California Housing and Homelessness Agency

California Housing and Homelessness Agency
Agency headquarters at the BMO Tower
Agency overview
FormedJuly 1, 2026 (2026-07-01)
Preceding agency
JurisdictionGovernment of California
Headquarters
Agency executive
Websitehousing.ca.gov

The California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) is a cabinet-level agency of the California state government, tasked with implementing state policies on housing and homelessness. The CHHA became active on July 1, 2026, splitting from the former California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH).

Background

Formation

In 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a reorganization of BCSH as part of the annual budget process. The proposed reorganization involved the creation of two new cabinet-level agencies out of the former BCSH: the California Housing and Homelessness Agency and the Business and Consumer Services Agency (BCSA). The CHHA would consist largely of departments spun off from the former BCSH: the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH), California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) and the Civil Rights Department (CRD). As well, the CHHA would include a newly-created Housing Development and Finance Committee (HDFC) to streamline policies on affordable multifamily housing funds.[2][3][4]

BCSA was proposed as the new home for the remaining departments of BCSH. The spinoff of the CHHA is motivated in part to the ongoing California housing shortage, as well as the growth of enforcement powers attributed to the HCD since 2017.

Newsom submitted his proposal to the Little Hoover Commission on April 4, 2025. On May 29, the commission favorably recommended the proposal to the Legislature with additional recommendations, including allowing the creation of a “one-stop shop” for state financial assistance to build affordable housing to go into effect immediately.[5][6]

The commission recommended additional homelessness-related programs being merged into the CHHA from multiple other agencies and departments, including the California Health and Human Services Agency (Department of Social Services, Department of Health Care Services, Department of Community Services and Development), California State Treasurer, Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Department of Veterans Affairs and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.[7] In particular, due to constitutional constraints, the Commission recommended striking a formal deal between the offices of Governor and Treasurer to “create a unified application and review process” for all their respective affordable finance programs.

The proposal was submitted to the 2025 session of the Legislature on May 14, 2025, with the legislature having until July 4 to consider the proposal. Absent legislative rejection by simple majority in either house, the plan took effect on July 5, 2025.[8] Implementation of the plan was set to take effect by July 1, 2026, by which time the BCSH dissolved and both the CHHA and BCSA became active.[9]

The Housing Development and Finance Committee, consisting of BCSHA Secretary Tomiquia Moss, HCD Executive Director Gustavo Velasquez and CalHFA Executive Director Tony Sertich, first met on May 26, 2026.[10] Newsom appointed Jonathan Klein as Executive Director of the HDFC on May 14, 2026.[11]

Tomiquia Moss was sworn in as the inaugural CHHA Secretary on June 30, with Sasha Kergan being sworn in as Undersecretary.[12][13]

Leadership

Secretaries

Undersecretaries

  • Sasha Kergan (2026-present)

Organization

Reception

The Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley assessed the proposal as a potential improvement over the fragmentation and bureaucracy of housing finance in the state government, but viewed the exclusion of two tax credit award agencies (the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) and California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC), both under the California State Treasurer's office) from the proposed merger as a potential impediment.[14][15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "California Housing and Homelessness Agency". Housing and Homelessness Agency.
  2. ↑ "BCSH - Reorganization". bcsh.ca.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  3. ↑ "CSAC Supports Proposed Reorg to Create State Agency Focused on Housing and Homelessness". California State Association of Counties. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  4. ↑ "GRP 1: Governor's reorganization plan: reorganization of executive branch of state government. | Digital Democracy". calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  5. ↑ "Governor's Reorganization Plan 2025 – Little Hoover Commission". Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  6. ↑ "Little Hoover Commission Backs Newsom's Plan to Reorganize BCSH". Industry Insider California. 2025-05-30. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
  7. ↑ A Review of Government Reorganization Plan 2025, Little Hoover Commission
  8. ↑ "Despite Trump Slump, Governor Newsom's revised budget delivers on housing, education, water, and jobs". Governor of California. 2025-05-14. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  9. ↑ Christopher, Ben (2025-07-11). "California, epicenter of the nation's housing crisis, is finally getting a housing agency". CalMatters. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  10. ↑ "Housing Development and Finance Committee - BCSH". www.bcsh.ca.gov. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  11. ↑ California, State of (2026-05-15). "Governor Newsom announces appointments 5.14.2026". Governor of California. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  12. ↑ California, State of (2026-06-30). "Governor Newsom swears in Tomiquia Moss as Secretary of new California Housing and Homelessness Agency". Governor of California. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
  13. ↑ Abbott, Jenna (2026-07-01). "Governor Newsom Makes Appointments To New California Housing and Homelessness Agency". California Council for Affordable Housing. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
  14. ↑ Karlinsky, Ben Metcalf, Sarah (2025-04-24). "Testimony to the Little Hoover Commission". Terner Center. Retrieved 2025-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Reid, Carolina (2025-04-21). "Reducing the Complexity in California's Affordable Housing Finance System". Terner Center. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
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