From the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency's e-newsletter:
A senior on a low fixed income, a single mother transitioning from homelessness, and a 20-something renter with two roommates had Governor Gavin Newsom’s undivided attention on March 26 during a listening session on housing and rising rents. Gov. Newsom recently launched a series of roundtable discussions throughout the state to hear from a cross section of renters as people who are “uniquely positioned to express their challenges and perspectives". The governor is looking to residents to help the legislature find solutions for the downward trend of social mobility and affordability that has imperiled the California’s American Dream. Sarah Dillingham lives at a subsidized senior housing community managed by Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) which is affordable on her retirement income of less than $1,000 monthly. Megan Colbert was able to transition from homelessness during pregnancy to housing with her two-year old son thanks to the Waking the Village Program. Taylor Desmangles and her two roommates live on tight budgets after a rent hike that strains their paychecks to cover costs for transportation, food and other necessities. The governor has proposed over $1.5 billion in housing funds and incentives for construction, rent subsidies and home buyer assistance. Gov. Newsom noted that one-third of California households are spending 50% of their paycheck on housing which puts the entire economy and California’s American Dream at risk. Additional state funding could provide resources which SHRA could use to finance affordable housing.
Read SHRA's e-newsletter article “Governor Holds Listening Session with Sacramento Residents on Housing and Rising Rents.”