Infill Infrastructure Grant Program of 2019: applications: eligibility.

Senator Cabaldon's legislation expands eligibility criteria and refines application processes for California's Infill Infrastructure Grant Program, which funds capital improvements supporting housing development in urbanized areas. The bill modifies how the Department of Housing and Community Development evaluates grant applications by incorporating new metrics focused on transit accessibility and walkability to essential services.

The legislation broadens the definition of qualifying infill projects to include sites where at least 75% of the perimeter borders previously developed urban parcels. It establishes separate application tracks for large and small jurisdictions, with the latter able to utilize a streamlined over-the-counter process. Small jurisdiction projects face a lower 50% perimeter threshold requirement compared to the 75% standard for large jurisdictions.

For catalytic qualifying infill areas, which can include multiple non-contiguous parcels, applications are evaluated based on factors including housing unit numbers, affordability levels, density, transit access, and community engagement. The bill requires that 15% of units in funded projects be affordable to households earning no more than 60% of area median income for rentals or 120% for ownership units. Projects must also meet minimum density thresholds aligned with state housing element law, though rural areas may qualify with densities of at least 10 units per acre.

The Department must incorporate detailed project outcomes in its annual legislative reports, including information on unit production, affordability levels, and geographic distribution of funds. The bill authorizes recapture of grants if recipients fail to meet established performance standards for construction timelines and housing development progress.