 2074’s definition of “high‑rise” (discussed informally by board members as likely involving buildings of 10+ stories or minimum heights tied to population thresholds) and the fate of the state housing bond; the board requested updates as bills move through the second house and as the May revise is released.
