The State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) made a number of important announcements this week:

Governor Brown signed the State budget on Wednesday, which included several important actions on housing:

• $500 million in new funding for cities to help them respond to the housing needs of the State’s homeless residents.
• The first funding from last year’s SB 2, half of which will go to cities for homeless programs and the other half for planning grants.
• The No Place Like Home Initiative, which will provide $2 billion for housing for the mentally ill and chronically homeless individuals, will appear the November ballot.  This Initiative was passed by the Legislature last year, but has been held up by legal challenges.

Read the announcement from HCD here.

Additionally, HCD released an updated list showing the jurisdictions that are subject to streamlined housing development under Senate Bill 35, along with an interactive map.  Most all of Santa Clara County will be held to the higher standard of 50% affordability based on performance in meeting regional housing goals.  Only Saratoga, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills are subject to the 10% affordability standard.  View the HCD announcement here.

The State also announced new awards for the Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG) program and the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program.  But, alas, none of the projects funded were in Santa Clara County.