Connecting affordable housing for low-income Californians to Sustainable Communities Strategies is essential for meeting the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals in an equitable way.
Sustainable Communities For All
The California Housing Partnership is a member of the steering committee of the Sustainable Communities For All (SC4A) coalition, which formed in 2012 to ensure that cap-and-trade auction revenue proceeds are invested in alignment with SB 375 to provide low-income Californians with affordable housing and transportation opportunities that protect our climate, grow a strong sustainable economy, and save households money.
Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities
In 2014, SC4A successfully advocated for the creation of the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program, funded through the California Climate Investments. AHSC invests in affordable homes and transit infrastructure developments that improve economic well-being and physical health for underserved Californians while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The California Housing Partnership did ground-breaking research in this area in 2014 that contributed to the creation of the Cap-and-Trade-funded AHSC program and commissioned additional research in 2015 with funding from the Ford Foundation that led to major advances in greenhouse gas methodology in this area.
In 2017, we partnered with TransForm and Enterprise Community Partners to write a Policy Brief analyzing how the AHSC program has met public policy goals, including greenhouse gas emissions reductions, creation of affordable homes for low-income Californians, direct benefits to disadvantaged communities, and economic benefits for communities.