Assembly Bill 133 can help keep seniors in their homes

Prior to the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, it was not uncommon for seniors on fixed incomes who had already paid off their mortgages to nonetheless lose their homes because they couldn’t afford to pay their property taxes. While Proposition 13 continues to protect millions of older Californians by providing reasonable and predictable property tax liability, for low-income seniors it may not be enough. Voter approved local bonds and parcel taxes that are added to property tax bills above and beyond Proposition 13’s one percent cap have typically added hundreds of dollars a year to individual property tax bills across the state. One of the state programs meant to help seniors over age 65, the blind, and the disabled stay in their homes is the Property Tax Postponement program or PTP.

The concept behind the Tax Postponement program is simple. A lien is placed against the home of an eligible individual and all property taxes are deferred. Later, when the homeowner moves, the taxes are paid out of the sale of the home plus simple interest. The program worked perfectly for 40 years. Beyond paying for itself, 6,000 homeowners from across California benefit from the Property Tax Postponement program. The large majority have been in the program for decades, and hundreds are over 90 years old. Fortunately, after the Property Tax Postponement program was suspended in 2009 due to budget cuts, it was reinstituted in 2016. But even though the program was resurrected, very few seniors are eligible for the program.

In order to help more low-income seniors, Assembly Bill 133, introduced by Asm. Sharon Quirk-Silva, D-Fullerton, was proposed to increase the income threshold from $35,500 to $45,000. This figure would then be adjusted annually by an inflation factor. AB133 also lowers the interest rate from seven percent to five percent, meaning government doesn’t get a windfall when the property is finally sold. These changes are important because every penny counts for low-income seniors. AB133 provides peace of mind for homeowners worried about a large property tax bill.

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California Governor Signs Bills to Speed Up Homeless Shelter Construction

“I am optimistic that we will continue to work together to bring solutions to our homelessness crisis,” said Democratic Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, who authored the bill and represents parts of Orange County.

SACRAMENTO (AP) — California is giving cities and counties more power to speed up the building of supportive housing and shelters amid a homelessness crisis.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 13 laws aimed at stemming the crisis Thursday. His action comes as Republican President Donald Trump criticizes California’s handling of the issue, most recently blaming homelessness for water pollution.

California, the nation’s most populous state, has a growing number of people living in the streets in cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. But Newsom has accused Trump of politicizing the issue and called on the federal government to provide more aid to get people into housing.

Newsom said the bills he’s signed will “give local governments even more tools to confront this crisis.”

One new law that takes effect immediately lets Los Angeles bypass parts of the California Environmental Quality Act to build supportive housing and shelters. Another lets projects that will turn hotels into housing forego certain CEQA reviews through 2025.

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