California Advanced Services Fund Broadband Public Housing Account Background and History

In September 2013, Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1299 which expanded the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) and added a fourth account to the CASF program dedicated to broadband access and adoption in publicly supported housing communities. On December 18, 2014, the Commission approved Decision (D). 14-12-039 which implemented the rules for the Broadband Public Housing Account (BPHA).

AB 1299 made not more than $20 million available in grants and loans to a publicly supported community, to finance a project to connect a broadband network to that publicly supported community (infrastructure projects) and not more than $5 million available in grants and loans to a publicly supported community to support programs designed to increase adoption rates for broadband services for residents in that publicly supported community (adoption projects).

Senate Bill (SB) 745, effective January 1, 2017, extended the date of monies available to the BPHA until December 31, 2020. SB 745 limited the awarding of grants for infrastructure projects to unserved housing developments, and defined 'unserved' as a housing development where at least one housing unit is not offered broadband service. In Resolution T-17575, the Commission implemented program changes as a result of SB 745, and defined a housing unit is “not offered broadband Internet service” if the unit does not have access to a commercially available broadband Internet service, such as Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), a cable modem, or another protocol, available at the unit.

AB 1665, effective October 15, 2017, extended the requirement that a housing development be unserved, applicable to all outstanding and potential BPHA infrastructure applications. AB 1665 authorized applicants eligible for BPHA funding for infrastructure projects to be able to apply to the Broadband Infrastructure Account once the funds available for BPHA infrastructure projects has been exhausted. AB 1665 also authorized applicants eligible for BPHA funding f for adoption projects to be able to apply to the Broadband Adoption Account once the funds available for BPHA Adoption projects has been exhausted.

In 2021, Governor Newsom signed SB 156 which revised the BPHA to expand eligibility to include publicly supported housing developments, and other housing developments or mobile-home parks with low-income residents, and to make funding available to low-income communities to finance projects to connect broadband networks that offer free broadband service that meets or exceeds state standards, if the low-income community does not have access to any broadband service provider that offers free broadband service that meets or exceeds state standards.

On December 18, 2014, the Commission issued Decision (D.) 14-12-039 which adopted the BPHA application requirements and guidelines.

On January 28, 2016, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17506 which authorized funding for seven broadband infrastructure projects in the amount of $421,257.

On June 9, 2016, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17515 which authorized funding for 12 broadband infrastructure projects in the amount of $239,793 and modified D.14-12-039, Appendix B, delegating CD staff authority to approve applications through expedited review for properties that are wired.

On August 24, 2016, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17518 which authorized funding for 12 broadband adoption projects in the amount of $506,588, and modified D.14-12-039, Appendix B, to increase the maximum age for an acceptable refurbished computer from two years to five years.

On December 6, 2016, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17514 which authorized funding for 35 broadband infrastructure projects in the amount of $1,475,481.

On August 11, 2017, the Commission issued Decision (D.) 17-08-015 which modified Resolution T-17514, and denied Charter Communications Application for Rehearing of Resolution T-17514. 

On August 11, 2017, the Commission issued Decision (D) 17-08-018 which modified Resolution T-17515, and denied Charter Communications Application for Rehearing and motion for the stay of Resolution T-17515.

On August 24, 2017, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17575 which implemented changes in the CASF enacted by SB 745.

On April 26, 2018, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17594 which authorized funding for the Oakland Housing Authority's Lockwood Learning Center project in the amount of $98,495.

On June 21, 2018, the Commission issued Decision (D.) 18-06-032 which implemented AB 1665 relating to the CASF Broadband Adoption Account, the BPHA and the Broadband Revolving Loan Account. 

On December 13, 2018, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17636 which authorized funding for the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino Digital Learning Centers project in the amount of $405,730.

On February 27, 2020, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17684 which authorized funding for the Northern Valley Catholic Social Service Woodlands II infrastructure project in the amount of $35,949. 

On August 11, 2020, the Commission issued Decision (D.) 20-08-005 which implemented programmatic changes to the BPHA rules and guidelines and the CASF Infrastructure Grant Account.

On December 17, 2020, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17718 which authorized funding for Affordable Housing Alliance II, Inc., dba Integrity Housing’s Stony Point Flats Development and Dutton Flats Development infrastructure projects in the amount of $112,100.

On May 19, 2022, the Commission issued Decision (D.) 22-05-029 which implemented changes to the BPHA enacted by SB 156 and programmatic changes for publicly supported housing developments including farmworker housing, and allocated $15 million funding for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

On December 15, 2022, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17775 which authorized funding for 19 broadband infrastructure projects in the amount of $1,398,593.

On June 8, 2023, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17791 which authorized funding for 14 broadband infrastructure projects in the amount of $1,025,846.70.

On September 22, 2023, Executive Director Resolution T-17798 corrected typos, which mistakenly listed the total amount approved as $951,068.94 when it should have been listed as $1,025,846.70, in Resolution T-17791.

On December 14, 2023, the Commission adopted Resolution T-17805 which authorized funding for five broadband infrastructure projects in the amount of $441,374.

On March 7, 2024, the Commission issued Decision (D.) 24-03-021 which implemented additional changes to the BPHA enacted by SB 156 and programmatic changes to expand eligibility for non-publicly supported housing developments and for project costs to facilitate deployment of broadband networks in low-income communities that lack access to free broadband service that meets state standards.