SB 525 (Durazo): Minimum wage: health care workers
Staff contact: Amber King
This bill would ultimately increase the minimum wage to $25 for certain health care workers working for specific health care organizations, including skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies. Generally, the bill will create different pathways and timelines for achieving the eventual $25 minimum wage, depending on the type of health care facility, workforce size, and location. LeadingAge California opposes this bill. This bill was signed by the Governor.
SB 17 (Caballero): Senior Housing Production Act of 2023
Staff contact: Harrison Linder
LeadingAge California is sponsoring legislation to ensure the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program (Program) allocates a share of tax credits for senior housing projects that is more reflective of the growing older adult population. This legislation will require the Program to ensure the percentage of tax credits awarded for lower-income senior housing projects is no less than the state’s share of low-income senior renters. The percentage of total renter households headed by someone age 50 and over is expected to grow to 40 percent in the next 15 years, with it already over 20 percent. Many older adults are already seeking homelessness services due to their inability to afford rent or find affordable housing options. Currently, the Program has a goal to allocate 15 percent of credits to affordable senior housing. SB 17 would increase the goal to 20 percent. This bill was vetoed by the Governor.
SB 37 (Caballero): Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities Housing Stability Act
Staff contact: Harrison Linder
LeadingAge California is co-sponsoring legislation with Justice in Aging, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles that creates a targeted rent stabilization program to prevent and end homelessness among older adults and people with disabilities. The rent stabilization program will fund housing subsidies that meet the specific needs of acutely low-income older adults and people with disabilities who are experiencing homelessness or at high risk of homelessness using predictive indicators. The program seeks to ensure that people receiving subsidies under the program will be able to transition into permanent affordable housing through the Section 8 voucher program, or another federally subsidized affordable housing program. This bill is a two-year bill.
AB 839 (Addis): Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly: financing
Staff contact: Amber King
LeadingAge California is sponsoring legislation to modernize and update the California Health Facilities Financing Authority (CHFFA) Act to allow nonprofit RCFEs, regardless of their connection to a skilled nursing facility (SNF), to utilize the programs. Current law requires a multilevel facility to have an adjacent SNF in order to take advantage of lower interest rate tax-exempt financing through CHFFA for new or renovation projects. The changes proposed by this legislation will reduce borrowing costs to create more nonprofit assisted living and memory care to meet the needs of our growing older adult population. This bill was signed by the Governor.