Bo Tefu | California Black Media
OAKLAND — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 179 on July 13, the state’s new housing budget trailer bill designed to reduce regulatory barriers, modernize California’s affordable housing financing system, and lower the cost of building an affordable housing unit by as much as $70,000.
The legislation builds on the governor’s housing and homelessness agenda, which his administration says has expanded housing production and contributed to the largest reduction in unsheltered homelessness in more than 15 years.
Newsom signed the measure in Oakland, highlighting the city’s efforts to accelerate affordable housing development through streamlined permitting, expanded financing opportunities, and policies aimed at reducing delays in construction.
The governor also recognized the contributions of the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, and California Department of Housing and Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez for their work advancing affordable housing initiatives.
The new law is intended to help affordable housing projects move from planning to construction more quickly by simplifying state requirements and reducing development costs, part of California’s broader strategy to increase the housing supply and address the state’s ongoing affordability and homelessness challenges.
