Existing law establishes the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program of 2019 (program) , which requires the Department of Housing and Community Development, upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature, to establish and administer a grant program to allocate those funds to eligible applicants to fund capital improvement projects that are an integral part of, or necessary to facilitate the development of, a qualifying infill project, qualifying infill area, or catalytic qualifying infill area. Existing law requires the department, in its review of applications, to rank affected qualifying infill projects and catalytic qualifying infill areas based on specified criteria, including the qualifying infill area's or catalytic qualifying infill area's inclusion of, or proximity to, a train station or major transit stop and the proximity of housing to existing or planned parks, employment or retail centers, schools, or social services.
This bill would revise these provisions to require the department to rank applications, as described above, based on the qualifying infill area's or catalytic qualifying infill area's inclusion of, or proximity or accessibility to, a transit station or major transit stop or walkability to essential services or businesses. The bill would additionally revise these provisions to require the department's ranking to be based on the proximity of housing to services, rather than social services.
Existing law requires the department to administer an over-the-counter application process for specified grants under the program for capital improvement projects for small jurisdictions, as provided. For these purposes, existing law defines the term "qualifying infill area" as a contiguous area located within an urbanized area that meets one of specified alternative conditions, including that the capital improvement project for which funding is requested is necessary, as specified, to make the area suitable and available for residential development or to allow the area to accommodate housing for additional income levels, and the area may be included on an inventory of land in the housing element, as specified.
This bill would expand the definition of "qualifying infill area" to additionally include a contiguous area located within an urbanized area for which the capital improvement project for which funding is requested under the program, as described above, is necessary, as provided, to make the area suitable and available for residential development pursuant to the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022, which subjects a housing development to streamlined, ministerial approval under certain circumstances, as specified.
Existing law requires a qualifying infill project, qualifying infill area, or catalytic qualifying infill area for which a capital improvement project grant can be awarded under the program to meet specified conditions, including, among others, inclusion of not less than 15% of affordable units, as specified, and being located in an area designated for mixed-use or residential development, as specified.
This bill, as an alternative to including at least 15% of affordable units, would allow a project under the program that is a by-right site and in compliance with certain provisions deeming a housing development an allowable use or subject to streamlined, ministerial approval, as specified, to meet the affordability requirements under those provisions. The bill would additionally allow the project to be located in an area that allows for mixed-use or residential development pursuant to a housing development that is in compliance with those provisions deeming a housing development an allowable use or subject to streamlined, ministerial approval, as specified.
Existing law, for the purposes of the program, defines the term "capital improvement project" to include, among other things, streets, roads, or transit linkages or facilities, including, but not limited to, related access plazas or pathways, bus or transit shelters, or facilities that support pedestrian or bicycle transit. Existing law also defines the term "urbanized area" as an incorporated city or, for sites in an unincorporated area, within a designated urban service area, as specified.
This bill would revise the definition of "capital improvement project" to require that streets or roads funded under the program be publicly maintained and open to use of the public for purposes of vehicle travel and serve as a connector within a qualifying infill project or qualifying infill area. The bill would also expand the definition of "capital improvement project" to expressly include nature-based solutions that are proven to reduce the risk from climate change, as specified. The bill would also revise the definition of "urbanized area" to instead mean an incorporated city or an urbanized area as defined by the United States Census Bureau. The bill would additionally define the term "major transit stop" for purposes of the program to mean a site containing an existing rail or bus rapid transit station, a ferry terminal served by either a bus or rail transit service, or the intersection of 2 or more major bus routes that meet specified frequency criteria, including major transit stops that are included in the applicable regional transportation plan, as provided.