1.0" ?> 20250HR__007699INT 99 INTRODUCED 2026-01-21 REVISED 2026-02-05 2025 0 HR 76 INT Introduced by Assembly Member Schultz (Coauthors: Assembly Members Haney, Harabedian, Jackson, Krell, Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alanis, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Connolly, Davies, Elhawary, Fong, Gabriel, Garcia, Gipson, Mark González, Hart, Hoover, Kalra, Lee, Lowenthal, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Ransom, Rivas, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Schiavo, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Ta, Valencia, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, and Zbur) LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schultz COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Haney COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Harabedian COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jackson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Krell COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Addis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Aguiar-Curry COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ahrens COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alanis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ávila Farías COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bains COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bauer-Kahan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Berman COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Boerner COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bonta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bryan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Calderon COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Caloza COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Carrillo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Connolly COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Davies COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Elhawary COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Fong COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gabriel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Garcia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gipson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Mark González COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hart COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hoover COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Kalra COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lee COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lowenthal COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY McKinnor COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Muratsuchi COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Nguyen COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ortega COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pacheco COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Papan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pellerin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Petrie-Norris COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Quirk-Silva COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ramos COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ransom COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Rivas COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Michelle Rodriguez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Rogers COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Blanca Rubio COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schiavo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Sharp-Collins COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Solache COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Soria COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Stefani COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Valencia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ward COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wicks COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wilson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Zbur Relative to affordable homeownership. affordable homeownership

WHEREAS, Homeownership remains one of the most powerful and proven pathways to economic stability, generational wealth building, and housing security for California families; and

WHEREAS, Access to affordable homeownership for lower income families, particularly through nonprofit-led, equity-building pathways, creates generational wealth and stability otherwise unattainable in California’s housing market, helping to reduce the racial wealth gap and create long-term economic mobility for families historically excluded from ownership opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Affordable homeownership programs, such as those delivered by nonprofit homebuilders in California, provide far more than a housing unit. Those programs offer families the stability of permanent affordability, a deep stake in their communities, and the cycle of growth that equity can provide; and

WHEREAS, Families who become homeowners experience transformative improvements in their children’s educational outcomes, health, and long-term economic mobility, with children of homeowners demonstrating higher graduation rates, improved academic performance, and greater stability; and

WHEREAS, Affordable homeownership via self-help models, such as Habitat for Humanity’s model, ensures long-term affordability through mechanisms like deed restrictions, affordability resale covenants, shared equity, and resale protocols that preserve affordable homeownership for future generations; and

WHEREAS, Community-based building models utilized by many nonprofit homebuilders, such as Habitat for Humanity, strengthen entire neighborhoods by engaging local volunteers, donors, faith communities, businesses, and civic partners, fostering deeper social cohesion and collective investment in long-term neighborhood success; and

WHEREAS, Studies of affordable homebuyers show increased rates of civic participation, including volunteering, voting, and neighborhood leadership, which strengthens California communities and contributes to a healthier democracy; and

WHEREAS, Only 56 percent of California households own their homes, which is well below the national rate of about 66 percent, and deep racial disparities persist, with White households far more likely to own homes than households of color. In California, Latinx households are about one-third less likely and Black households are nearly one-half as likely to be homeowners as White households, disparities that undermine the state’s commitments to racial and economic justice; and

WHEREAS, The homeownership rate in California ranks 49th in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Housing affordability in California has reached crisis levels, with 18 percent of households able to afford the median-priced home in 2024; and

WHEREAS, California has underproduced housing for decades, leading the nation in housing deficit in 2021 with a shortfall of nearly 900,000 units. The lack of housing supply, particularly the shortage of entry-level ownership homes affordable to lower income families, is a root cause of skyrocketing home prices and limited opportunity for first-time buyers; and

WHEREAS, State investment in affordable homeownership, including the CalHome Program, the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program, California Housing Finance Agency first mortgage loan programs, the MyHome Assistance Program, the California Dream for All Program, the Forgivable Equity Builder Loan program, and mortgage credit certificate programs, delivers measurable public benefits, including higher educational achievement for children, improved health outcomes, increased civic participation, community stability, and reduced reliance on government assistance; and

WHEREAS, The CalHome Program, established in 2000, is California’s only state program dedicated to building and preserving affordable homeownership for families earning lower incomes and has supported the new construction and rehabilitation of thousands of homes across urban, rural, and tribal communities throughout the entire state. The program directly produces new affordable ownership units, helping stabilize home prices, expand access to homeownership for lower income households, and create pathways to equity, permanent affordability, and long-term economic mobility; and

WHEREAS, Increasing the supply of housing, including entry-level affordable ownership homes, alleviates pressure on scarce existing stock and improves affordability across the entire housing market, including lowering rental prices; and

WHEREAS, CalHome Program funds are awarded competitively to cities, counties, indigenous communities, and nonprofit builders, including Habitat for Humanity affiliates, which collectively represent one of the state’s primary producers of newly constructed affordable homes for purchase by lower income families and one of the most substantial recipients of the CalHome Program funding; and

WHEREAS, There are significant benefits to California when access to homeownership is prioritized across all areas of state action, including budget allocations, regulatory reforms, permit streamlining, policy, and program administration; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly recognizes the vital and unique role of affordable homeownership in strengthening California’s economic future, promoting racial and economic equity, and building intergenerational stability for working families; and be it further

Resolved, That the Assembly affirms the essential importance of the CalHome Program as the state’s only dedicated mechanism for producing and preserving affordable ownership homes for lower income Californians; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the Governor, the President pro Tempore of the Senate, the Secretary of Business, Consumer Services, and Housing, the Director of Housing and Community Development, the Director of Finance, other appropriate state officials, and to the author for appropriate distribution to underscore the Assembly’s commitment to a comprehensive housing strategy that includes increasing the supply of affordable homes for purchase. REVISIONS: Heading—Lines 2 and 3.