Press Releases

To effectively address California’s housing crisis, the state must simply build more places to live. In fact, the Department of Housing and Community Development says about 180,000 units need to be added every year to keep up with housing demand. Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) has four bills taking effect next month that aims to increase the housing supply.

The most impactful may be the strengthening the state’s Housing Accountability Act (HAA) under AB 1633, which clarifies that the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) cannot be used to endlessly delay or block housing projects, once all legal requirements have been met. The legislation does not alter CEQA in any way and will promote climate-friendly infill housing.

It’s been 52 years since the Julia Morgan-designed cottages on Angel Island burned down during a fire training exercise, which was caught on film and used in the movie, “The Candidate.” Now, some of the iconic buildings will be coming back to life, as a result of $1 million in state funding that Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) successfully secured.

“Not many people know that Angel Island was the entry point for thousands of immigrants on the West Coast, especially for Asians looking for a new life in the United States. I want to make history come alive for visitors, providing an invaluable opportunity to learn about the past and imagine a more inclusive future,” said Ting.

New funding from the California state budget secured by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) will enable the YMCA of San Francisco YBike program to bring bicycle availability, maintenance and safety education to youth and families for the next ten years.

“YBike is an incredible program that supports San Francisco youth becoming skilled bicyclists,” said Ting, who Chairs the Assembly Budget Committee. “Providing access to a bicycle creates a new avenue for clean and green transportation, and can enable the young people in the city to access work opportunities, after-school programs, or other programs that can help them in school or in life. I was proud to support YBike’s request to ensure that they can continue their mission of delivering bikes and bike programming for our youth for the next decade.”

The $1 million in funding will support the following: 

One of the most important housing bills this legislative session has been signed by the Governor. AB 1633 promotes climate-friendly infill housing in the most location-efficient areas by ending “more study” requirements, once legally-sufficient environmental review has been conducted.

“California is in a housing crisis, and one way out of it is to build more places to live as fast as we can. Unnecessary delays to projects that have already gone through the mandatory environmental steps are only slowing us down. The Governor’s signature on my bill puts developments on a faster track to completion and helps ease housing shortages that keep prices high,” said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).

With the Governor’s signature last night on AB 264 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), California Community Colleges will now have the flexibility to observe Lunar New Year (LNY) as a state holiday. The legislation gives campuses some leeway without increasing the number of days they’re closed. They can, for instance, combine Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays into one holiday, then add LNY as another. 

Only 560, or two percent, of California’s entire school bus fleet are zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and supporters of his AB 579 urged Governor Newsom today to sign the bill to spur faster adoption of clean transportation statewide for our kids.

“The health and environmental benefits of getting more zero-emission school buses on the road are tremendous, yet California lags in utilizing them,” said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco). I urge the Governor to sign AB 579. The faster school districts switch over to clean buses, the sooner we can benefit from the impact and reach our climate goals.”

Emissions from diesel school buses put students at risk for serious health conditions, such as cancer and asthma. Breathing it daily, even for a short time for the duration of an entire academic year, may also cause cognitive development impacts.

The Arguello Quick Build Bicycle Safety Project can now move forward after Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) successfully secured $1.2 million in state funding to install protected bike lanes connecting Golden Gate Park and The Presidio. The announcement comes six months following the death of world champion cyclist, Ethan Boyes, who was killed after he was struck by a car on Arguello Boulevard on April 4 of this year. The fatal accident prompted the cycling community to ramp up its years-long demand for safety improvements along that often busy and popular stretch of road.

Governor Newsom signed AB 1587 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) today, bringing in financial institutions as partners to help prevent gun violence. The legislation requires banks and credit card companies to implement the newly-developed merchant category code (MCC) assigned to gun dealers in California, allowing them to flag suspicious activity. 

“We must use every tool possible to end our gun violence epidemic. Financial institutions can now be a part of our efforts since they are in a unique position to flag buying patterns that no one else can. Merchant codes are already assigned to other retailers, and the gun industry should be included. Identifying large purchases of firearms and ammunition can be instrumental in helping California prevent tragedies and to save lives,” said Ting.

New funding from the California state budget will help the Alcoholics Rehabilitation Association (ARA) better serve the City’s residents as they seek to re-enter society after achieving sobriety. Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) announced the organization will receive $2.5 million to address deferred maintenance needs and make capital improvements at its 47-bed residential facility, ARA First Step Home, on Haight Street. Serving clients since 1955, it is in dire need of repair and renovation.

“ARA has helped thousands of people in our community successfully regain their lives with supportive housing, job searches, and counseling. The need for these services is great, and the state funding I championed ensures my district will continue to have re-entry programs available for decades to come,” said Ting. 

Financial institutions will play a role in the prevention of gun violence under a bill by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) approved by the California Legislature today. AB 1587 requires banks and credit card companies to implement in California the newly-developed merchant category code (MCC) assigned to gun dealers, enabling them to flag suspicious activity. 

“For too long gun violence has plagued communities across the country and we must look to utilize every tool possible to end this epidemic. Identifying large purchases of guns and ammunition would be instrumental in helping California prevent tragedies and to save lives. Financial institutions can now be our partners in ending gun deaths since they are in a unique position to flag buying patterns that no one else can,” said Ting.