Assemblywoman Soria’s Housing Production Bills Pass with Bipartisan Support by Housing Committee

SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria’s (D-Merced) legislation package on Housing, AB 36 and AB 457, passed the Assembly Housing Committee today unanimously, with bipartisan support. 

“These pro-housing bills passing today marks a win for our district and for communities throughout the Central Valley,” said Soria. “These bills provide practical and effective solutions which streamline the development of affordable housing in small, rural towns and cities and they promote the building of urgently needed farmworker housing. California already has enough red tape from the state when it comes to building additional housing in California. AB 36 and AB 457 will accelerate the development of affordable rural housing.”

AB 36 would direct the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to determine if small local governments qualify as “prohousing” using information they already must regularly provide, rather than requiring them to fill out another separate and duplicative application. 

AB 457 extends a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption for affordable farmworker housing to be built within 15 miles of farm or grazing land in the Counties of Fresno, Madera, and Merced.

“I want to applaud Assemblywoman Soria for her proactive housing bill package tackling California’s rural housing crisis. Small and rural cities like Mendota face unique housing challenges very different to those seen in dense urban areas, which AB 36 and AB 457 help us tackle,” said Mendota Mayor Victor Martinez. “AB 36 levels the playing field for state housing funding and enables small and large cities to compete on equal footing, while AB 457 streamlines the approval of farmworker housing in the Central Valley. Together, these bills cut unnecessary red tape standing in the way of the dignified and affordable housing our residents need. This is a step in the right direction for communities like ours throughout the Valley” 

AB 36 will now move onto the Local Government Committee and AB 457 will move onto the Appropriations Committee.  

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Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria represents the 27th Assembly District which includes communities in Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties.