Rubio Bill Strengthens San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust

February 20, 2020

SACRAMENTO, CA – Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) has introduced Senate Bill 1212, which will support the San Gabriel Valley’s regional efforts to address the homeless crisis and housing shortage by making changes to strengthen the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust.

In 2019, Senator Rubio partnered with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) to author SB 751, which created the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust to show that the communities in the San Gabriel Valley are acting cooperatively and proactively to support affordable housing. The board for this Regional Housing Trust consists of 9 members – 7 members from the governing board of the SGVCOG and 2 experts in homeless or housing policy.

SB 1212 strengthens the Regional Housing Trust by making three changes to the board. First, it will stagger the 2-year terms of the board members to guarantee continuity of experience. Second, it will allow elected officials who are not their community’s representative on the SGVCOG’s governing board to serve on the board of the Regional Housing Trust in order to maximize expertise on the board. Third, it will require representatives on the board be from different cities to ensure that board decisions are equitable.

“California faces a dire affordable housing shortage and cities will play an important role in solving this crisis,” Sen. Rubio said. “The Regional Housing Trust allows the cities of the San Gabriel Valley to tackle this crisis at a regional level by coordinating their efforts and leveraging funding.”

 “The San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust is a game changer in combating homelessness and supporting affordable housing in the San Gabriel Valley,” said Cynthia Sternquist, president of the SGVCOG and a councilwoman for Temple City. “We thank the Senator for introducing this legislation to strengthen the Regional Housing Trust.”

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