Becerra promotes housing agenda; Hilton unveils ‘Fun and Freedom’ plan

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KESQ) - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra promoted his plans to build more housing during an appearance in Long Beach today, while Republican candidate Steve Hilton unveiled a proposed "Office of Fun and Freedom" aimed at cutting state regulations affecting nightlife, entertainment venues and community events.   

Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and California attorney general, was joined by Mayor Rex Richardson, housing advocates and workers as he promoted his housing agenda and Proposition 1, an $11.25 billion housing bond on the Nov. 3 ballot.

"California's housing emergency requires a governor who will actually get shovels in the ground,'' Becerra said. "Our state cannot succeed if working people cannot afford to live here. It's our duty to every Californian struggling to save for a down payment or to cover their rent or mortgage every month that we put housing at the top of our agenda.''  

Becerra's housing plan includes expanding homeownership programs, reducing fees and mandates on housing construction, increasing enforcement against cities that violate state housing laws and closing the funding gap for nearly 40,000 affordable housing units that have already been approved.

Proposition 1 would authorize the state to sell $11.25 billion in general obligation bonds for housing programs. The measure would provide more than $1 billion for homeownership programs, according to Becerra's campaign.   

Richardson also endorsed the measure, saying it would provide cities such as Long Beach with resources to build and preserve affordable housing, expand homeownership and provide permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness.

Hilton, meanwhile, announced a proposal Friday to establish what his campaign calls an "Office of Fun and Freedom'' within the governor's office, saying the unit would seek to eliminate or streamline regulations affecting nightlife, entertainment venues, community events and public spaces. 

"California should be the most fun place in America,'' Hilton said. "Instead, killjoy politicians and bureaucrats have built a maze of blanket bans, duplicative permits and endless delays.''

Under Hilton's proposal, the office would spend its first 100 days reviewing state regulations governing nightlife, events and public spaces and would send the Legislature a package of proposed repeals. It would also create a single online portal for state event permits and establish deadlines for agencies to act on permit requests.   

Hilton said his plan would allow cities to set their own last-call times, change restrictions on happy hours, create a single permit for small venues offering live music and dancing, streamline permits for block parties and simplify rules for food pop-ups and catering businesses.

The proposal also calls for more dog-friendly beaches and fire rings and a 60-day process for opening neighborhood gathering places.   

"The Office of Fun and Freedom will not be another sprawling department,'' Hilton said. "Its job is to get rid of rules, not write new ones."  

Hilton is scheduled to appear Tuesday outside the Department of Motor Vehicles office in West Hollywood, where his campaign said he will unveil a separate proposal to abolish the DMV.  

According to Hilton's campaign, that proposal would reduce annual vehicle registration to a flat $73 and replace DMV services with local service options.