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Alameda County committee advances support for housing bond, state water review process and opposes certain federal rule interpretations
Summary
The Personnel Administration and Legislation Committee voted to advance support positions to the full Board for AB736 (a proposed $10 billion Affordable Housing Bond Act), SB417, administrative processing on the Delta Conveyance Project, and to register opposition to a federal interpretation of public-benefit rules and to comment on PSLF rulemaking. Public commenters urged maintaining environmental review for the Delta project.
The Alameda County Personnel Administration and Legislation Committee on Sept. 8 voted to advance several support and opposition positions to the full Board, forwarding county recommendations on state housing and water projects and formal positions on federal public-benefits rule interpretations.
The committee agreed to send a support position on AB736, a proposed $10 billion Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026 (with a companion bill SB417), to the full Board. Supervisor Tam said the county would advance the position to the full Board. “We will advance that to the full Board as our formal Board position,” the Chair said.
The committee also advanced staff requests to support process and administrative streamlining steps related to the Delta Conveyance Project—explicitly not endorsing construction—so county agencies and dependent bodies like Zone 7 can pursue diversification options. A District 4 public commenter told the committee the Tri Valley depends on state project water and urged diversification beyond the State Water Project. “The Delta Conveyance Project is a $20,000,000,000 distraction that won't deliver anything until 2045,” the commenter said, urging Zone 7 to secure local supplies.
Another public commenter, Allison Monroe, urged the committee not to endorse removing or reducing environmental review. “Environmental scrutiny is what this project needs,” Monroe said.
On federal matters, the committee advanced a request from Alameda County Health to register opposition to an interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 that staff said could limit eligibility for federal public benefits and impede county delivery of homeless services and some CDBG funding. Jessica Blakemore, interim policy director with Alameda County Health, told the committee the county had already submitted a comment letter on the federal public-benefit interpretation and that implementation is currently on hold pending litigation and guidance.
The committee also noted the comment period for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness proposed rule ends Sept. 17 and agreed to register the county’s concerns.
Why it matters: Committee members cited the potential for these actions to shape local housing finance, water-supply planning and the county’s ability to administer benefits. Supervisor Fortinado Bass asked what CalFresh and other program impacts might mean for county administration; Hannah Hamilton, policy director with the Social Services Agency, said the statewide request came through the California Welfare Directors Association and that county-level funding flow and specifics were not yet determined.
What’s next: The committee advanced the positions to the full Board for formal adoption. County staff said they will continue to monitor litigation and federal rulemaking timelines and report back to supervisors.
