Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program.

Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the State Air Resources Board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism relative to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law continuously appropriates specified portions of the annual proceeds in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to various programs, including 20% for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program administered by the Strategic Growth Council. Existing law provides for that program to fund 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. This bill would provide that a project receiving funding pursuant to the program shall be encouraged, among other things, to employ local entrepreneurs and workers utilizing appropriate workforce training programs. The bill would make related revisions to the policy objectives for the program.