Alejo's Revitalization Plan Passes Assembly Committee

Contributed by the Office of Luis Alejo:

Assembly Bill 1080 by Assemblymember Luis Alejo, whose district includes Gilroy, to allow certain “disadvantaged” areas of California to create a new entity called a Community Revitalization Investment Authority, passed the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development today with a vote of 5-2 along party lines. 

“Since the dissolution of redevelopment agencies, communities across California are seeking an economic development tool to use,” said Alejo. “This proposal provides a viable option targeting the state’s disadvantaged poorer areas and neighborhoods.”

A Community Revitalization Investment Authority would be able to invest property tax increment of consenting local agencies — other than schools — and combine that with other available funding that may be available.

“In other words, it is an opt-in Authority and schools are barred from participation. The Authority may also be set up by a city, a county, as a JPA, or within a former military base,” said Alejo.

The Authority’s mission would be to improve conditions leading to increased employment opportunities, to reduce high crime rates, to repair deteriorating and inadequate infrastructure, to clean up brownfields and to promote affordable housing.

An Authority must adopt a Community Revitalization and Investment Plan that identifies goals and objectives; describes programs for repair, upgrading or construction of infrastructure; provides affordable housing; and facilitates the economic revitalization of the area.  

Property owners and other interested parties will be full participants in the development of the Plan. The Community Revitalization Investment Authority must hold two public hearings at least 30 days apart before adopting the Plan.

“Redevelopment was a multi-purpose tool that focused over $6 billion per year toward repairing and redeveloping urban cores, and building affordable housing, especially those areas most economically and physically disadvantaged,” said Alejo. “This bill will not fill that gap, but it’s a big step forward to putting people back to work and meeting our affordable housing needs. I know this would be a great tool for my communities to use on the central coast.”