BILL NUMBER: AB 725 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 24, 2008
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 24, 2007
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Lieber and DeVore
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Beall, Hancock, and Hayashi)
FEBRUARY 22, 2007
An act to add Section 50455.7 to the Health and Safety Code,
relating to housing.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 725, as amended, Lieber. Housing: universal rental housing
application.
Existing law requires the California State Housing Plan to include
a housing strategy that coordinates housing assistance and
activities of state and local agencies.
This bill would require, after December 31, 2008
, on and after July 1, 2009, would require
specified rental housing providers to use and make available to
prospective tenants, not-for-profit agencies, and others upon
request, a universal rental housing application, to be developed by
the Department of Housing and Community Development in coordination
with specified governmental agencies, as provided. This
The bill would require the department and
specified governmental agencies to notify specified rental housing
providers of the requirements of these provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 50455.7 is added to the Health and Safety Code,
to read:
50455.7. (a) After December 31, 2008 On
and after July 1, 2009 , a rental housing provider as specified
in subdivision (b) shall use and make available to prospective
tenants, not-for-profit housing assistance organizations, public
agencies, and others upon request, a universal rental housing
application, to be developed by the department pursuant to
subdivision (c). A rental housing provider shall post this
application and any amended version on its Web site in a conspicuous
location and make it publicly available, upon request. Nothing in
this section prevents a rental housing provider from requesting other
reasonable information not contained in this application from
prospective tenants.
(b) Subdivision (a) applies to a rental housing provider that has
received any of the following and whose rental housing units are
still subject to the rent restrictions pursuant thereto:
(1) A loan or grant from the department or the California Housing
Finance Agency.
(2) State or federal tax credits allocated by the Tax Credit
Allocation Committee.
(3) Tax-exempt bond authority allocated by the Debt Limit
Allocation Committee.
(c) By no later than October 1, 2008 April
1, 2009 , and each time new requirements or other changed
circumstances require it, the department shall develop and adopt a
universal rental housing application in coordination with the Tax
Credit Allocation Committee, the Debt Limit Allocation Committee, and
the California Housing Finance Agency. The department shall
strive to develop an application that covers most or all information
needs of the majority of rental housing providers. The department
shall also develop accessible formats of this application, including,
but not limited to, braille and large print. During the development
of this application, the department shall consult with rental housing
providers, not-for-profit housing assistance and social service
organizations, public agencies, and others as deemed appropriate by
the department. The department shall make the application
California Housing Finance Agency. The department shall make the
application available for public review and comment 30 days
prior to adopting the application.
(d) The information requested on the application form shall
include, but need not be limited to, all of the following:
(1) The name, age, and student status of each person who will live
in the household.
(2) All of the following regarding the applicant:
(A) Mailing address, contact telephone number, and any e-mail
address.
(B) The applicant's physical address, if any.
(C) Not less than two years of housing history.
(D) Detailed income information, including, but not limited to,
all of the following that apply:
(i) Current employment income and information, and employment
history for the past five years.
(ii) The amounts of and information on any pension or retirement
benefits.
(iii) The amounts of and information on any child, spousal, or
family support income.
(E) Information on current assets and on any asset that was
disposed for less than fair market value within the past five years.
(F) The information required under the guidelines in the United
States Department of Housing and Urban Development Handbook (HUD
4350.3, Rev. 1, Change 2).
(e) In designing the form, the department shall consider the
format that the Tax Credit Allocation Committee uses on the following
forms:
(1) Tenant Income Certification (February 2004).
(2) Tenant Income Certification Questionnaire.
(3) Employment Verification (September 2000).
(4) Student Verification (September 2000).
(5) Certification of Zero Income (September 2000).
(6) Under $5,000 Asset Certification (September 2000).
(7) Child and Spousal Support (May 2007).
(8) Marital Separation Status Affidavit (May 2007).
(9) Student Financial Aid Verification (July 2006).
(d)
(f) The department, the Tax Credit Allocation
Committee, the Debt Limit Allocation Committee, and the California
Housing Finance Agency shall do both of the following:
(1) Notify the rental housing providers specified in subdivision
(b) of the requirements of this section after adopting
publishing the application, and each time the
department adopts publishes a revised
application.
(2) Notify rental housing providers who receive the funds, tax
credits, or bond authority specified in subdivision (b) of the
requirements of this section when they receive the funds, tax
credits, or bond authority.
(g) This section does not authorize the department to adopt new
regulations.