September 2022

To continue to address the state’s long-term affordable housing shortfall, California officials today announced all $1.02 billion in new awards for California Housing Accelerator, which provides funding to 30 shovel-ready projects in lieu of tax credit equity to create 2,755 new units of housing, most of it for lower income Californians.

In all, the California Housing Accelerator has awarded $1.9 billion to support 57 projects that will produce 5,070 total units, including affordable low-income homes for seniors, families, transitional-age youth, veterans, the disabled, and unhoused individuals, as well as manager units

“California is tackling the housing affordability crisis with an innovative ‘all of the above’ approach,” said Governor Gavin Newsom, who signed a historic homelessness and housing package yesterday at the site of one of the newest California Housing Accelerator awardees. “The awards going out today will be creating more housing, faster, for projects that can break ground within a matter of weeks and create thousands of homes.”

“Stable affordable housing leads to positive outcomes for families and communities,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “Moving these 30 projects into construction provides sorely-needed affordable housing, promotes local economic growth, and creates opportunity for essential workers, seniors, veterans, and families with children.”

The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) had already provided eligible multifamily housing projects with state funds, but many stalled due to an insufficient supply of tax credits and bonds necessary to complete the job.

“The quick, strategic investments the state has made through the California Housing Accelerator brings us another step closer to the 2.5 million homes needed by 2030, as outlined in our Statewide Housing Plan,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “Just one year after Governor Newsom announced the California Housing Accelerator, HCD has helped partners unlock the ability to construct over 5,000 quality affordable homes, roughly 80 percent of which will be for extremely low to very low-income households and unhoused residents.”

To ensure effective implementation, the program included a dedicated strike team for outreach and reviews as well as a streamlined timeframe to award within 60 days of review. Applicants had to ensure projects proceed to construction within 180 days of awarded funds.

What California Housing Accelerator Award Recipients Have Said:

“On Treasure Island we have an incredible opportunity to create a whole new neighborhood that serves all San Franciscans,” said Mayor London Breed. “As we do that work it’s essential that we have affordable places for people to live that also provide housing for the existing residents of this community. I want to thank the community for their support of this project, as well as our state partners who are providing critical financial support for this project and others throughout San Francisco.”

“We are grateful for Governor Newsom and the State of California for creating the California Housing Accelerator, a new program that recognizes and prioritizes the enormous public benefit in communities like Foon Lok East with nearly 40 percent of homes for extremely low-income families and 30 percent for unhoused community members,” said Matthew O. Franklin, President and CEO of MidPen Housing. “We commend the state for aligning its resources with the need in the community, and in so doing strengthening this neighborhood through investment.”

“TNDC’s ability to make transformative change in San Francisco is only possible with deep investments in supportive and affordable housing like those we’ve seen with the California Housing Accelerator,” said Maurilio León, TNDC CEO. “180 Jones is one of the state’s first Accelerator buildings to advance and get one step closer to serving our neighbors with low incomes. We thank HCD, MOHCD, and the Tenderloin community’s advocacy for helping us build a more equitable and just San Francisco.”

“When we acquired this property from the City of Oakland back in 2014, it had been vacant and neglected for more than 30 years,” said Elaine Brown, CEO of Oakland & the World Enterprises, Accelerator award recipient. “This used to be a vibrant place that represented a better life for blacks migrating to California from other parts of the country, where black-owned businesses thrived and people had hope. When this project is fully up and running, it’s going to completely resurrect the spirit of what 7th Street used to be – a lively, important corridor of commerce, teeming with vitality and opportunity.”

View the full California Housing Accelerator Tier 1 Awards (XLSX) and Tier 2 Awards (XLSX) lists.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced the first round of award funds totaling $53.3 million from the California Emergency Solutions and Housing (CESH) program. CESH is a state program providing funds for a variety of activities to assist people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Authorized by SB 850 (Chapter 48, Statues of 2018), the CESH program is administered by HCD with funding from the Building Homes and Jobs Act Trust Fund (SB 2, Chapter 364, Statutes of 2017) and all remaining California Emergency Solutions Grant funds.

While most are safe and comfortable in safe homes, nearly 130,000 Californians are sleeping in parks, under bridges, or in their cars. California has responded with an infusion of funding to help cities and counties address the needs of those across California who do not have a permanent and safe place to call home.

“We have a long way to go to address the housing needs of Californians who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness,” says HCD Director Ben Metcalf. “We have made and will continue to make authorized resources available for that purpose, and we are excited to be taking this step toward ending homelessness in California.”

CESH program funds have been awarded to applicants and Continuums of Care — regional or local planning bodies that coordinate housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals — to help Californians through rental assistance, housing relocation, stabilization services, outreach services, and more. There are 43 Continuums of Care representing every county in California and all are receiving funds.

The second and final round of CESH funding is anticipated to be available in Spring 2019 for the State to provide essential resources to help homeless families and individuals.

