Supervisor Hagman Addresses Housing Shortage at BIA Conference
San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Curt Hagman addressed members of the Building Industry Association (BIA) on Friday, June 2nd and urged them to bridge the gap between the supply of homes and the increased demand for homes due to economic growth within the Inland Empire.
"I believe the opportunity to meet people's housing needs in our region requires a partnership between public and private entities", said Hagman. "If we don't work together, we will never build enough homes or unlock the massive economic potential that comes with meeting our housing needs."
Growth within the Inland Empire is projected to exceed other fast-growing metropolitan areas in coming years; including Phoenix and Houston and other built-out coastal areas.
Over the past year, the Board of Supervisors have worked to implement new electronic permitting systems that will save developers time and money by streamlining the approval process. Other actions to speed approvals and lower costs include Building and Safety switching to direct cost of service method in order to reduce user fees. The County Land Use Services Department also created an Early Release of Utilities application to set gas and electrical meters in a more timely fashion. This ultimately can save up to eight weeks of processing time towards final inspection of homes for homebuyers.
Supervisor Hagman continued, "I have personally seen the direct impact that government has on housing. I've also witnessed firsthand the benefits that new homes have on our economy, on job growth, on establishing family roots and on bringing stability to communities. The County Board of Supervisors is committed to working with the building industry to address and resolve our housing shortage."
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San Bernardino County Means Business
In a recent press release to business owners and constituents San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Curt Hagman high-lighted the County's economic growth and the 21 federal, state and local programs that Fourth District businesses can be connected to through the San Bernardino County Economic Development Agency (EDA).
"The EDA can help you with site selection, the labor market, market analysis, project facilitation, permitting, regulatory and tax assistance," said Hagman. "San Bernardino County is open for business and job creation. Economic growth and high paying jobs for my constituents are top priority, and I encourage you to contact them directly or contact me through my District Office if we can help connect you to resources you need to start or grow your business."
Economic sectors leading the way during 2016-17 in San Bernardino County were Construction with 13.6% increase in the past year, Finance/Real Estate at 3.9% and Education/Health Services at 3.7%. Fourth District cities had the largest percentage in the First Quarter 2017 Industrial Market Inventory Report. Ontario had 21.7% of this inventory while Chino had 8.8%, ahead of Riverside's 8.5% and San bernardino's 7% according to the Cushman Wakefield Industrial Overview.
Since Ontario International Airport was returned to local control in November 2016, passenger numbers are consistently up month over month. Ontario served 4.3 million passengers in 2016 and airport officials predict a 5% growth rate in 2017. Next steps for the airport include making Uber and Lyft services available for travelers, attracting JetBlue back to Ontario and persuading Chinese carriers to include Ontario on their expanding list of air destinations.
The 21 programs offered by the County to assist local businesses include the California Competes Tax Credit, California State Hiring Credit, California Sales and Use Tax Exemption, California Research and Development Tax Credit, California Employment Training Panel, California Sales and Use Tax Exclusion, California Manufacturing Technology Consulting, Hybrid and Zero-Emission truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, Figtree Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing, GO-BIZ Permit Assistance, Federal Investment Credit, Workforce Development Incentives, Foreign Trade Zones, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, Recycling Market Development Zones, California Veterans (CALVETS) assistance program, California Film and Tax Credit Program, New Market Tax Credits, Industrial Development Bonds and the USDA Rural Development Business Programs.
The California Competes Tax Credit is a good example of a program that can put money in a business owner's pocket. Two hundred million dollars is allocated in the upcoming fiscal year for businesses that want to locate in California or stay and grow in California. Applications are being accepted today online at www.calcompetes.ca.gov.
The Economic Development Agency is located at 385 N. Arrowhead Ave., 3rd Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415 and their phone is (909) 387-4700. They can also be reached online at www.SBCountyAdvantage.com.
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