Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program: project eligibility., the official text

An act to amend Section 75212 of the Public Resources Code, relating to sustainable communities.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law requires the Strategic Growth Council to develop and administer the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through projects that implement land use, housing, transportation, and agricultural land preservation practices to support infill and compact development, and that support other related and coordinated public policy objectives. Existing law specifies the types of projects eligible for funding under the program, including, among others, transit capital projects, active transportation capital projects, and transit-oriented development projects, as provided.
This bill would expressly include certain transit capital projects and transit-oriented development projects near planned high-speed rail stations that meet specific criteria as eligible for funding under the program.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 75212 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:
75212.
Projects eligible for funding pursuant to the program include any of the following:
(a) Intermodal, affordable rental or owner-occupied housing projects that support infill and compact development.
(b) Transit capital projects and programs supporting transit ridership, including water-borne transit.
(c) Active transportation capital projects that qualify under the Active Transportation Program, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities and supportive infrastructure, including connectivity to transit stations.
(d) Noninfrastructure-related active transportation projects that qualify under the Active Transportation Program, including activities that encourage active transportation goals conducted in conjunction with infrastructure improvement projects.
(e) Transit-oriented development projects, including affordable rental or owner-occupied housing and infrastructure at or near transit stations or connecting those developments to transit stations.
(f) Capital projects that implement local complete streets programs.
(g) Other projects or programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other criteria air pollutants by reducing automobile trips and vehicle miles traveled within a community.
(h) Acquisition of easements or other approaches or tools that protect agricultural lands that are under pressure of being converted to nonagricultural uses, particularly those adjacent to areas most at risk of urban or suburban sprawl or those of special environmental significance.
(i) Planning to support implementation of a sustainable communities strategy, including implementation of local plans supporting greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts and promoting infill and compact development.
(j) (1) Transit capital projects and transit-oriented development projects aimed at building infrastructure, increasing pedestrian access, or similar purposes near planned high-speed rail stations that meet all of the following criteria:
(A) The planned high-speed rail station has received full funding for construction from the authority.
(B) Construction of the planned high-speed rail station has started.
(C) At least 10 percent of the funding received for construction of the planned high-speed rail station from the authority has been spent.
(2)Transit capital projects and transit-oriented development projects described in paragraph (1) shall be deemed as receiving credit for reducing greenhouse gas emission due to proximity to high-speed rail service, irrespective of when the planned high-speed rail station is operational.