Welcome to the Developer Corner! As affordable housing developers, you are at the forefront of tackling the Bay Area’s housing crisis. However, navigating the complex landscape of policy changes, funding sources, and industry shifts can be a challenge. That’s where this space comes in—providing you with the essential updates, resources, and opportunities that directly impact your work.
What is the “Developer Corner”?
Developers play a crucial role in delivering affordable housing, yet staying on top of industry challenges, policy updates, and funding changes can feel overwhelming. This column is designed to support you in navigating the development landscape by providing timely updates, highlighting relevant resources, and showcasing opportunities. From policy shifts to funding updates and upcoming events, we aim to keep you informed and empowered to move projects forward.
About Manuel
Manuel Salazar is the Planning and Production Associate at SV@Home. For nearly two years, he has worked alongside developers and city staff to advance affordable housing projects and advocate for pro-housing policies. As a proud Bay Area native, he is deeply committed to ensuring every Santa Clara County resident has access to a safe and stable home. This column is an extension of that mission—offering insights and tools to help the community continue building housing solutions.
Funding Opportunities
Explore these new funding sources for affordable housing development:
The Homekey+ NOFA provides $2.145 billion for Permanent Supportive Housing for veterans and individuals with behavioral health challenges who are homeless or at risk. Projects must follow Housing First principles and complete construction within 12 to 24 months, depending on project type.
The Tribal Homekey+ NOFA provides $121 million for Tribes and Tribal Entities to expand Permanent Supportive Housing for households experiencing or at risk of homelessness with behavioral health challenges. Applications open in January 2025 and require pre-application meetings.
The 2025 Multifamily Finance Super NOFA offers approximately $382 million in funding across multiple programs, including MHP, VHHP, and IIG, with a new capitalized operating subsidy reserve for MHP projects. Applications are due by April 15, 2025, and 20% of funds ($96 million) will be reserved for wildfire-impacted areas, with a separate NOFA for Tribal housing projects.
The Partnership for the Bay’s Future provides flexible loan funds to support affordable housing development across five Bay Area counties for households earning 0-120% AMI. Key funds include the Community Housing Fund for deeply affordable projects and the Bay’s Future Fund, offering competitive financing with loans up to $15 million.
The proposed Affordable Housing Bond of 2026 (AB 736 and SB 417) aims to allocate $10 billion in general obligation funds to support the construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable housing in California. If passed, it will create over 135,000 affordable homes, including housing for farmworkers and tribal communities.
Resources
Access important resources and guidance for affordable housing development:
HCD AB 2097 Technical Advisory Resources
AB 2097, signed into law in 2022, eliminates mandatory parking minimums within one-half mile of major transit stops. The law was expanded in 2024 through AB 2553, which broadens the definition of “major transit stop” by including bus services with intervals of 20 minutes or less, taking effect in 2025. For more resources and detailed information, click the link above.
HCD & DGS Launch Program Improvements for Excess State-Owned Land
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Department of General Services (DGS) have launched an initiative to streamline the leasing of state-owned land for affordable housing, identifying 23 new sites from over 44,000 parcels. Notably, one of these available sites is located in Gilroy, offering an opportunity for development in south county.
At SV@Home, we are committed to providing developers with the resources necessary to effectively train staff on how to respond to potential ICE raids. We also emphasize the importance of informing tenants about their rights in these situations to ensure their protection and empower communities. Here we have compiled a list of available resources to help navigate these challenges.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for these key industry events:
Terner Center: Building After Disaster
The Terner Center, in collaboration with the California Policy Lab and Othering and Belonging Institute, is hosting an event on March 12 at UC Berkeley to discuss the housing and equity implications of catastrophic events, disaster reconstruction, and community resilience.
The ULI San Francisco’s Housing the Bay Summit 2025 on April 29 will explore opportunities to boost housing production across the Bay Area, featuring keynote speaker Jim Heid and discussions on homelessness solutions, innovative production techniques, and transit-oriented developments.