receives funding through the federal Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP), a program that provides funding for investment in federal Low Income Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects. The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC), within the housing finance agency, administers its own low income tax credit program to enhance the LIHTC and help state projects receive federal funding. In 2011, California received more than $325 million from TCAP and had $124 million available in state credits to fund low-income housing projects.43 Through a partnership, OHP could promote the adaptive reuse of historic buildings and conversion into affordable housing units. Policy Recommendation #3: Encourage Heritage Tourism The preservation of historically significant structures can enhance the development of heritage tourism in California. Such tourism would produce more state and local tax revenue, spur economic growth, and add to the state’s already-successful general tourism industry. California is already the number one destination for tourists in the U.S. By one estimate, tourists in California spend $95.1 billion annually, generating $6.1 billion in state and local tax revenues, and supporting more than 800,000 jobs each year.44 OHP can promote statewide historic preservation by launching a heritage campaign with tools and resources available for local governments to partake in preservation projects that will ultimately attract more tourists to different areas of the state. One way to launch a campaign is by forming a state cultural commission that designates cultural landmarks and designates regional heritage areas. These regional heritage areas can be collaborative efforts to protect landscape, preserve historical structures, and overall stimulate regional economic development through regional heritage tourism. Policy Recommendation #4: Encourage Local Ordinances and Conservancies Historic preservation ordinances allow for greater local government access to federal and state funding because they demonstrate willingness to promote, and commitment to, historic preservation. In California, 250 local governments have historic preservation ordinances. A majority of these local governments have not updated or revised their ordinances since inception. OHP should require the revision of local ordinances to include certain provisions: the designation of historic districts with the authority to deny demolitions, the establishment of a
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