NAIOP SoCal welcomes Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens’ (CA-26) decision to pull Assembly Bill 1674, the Food Affordability Act, from the legislative docket. During a March 25th California State Assembly Agriculture Committee hearing attended by NAIOP SoCal's Senior Government Relations Advisor Adam Regele, Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens opened his presentation on AB 1674 by committing to continue working with NAIOP SoCal, the California Chamber of Commerce, and the California Building Industry Association toward resolution on concerns with the bill. NAIOP SoCal took an “opposed unless amended” position on AB 1674. Our goal was to either remove or substantially revise Section 3 of the bill, which carried the unintended consequence of deterring new housing production in California. Conditioning housing approvals on a requirement to preserve grocery infrastructure or finance a replacement store does not bring new grocers. Instead, it undermined project feasibility, making the proposed housing less likely to be built at all. The Article 2 grant program offered a far more effective and market-friendly path to bringing grocery stores into food deserts without hindering housing production. “On behalf of NAIOP SoCal’s Board and Members, I thank Asm. Ahrens for his commitment to working with us and other allied organizations, and look forward to our continued collaboration in addressing issues of common concern,” said Tim Jemal, CEO, NAIOP SoCal.
| 
