Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, announced two additional pieces of legislation aimed at housing affordability, officials said Wednesday. 

The first bill, AB 911, would remove cumbersome barriers for affordable housing developers by removing restrictions ahead of purchasing property for development, according to Schiavo. 

The second bill, AB 1014, would expand property tax credits available to veterans in an effort to keep housing costs manageable and keep our veterans housed. 

“Our community has been struggling for far too long with the cost of housing,” Schiavo said. “Once a place where people moved for affordable homes, families are now priced out of our region. That is unacceptable, and I intend to do all I can to ensure everyone has the ability to afford a place they can call home.” 

The announcement of these two bills comes on the heels of Schiavo’s announcement of AB 963 focused on funding affordable housing development for former foster youth as well as a bill package to address real solutions to homelessness.

“These two bills we are announcing today address historic barriers to housing, aiming to boost the supply of housing people can afford and support veteran homeowners,” Schiavo said. 

For decades, some neighborhoods have included historic restrictions, known as covenants on properties that limit the allowable density or number of units permitted on a property, even when they may conflict with local zoning ordinances. While recent 2021 legislation (Bloom AB 721) has forged a path for removing these restrictions for 100 percent affordable housing, developers must own the property before seeking to remove the covenant, according to Schiavo. 

For some developers, this creates uncertainty in a process that sometimes requires millions of dollars in investment to address an administrative hurdle. 

AB 911 allows for a process of removing these restrictions for prospective buyers, while preserving local control and zoning, and also providing confidence to investors that they can build affordable housing on the properties they acquire, according to officials.

Affordable housing is critical for all, Schiavo said. 

Unfortunately, veterans face an increased risk of homelessness. To help address this, veterans qualify for two separate tax credits, the Homeowners Exemption and the Veterans Exemption. These exemptions help lower the assessed value of a home, saving homeowners annually on their property taxes, according to Schiavo. 

However, veterans are limited to choosing one of the two exemptions they qualify for. If passed, AB 1014 will allow Veterans to combine both homeowner tax credits to increase their savings on property taxes.

This is set to help combat homelessness and foreclosures.

“We urgently need affordable housing to address our housing crisis,” Schiavo said. “Uncertainty in affordable housing construction delays projects and prolongs the homelessness crisis. AB 911 aims to change that. And with AB 1014, we are addressing a major issue for those that have served our nation: housing insecurity. This legislation will allow veterans additional financial help when they need it most — to secure home ownership.”

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