California Emergency Solutions and Housing Program Funding Awards

Round One, $53.3 Million Awarded, January 11, 2019

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is pleased to award $30 million to seven California communities from the National Housing Trust Fund program to help build new housing affordable to Californians who struggle daily to make ends meet.

Established by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the National Housing Trust Fund program helps produce housing for extremely low-income households.

“Increasing the housing supply and making rent affordable is crucial for California, especially for those whose incomes are extremely low,” said HCD Director Ben Metcalf. “These awards will provide much-needed assistance and a place to call home for people who otherwise can’t find safe, stable, and affordable apartments, including people experiencing homelessness, veterans, and special needs populations.”

Funds from the program were awarded to experienced affordable housing developers, including Native American entities, and nonprofit corporations.

A listing of awardees is attached.

California Department of Housing & Community Development

2018 National Housing Trust Fund

Awardee List

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is pleased to award $76 million to help provide residents in communities across California with a place to call home.

The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is the largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed to increase homeownership and affordable housing for low- and very low-income Americans. These awards help cities, counties, developers, and nonprofit community housing development organizations to create and retain affordable housing.

“With housing costs rising statewide, concerns about the availability of homes continue to grow. The HOME program offers a wide range of opportunities for residents, helping to increase the supply of housing, while also preserving the existing housing stock in communities,” said HCD Director Ben Metcalf. “HCD is proud to help build foundations in communities where Californians can thrive.”

The HOME program allows local governments to implement housing strategies designed to meet their specific local needs and priorities. This flexible program funds a wide range of activities for individuals and families, including the purchase of a first home, low-interest loans to rehabilitate their primary homes, and rental housing assistance in the form of vouchers.

A list of awarded program and project activities is attached.

2017/2018 HOME Multifamily Projects Awardee List

2017/2018 HOME First-Time Homebuyer Projects Awardee List

2017/2018 HOME Program Activities Final Awardee List

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced awards totaling $11 million from the federal Emergency Solutions Grants program. These awards will be used to address homelessness throughout California, using a comprehensive, multipronged approach.

The award recipients below will use the grants to help individuals and families avoid homelessness; quickly get back into housing (“rapid rehousing”) if they experience homelessness; conduct outreach and connect people at-risk of or experiencing homelessness to services and temporary or permanent housing.

“Homelessness is a multifaceted, complex problem, but the Emergency Solutions Grants allow us to tackle that problem from a number of angles, which is exactly what we need,” said HCD Director Ben Metcalf. “These grants and the additional funding sources now available in California give us the resources we need to take a big step toward ending homelessness in California.”

Funds for the Emergency Solutions Grants come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and are distributed by HCD through two separate funding pools: Continuum of Care (CoC) Allocation Pool—regional or local planning bodies that coordinate housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals — as Administrative Entities and Balance of State (BoS) Allocation Pool for Continuums of Care “service areas” that do not contain a city or county that receives Emergency Solutions Grants directly from HUD.

The next round of Emergency Solutions Grants is expected to be available in Spring 2019.

Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program Funding Awards

$11 Million Awarded, March 20, 2019

For full breakdown of rapid rehousing, emergency shelter, street outreach, homelessness prevention, Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and grant administration funding and distribution, please visit the ESG webpage.

ESG Balance of State Competitive Funding

ESG Balance of State Noncompetitive Funding

ESG Continuum of Care/Administrative Entities

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced awards totaling $302 million from the No Place Like Home program. Enacted in 2016, No Place Like Home dedicates up to $2 billion in bond funds to build permanent housing with supportive services for Californians who live with severe mental illness and are experiencing homelessness, chronic homelessness, or are at-risk of chronic homelessness. The bonds will be repaid by funding from California’s Mental Health Services Act.

“A home is where your life is centered, where you raise your kids, a place you open to your loved ones. We often take for granted our own support systems that have helped us all remain stable in our own homes,” said HCD Director Ben Metcalf. “This program creates that stability for our neighbors who are living with severe mental illness and experiencing homelessness, people who need extra support to remain stable once they have a home. These awards will help those most in need while promoting healthy communities of opportunity.”

The awarded counties listed below are counties with five percent or more of the State’s homeless population and have the option to administer their own competitive distributions of NPLH funding. Currently, HCD is reviewing statewide competitive applications and those awards will be announced in June 2019.

The second round of competitive No Place Like Home program funding availability will be slated to be announced in fall 2019.

No Place Like Home Program Funding Awards

$302 Million Awarded, March 20, 2019

Approximately $27.7 million in funds available to San Francisco will be awarded later this spring.

SACRAMENTO — As a result of Governor Newsom’s efforts to address the housing affordability crisis in California, the California Department of Housing and Community Development is seeing significant progress from cities not in compliance with state housing law.

In February, Governor Newsom met with California mayors representing cities not compliant with Housing Element law. Since then, three cities have come into compliance and 14 others have either submitted drafts or committed to specific actions toward compliance.

