The California Housing Finance Agency is excited to announce our Accessory Dwelling Unit Grant Program and we are looking to our local government partners to help us reach qualifying homeowners. Eligible homeowners could receive up to $40,000 to fund ADU predevelopment and closing costs (including interest rate buydowns).Homeowners earning less than CalHFA’s income limits (available here*) are eligible for the grant. In Los Angeles County, households earning less than $158,000 would qualify.Full program details are available here.*Please note that CalHFA updates the income limits annually. The next update is anticipated in June 2022.

Historic Preservation and Mills Act

California Government Code Sections 50280-50290 [Mills Act] represent legislation enabling local governments to voluntarily establish, implement and manage their historic preservation program by incentivizing the private ownership, maintenance and preservation of qualified historical properties through reduced property taxes.

The City uses the Mills Act as a tool for historic preservation. A Qualified Historical Property must be privately owned and not exempt from property taxation; and, it must be listed on any federal, state, county, city or city and county’s official register of historical or architecturally significant sites, places or landmarks.

The property owner benefits by receiving property tax savings. This can be as much as 40% to 60% of their pre-Mills Act contract tax rate. The cost to maintain a qualified historical property is reduced by leveraging property tax savings; and, all Mills Act contract benefits are transferable if the qualified historical property is sold.

To benefit, the property owner must establish landmark designation for their property (if designation does not already exist); commit to a minimum ten (10) year Mills Act contract; identify all proposed work to be completed to their property under the Mills Act contract; record the executed Mills Act contract with the county recorder; implement the work provisions contained in the contract following the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Standards and the State Historic Building Code; and permit reoccurring (five-year) inspections to the interior and exterior of their premises.

(List of Historical Architects)

If the property owner decides not to renew their Mills Act contract, a written 90-day notice of non-renewal must be given to the local legislative government and the contract expires ten (10) years later. The owner may have to pay a 12.5% penalty of the current fair market value of their property if the Mills Act contract is canceled by the City due to breach of contract or because the site is no longer a qualified historical property.

For more information, visit the California Office of Historic Preservation site and the California Board of Equalization.

Fair Housing

Fair Housing means you have the right to live where you choose without fear of discrimination based on your characteristics.

The fair housing laws cover most types of dwellings, including apartments, houses, duplexes, condominiums, mobile home parks, residential motels and emergency shelters.

The Federal and State fair housing laws prohibit discrimination based on the following protected characteristics:

  • Race
  • Color
  • Religion
  • Gender
  • National Origin
  • Familial Status (*Families with children under 18 yrs. old)
  • Physical and/or Mental Disability
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Marital Status
  • Ancestry
  • Age
  • Source of Income
  • Or Other Arbitrary Basis

Additionally, the Ralph Act (§51.7 of the California Civil Code) prohibits violence or intimidation by threat of violence based on the personal characteristics listed above.

Common examples of housing discrimination can include:

  • Refusing to rent or sell housing to someone because of their race
  • Prohibiting children from being outside in common areas
  • Refusing to do timely repairs for tenants of a particular nationality
  • Utilizing advertisements that express or suggest a preference, such as “ideal for single, working professionals” or “Jewish only.”
  • Refusing to rent a second-floor unit to a family with children
  • Refusing to allow a tenant with disabilities to modify his or her unit or common areas
  • Harassing a tenant based on his or her sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression

If you feel you have been a victim of housing discrimination or would like to obtain additional information about the federal and state fair housing laws, please contact the Housing Rights Center (HRC).

HRC is contracted with the County of Los Angeles to provide residents with free services including (1) landlord-tenant counseling, (2) outreach and education, (3) litigation and advocacy and (4) discrimination complaint investigation.

Toll-Free (800) 477 – 5977
TTY-Hearing Impaired- (213) 201-0867
www.housingrightscenter.org
info@housingrightscenter.org

3255 Wilshire Blvd
Suite 1150
Los Angeles, CA 90010

Agency Brochure – English
Agency Brochure – Spanish
What is Fair Housing – English
What is Fair Housing – Spanish

Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)

What is the RHNA?

The State of California, as part of the State Housing Law, sets a targeted number of housing units that each regional council of governments in California must plan for. This targeted housing number known as the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA, is updated every 8 years and is further divided amongst individual cities and counties by the regional council of governments. RHNA is a representation of future housing needs for all income levels in a jurisdiction (city or unincorporated county) and is a requirement of California State Housing Law. Every jurisdiction must plan for its RHNA allocation in its Housing Element of its General Plan.


How will the RHNA impact the City of La Canada Flintridge?

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the organization tasked with developing a RHNA allocation plan for the Southern California region. SCAG is the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization (MPO), which represents six counties and 191 cities, including the City of La Canada Flintridge.

It is important to recognize that the RHNA is a targeted housing number – Cities and counties do not have to build this number of units, but rather they are required by the state to plan for them and demonstrate that under the current land use and development standards, there is capacity to accommodate for this number of housing units. However, if a jurisdiction fails to demonstrate that they can accommodate their RHNA, it can result in the loss of local control and important funding resources.

For the RHNA cycle planning period of October 2021 through October 2029, the Southern California region received an allocation of 1.3 million units. That means that the State is requiring cities within Southern California to demonstrate that they can plan for and have the capacity to build up to 1.3 million new housing units over the next 8 years. For this 6th Cycle of the RHNA, La Canada Flintridge has received an allocation of 612 new housing units.