There’s a lot going on now that everyone is back from vacation! AARP needs your help to influence our State Senators and Assembly Members. Please ask them: “Can AARP California count on your AYE votes for these bills?”
California Housing Bills
SB 9 and SB 10: The California Housing Opportunity & More Efficiency (HOME) Act
- People of all ages and ability levels need safe, decent, and affordable housing that will enable them to continue to live safely in their homes and communities as they get older – but, unfortunately, this is not a reality for many Californians.
- For many older adults, the current housing crisis in California is an extreme burden. Research from UCLA found that 78 percent of low-income older adults in California are “rent-burdened,” meaning they spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing – and more than 55 percent of low-income older adults spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing.
- California cannot afford to have another year with no housing legislation passed. That is why AARP is fully supporting SB 9 and SB 10.
SB 9 will promote small-scale neighborhood residential development by streamlining the process for a homeowner to create a duplex or subdivide an existing lot in residential areas.
- This bill builds on the successful approach of making accessory dwelling units (ADUs) easier to build, and it expands options for homeowners who wish to be part of the solution in solving California’s housing crisis.
- ADUs provide a variety of benefits for people of all ages and can be adapted for different household types, income levels, employment situations, and stages of life.
SB 10 will authorize local governments to rezone neighborhoods for increased housing density, up to ten homes per parcel. This authorization will require that a legislative body pass a resolution to adopt the plan and exempts that zoning action from being considered a project under the California Environmental Quality Act.
- This bill does not change local height limits, setbacks, objective design standards, historic standards, or demolition restrictions.
- BUT what SB 10 does do is create a critical path to adding modest density to address California’s housing shortage, preserves significant control for local jurisdictions, and makes it faster, less expensive, and less risky for a city to undertake a community process to increase housing density in our communities.
Family and Medical Leave: Family-of-Choice Bill
AB 1041: Employment Leave
AB 1041 allows workers who wish to take time off to care for extended family and those with close-affinity relationships [who are not defined as a family member under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)] to designate the individual they care for.
- The employee can designate one individual a year.
- It would allow for *unpaid* leave of up to 12 weeks a year to care for the designated individual.
- Job protections apply to workers in firms with more than five employees.
There’s a lot going on now that everyone is back from vacation! AARP needs your help to influence our State Senators and Assembly Members. Please ask them: “Can AARP California count on your AYE votes for these bills?”
California Housing Bills
SB 9 and SB 10: The California Housing Opportunity & More Efficiency (HOME) Act
- People of all ages and ability levels need safe, decent, and affordable housing that will enable them to continue to live safely in their homes and communities as they get older – but, unfortunately, this is not a reality for many Californians.
- For many older adults, the current housing crisis in California is an extreme burden. Research from UCLA found that 78 percent of low-income older adults in California are “rent-burdened,” meaning they spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing – and more than 55 percent of low-income older adults spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing.
- California cannot afford to have another year with no housing legislation passed. That is why AARP is fully supporting SB 9 and SB 10.
SB 9 will promote small-scale neighborhood residential development by streamlining the process for a homeowner to create a duplex or subdivide an existing lot in residential areas.
- This bill builds on the successful approach of making accessory dwelling units (ADUs) easier to build, and it expands options for homeowners who wish to be part of the solution in solving California’s housing crisis.
- ADUs provide a variety of benefits for people of all ages and can be adapted for different household types, income levels, employment situations, and stages of life.
SB 10 will authorize local governments to rezone neighborhoods for increased housing density, up to ten homes per parcel. This authorization will require that a legislative body pass a resolution to adopt the plan and exempts that zoning action from being considered a project under the California Environmental Quality Act.
- This bill does not change local height limits, setbacks, objective design standards, historic standards, or demolition restrictions.
- BUT what SB 10 does do is create a critical path to adding modest density to address California’s housing shortage, preserves significant control for local jurisdictions, and makes it faster, less expensive, and less risky for a city to undertake a community process to increase housing density in our communities.
Family and Medical Leave: Family-of-Choice Bill
AB 1041: Employment Leave
AB 1041 allows workers who wish to take time off to care for extended family and those with close-affinity relationships [who are not defined as a family member under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)] to designate the individual they care for.
- The employee can designate one individual a year.
- It would allow for *unpaid* leave of up to 12 weeks a year to care for the designated individual.
- Job protections apply to workers in firms with more than five employees.
Transparency (PROTECT) Plans
As mentioned in the last few Dispatches, AARP supports the transformational package of nursing-home bills called the PROTECT Plans (Prioritize Responsible Ownership, Treatment, Equity, and Corporate Transparency Plans). AARP is fighting to protect nursing-home residents from sickness, isolation, and neglect.
Nursing- Home Transparency Bill
SB 650: Corporate Transparency in Elder Care Act of 2021
AARP is a proud co-sponsor of SB 650.
- The time is now to hold nursing-home operators accountable.
- This bill will create more accountability for California’s 1,227 nursing-home operators via new reporting requirements, including if any funds are going to “related party” businesses they own or control.
- This critical bill is more important than ever, and AARP believes it is one of the most significant nursing home reform bills in 2021.