Category Archives: HCD
CAEZ Conference Update 2
As in past years, the CAEZ Conference had the benefit of receiving updates from Frank Luera of HCD and Jeannie Harriman of FTB. HCD expects the final application for the next round of zone designations to be released as early as the week of Oct. 27. Those applications would then be due sometime next March [...]
2008/2009 Designation Round
HCD has posted an update to their website announcing the impending launch of the next round of Enterprise Zone expirations and applications: Update on the 2008/2009 Designation Round — The Department is currently drafting the Application Guidebook for the next designation round. For this round, there will be four slots available. At this time, the [...]
New HCD Memo: LAMBRAs
Someone turned on the memo spigot at HCD. Today HCD issued Memorandum 8-07 dealing with some ambiguity in determining the correct effective dates of the LAMBRAs. As the memo describes the problem: AB 2875 changed the effective date of each LAMBRA’s eight-year period. Because AB 2875 stated that a LAMBRA would begin its eight-year period [...]
All TEA Mysteries Resolved
HCD has just issued a much anticipated memorandum addressing some of the most interesting dynamics of TEAs. As stated in the memo it addresses: • New enterprise zones must apply for a Targeted Employment Area. • A TEA may include a census tract that overlaps with the boundaries of a jurisdiction that is not participating [...]
CAEZ Meeting Update Part 3 – HCD
And finally, CAEZ received an update from Frank Luera of HCD. The Department is in the process of auditing the zones. Frank was very careful to emphasize that the goal of these audits is to strengthen the zones and provide constructive guidence; they are not out there looking for ways to dedesignate zones. He told [...]
CAEZ Board Meeting July 24
The next CAEZ board meeting will be in Sacramento on July 24th. Here is the agenda. That meeting will be followed by a workshop by HCD for those zones that are still in a conditionally approved state on how to complete the MOU phase and obtain final designation. The workshop is only open to jurisdictions [...]
What Ever Happened to Arvin?
It’s hard to believe, but is has been over 19 months since 23 new Enterprise Zones received conditional designations back in November 2006. All but four of the new zones were able to enjoy immediate implementation because of AB 1550. Santa Clarita, Fresno County, and Compton were all brand new to the EZ program and [...]
Enterprise Zone Budget Cut Proposal
The Assembly and Senate Budget subcommittees this week approved the proposed reduction of $59,000 from the Enterprise Zone program within HCD’s budget. According to the Assembly fiscal analysis, “it is staff’s understanding that this cut will primarily be achieved through reduced outreach/advertising efforts.” Hat tip – Chris Micheli.
W4 Approved For TEA Doc
HCD released a memo today which reads, in part: Effective immediately, employers applying for a hiring tax credit certificate or voucher may temporarily use an Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate, Form W-4 (“W-4”), to verify that an employee resided in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) immediately preceding the commencement of employment for purposes of eligibility for [...]
HCD Honored by CALED
A new press release posted on the HCD website explains: The State of California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) was presented with the “Above and Beyond Excellence Award” at the California Association for Local Economic Development’s (CALED) Annual Conference in Anaheim last week. Staff from HCD’s Division of Financial Assistance received the honor, [...]
Fresno to Announce Final Zone Designation Today
The City of Fresno issued a press release today stating that HCD will announce the final designation of the new Fresno City Enterprise Zone at an event in Fresno today. Long Beach received their final designation on April 9th bringing the total number of conditionally designated zones to receive final designation to 7 out of [...]
Major EZ Article in Los Angeles Daily News
Today’s Los Angeles Daily News features a front page article by Brandon Lowrey discussing the Enterprise Zone program. The article is one of the more in depth I have read and contains many interesting quotations from policymakers and experts. The subtitle to the article, “Although tax-credit areas cost $400 million, no one can prove they [...]
HCD Offices Closed Due to Mold Infestation
As if HCD didn’t have enough on its plate in its attempt to catch up on Enterprise Zone tasks, the Sacramento Bee reports: About 350 employees of the California Department of Housing and Community Development were told to stay home Thursday as a precaution because mold has been found in the downtown building where they [...]
FTB Promotes New Zones
In its March 2008 “Tax News,” FTB is extolling the virtues of Enterprise Zones in an article called “Possible boost to California’s economy“: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently announced the conditional designation for eight Enterprise Zones statewide. The zones are East Los Angeles, Kings County, Oakland, Salinas Valley, San Joaquin County, Santa Ana, Siskiyou County, and [...]
Final Designation: Pasadena
Pasadena has become the fifth of the 23 Enterprise Zones conditionally designated in 2007 to receive its final designation. They have also received approval for their new TEA, both the zone and the TEA have an effective date of 4/10/2007.
