The California Association of REALTORS® OPPOSES Senate Bill 1105, authored by Senator Ben Hueso, and Senate Bill 679, authored by Senator Sydney Kamlager, which would lead to new property taxes, making getting into and keeping a home more expensive and difficult, pushing homeownership out of reach for many of California’s working families. We need YOUR help to STOP these bills!

SB 1105 grants vast, unchecked, taxing and bonding authority to an unelected Housing Agency Board in San Diego, which would consist of 6 appointed representatives serving 4-year terms that can by resolution, or initiative, impose:

• special taxes on real property,
• a parcel tax,
• a gross receipts business license tax,
• a special business tax,
• a documentary transfer tax,
• a special land value windfall tax, or
• a commercial linkage fee.

The proposed Agency requires revenues generated to assist in the construction of housing broadly defined.  Revenue which could go to large developers of rental homes, and no restrictions on the agency purchasing single-family homes which could then further limit the opportunities for home ownership. The costs of solving California’s housing problems should not be placed on working Californians struggling to stay afloat and keep their homes in a tough economic environment, especially when there is a 97 billion dollar state surplus.

Similar to SB 1105, SB 679 would establish a local Housing Agency in LA with a 19-member “governing board” to raise revenues through:

• a parcel tax
• gross receipts business license tax
• a document transfer tax, or
• the issuance of bonds to fund affordable housing preservation (acquiring, rehabilitating, deed restricting, etc.).

We are stronger together and your voice will help us defeat SB 1105 and SB 679.