Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program: project eligibility.

Assembly Member Arambula's proposal to modify California's Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program would extend funding eligibility to transit projects and developments near planned high-speed rail stations, creating new opportunities for infrastructure investment before stations become operational.

The legislation establishes specific criteria for project qualification: planned stations must have secured full construction funding, begun construction, and expended at least 10 percent of their allocated funds. Projects meeting these requirements would receive credit for greenhouse gas emission reductions based on their proximity to future high-speed rail service, regardless of when the station begins operations. This provision adds to the program's existing eligible projects, which include affordable housing developments, active transportation infrastructure, and agricultural land preservation initiatives.

The measure maintains the program's core mission of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through coordinated land use and transportation planning while incorporating high-speed rail infrastructure into California's broader sustainable development framework. Under the Strategic Growth Council's continued oversight, these changes would allow communities to pursue transit-oriented development in tandem with station construction, rather than waiting for station completion.