The Valley Chronicle - Melendez introduces measures to repurpose high-

[caption id="attachment_16766" align="alignright" width="263"] https://ad67.asmrc.org/
Melissa A. Melendez.[/caption] ■ Jared Yoshiki / Contributed Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, announced today that she has introduced two measures called AB 553 and AB 264, which both seek to boost housing development in California. “It’s time to end the high-speed train to nowhere and admit that it was on the wrong tracks from the very beginning,” said Melendez. “We have a golden opportunity to work together and redirect past spending mistakes and focus on a real crisis facing California - housing.” AB 553 seeks to repurpose the remaining high-speed rail money to address California’s housing crisis. The Governor, in his state of the state address, indicated an unwillingness to continue the high-speed rail project between Los Angeles and San Francisco due to increased costs. AB 264 creates a “Hollywood movie” style tax credit that seeks to ease the financial burdens placed upon California builders for new housing projects. Local government impact fees have been shown to increase housing costs by as much as $170,000 in some markets. “This Legislature has consistently given tax breaks to Hollywood and sports team owners who definitely are not suffering,” said Melendez. “Meanwhile, middle class Californians can’t purchase homes because they are too expensive or simply not available. This is a golden opportunity for a bipartisan solution, and that is to build homes the average Californian can afford.”

---

About Melendez Assemblywoman Melissa A. Melendez represents the 67th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar and a portion of Hemet. It also includes the Riverside County unincorporated areas of Lake Mathews, Good Hope, Nuevo, and Winchester. Follow her on Twitter: @asmMelendez