50469.
(a) This section shall be known, and may be cited as, the Affordable Housing Common Application Act.(b) The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(1) California is in the midst of a housing shortage and affordability crisis.
(2) It is therefore the intent of the Legislature to ensure that state funds allocated for affordable housing efficiently reach local public entities, developers, and other eligible applicants in order to build housing quickly.
(c) (1) The department shall create, or enter into a contract with a
contractor to create, and administer an online portal for applicants to apply for grants or loans administered by the department for the purpose of acquiring, developing, or rehabilitating affordable housing pursuant to this part.
(2) The department shall collaborate with other state agencies that administer grant or loan funds for the purpose of acquiring, developing, or rehabilitating affordable housing in order to ensure that applicants may apply for those grant or loan funds using the online portal created pursuant to this section.
(d) The online portal created pursuant to this section shall include both of the following:
(1) A common application that an applicant may use to apply for any grant or loan funds available under programs included in the online portal.
(2) A list of grant or loan programs for which an applicant may apply using the online portal created pursuant to this section. The department shall update the online portal as necessary to include additional grant or loan programs that are enacted on or after the effective date of the act adding this section or that are to be included following collaboration with a state agency pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c).
(e) Notwithstanding any other law, an applicant seeking grant or loan funds made available under any program included in the online portal may use, and the applicable state agency shall accept, the common application described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (d), provided that the applicant provides all necessary information required by law for the applicable program.
(f) For purposes of this
section:
(1) “Affordable housing” means owner-occupied housing with an affordable housing cost, as defined in Section 50052.5, or a rental housing development with affordable rent, as defined in Section 50053.
(2) “Applicant” means any person seeking grant or loan funds pursuant to a program included in the online portal created pursuant to this section.
(3) “State agency” has the same meaning as defined in Section 11000 of the Government Code.