“Strong local planning is key to building a California for All, and the progress thus far is encouraging,” said Department of Housing and Community Development Director Ben Metcalf. “We are seeing meaningful efforts by cities and counties that weren’t in compliance to get back on-track and plan to meet the housing needs in their communities.”

Of the 47 cities that did not have a state-approved housing plan as of the Governor’s State of the State address, three — Orange Cove, Clovis and Soledad — have now come into compliance and another, Fillmore, submitted its adopted plan for final compliance review.

An additional 14 jurisdictions are demonstrating progress by submitting drafts or committing to specific actions toward compliance: Atwater, Covina, Desert Hot Springs, Fort Jones, Holtville, Jurupa Valley, Imperial (city), Lake County, Marina, Paramount, Pismo Beach, Pomona, San Juan Bautista, and Wheatland.

Register Your Mobilehome California, a state program that provides waivers for past-due registration fees and taxes for mobilehomes and manufactured homes, has saved homeowners more than $1.5 million, collectively in third year of program run.

Besides the savings in fees and taxes, homeowners who have taken advantage of the program will also see additional benefits. They are now properly positioned to legally sell or transfer their property, apply for fire and flood insurance, receive financial assistance and rebates from utility providers, and obtain permits for repairs and upgrades

The program, administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), allows people who acquired a mobilehome or manufactured home, but didn’t get the proper registration, to correct the issue and not have to pay back taxes and fees.

“Register Your Mobilehome California gives owners the opportunity to avoid paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars in state and local taxes, fees, and penalties, giving them a more secure situation,” said HCD Director Ben Metcalf. “The program is scheduled to continue through the end of 2019, so please encourage your friends and family members who are mobilehome owners to apply before time runs out.”

Mobilehome and manufactured home owners who have never applied for registration and don’t have title are eligible for the program. Under many circumstances, the owner never realized the mobilehome was supposed to have proper title and registration. Other owners may have wanted title but couldn’t afford the back state and local taxes and fees.

For more information, visit registeryourmobilehomeca.org or call (800) 952-8356. Assistance is available in all languages. A Spanish-language version of the website, as well as other languages through Google Translate, can be accessed by clicking on the upper right corner of the homepage.

SACRAMENTO — More than two dozen mobile home owners in California will be reimbursed for the costs of their homes thanks to settlement reached following a joint investigation by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and Yolo County into the fraudulent practices of a former licensed mobile home dealer and salesperson in Davis, Tustin, and Covina.

As part of the settlement, Western Ventures LP, Abraham Arrigotti, and Svetlana Drita Bronkey agreed to pay $175,000 in restitution. Most of the money, $100,000, will be distributed to all affected homeowners. The remaining $75,000 will go to reimburse the costs of the investigation and legal costs incurred by HCD.

The affected homeowners were sold below-standard homes without notification about the homes’ defects, later resulting in homeowners facing fees and penalties, violation notices, and/or eviction for not repairing their homes in a timely manner. In addition, many victims never obtained title and ownership of their homes after the sale, while others fought for years before titles were transferred into their names.

“Mobile homes and manufactured homes are often the only affordable choice for many Californians,” said HCD Director Ben Metcalf. “HCD’s authority to hold licensed mobile home dealers and salespeople accountable is part of the bigger picture to ensure every Californian has access to a safe, affordable home.”

HCD’s occupational licensing investigators and Legal Affairs Division thoroughly investigated and prosecuted the case with the assistance of Yolo County governmental offices, including the District Attorney’s Office and the Office of Yolo County Supervisor Jim Provenza, who helped set up a task force with the County Sheriff and provided translators for affected homeowners who filed claims.

SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom’s efforts to tackle California’s housing affordability crisis continue to result in significant progress. The state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has announced that two more cities — Jurupa Valley and Paramount — now have housing plans (“Housing Elements”) certified by HCD to comply with state housing law.

In February, Governor Newsom met with mayors and other officials from jurisdictions that were not in compliance with state Housing Element law. Since then, five jurisdictions have come into compliance: Orange Cove, Clovis, Soledad, Jurupa Valley and Paramount. An additional 10 jurisdictions are currently under review by HCD: Atwater, Bradbury, Claremont, Desert Hot Springs, Fillmore, Holtville, Imperial, Lake County, San Juan Bautista, and Wheatland.

“The progress continues,” said Department of Housing and Community Development Director Ben Metcalf. “We’re seeing strong efforts from many of the cities and counties that don’t have state-approved housing plans. Our team is working diligently in partnership with the remaining 42 jurisdictions to bring them into compliance as well.”

Incorporated in 2011, Jurupa Valley — California’s newest city — now has its first-ever state-compliant housing plan. The city of Paramount gained compliance after amending its Clearwater East Specific Plan to allow streamlined development of housing, provided the proposed developments meet certain criteria, including a minimum “density” (homes per acre). Both jurisdictions are now eligible to apply for planning grants from HCD to engage in a variety of activities designed to accelerate housing production.