July 17, 2026

Sticks & Bricks News for Developers: Endorsement Process

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This month’s Sticks & Bricks features updates on SV@Home’s enhanced Project Endorsement Program, new land and funding opportunities, and state resources supporting transit-oriented affordable housing. We also highlight upcoming convenings, webinars, and networking opportunities designed to help developers stay informed on emerging policies, financing tools, and industry trends. Whether you are advancing a project today or planning for tomorrow, this issue offers resources to help you navigate California’s evolving affordable housing landscape.

SV@Home’s Project Endorsement Process

Looking to strengthen support for your next housing development? SV@Home’s Project Endorsement Program is designed to help affordable, missing middle, and innovative housing developments navigate the entitlement process by providing advocacy, public support, and community engagement. Endorsed projects may receive letters of support, testimony at Planning Commission and City Council meetings, grassroots engagement, and other advocacy tools to help move projects forward.

Our recently updated Project Endorsement Application makes it easier than ever to request support by providing key project details, anticipated funding sources, regulatory tools, project timelines, and any challenges your team is facing. If you have an active or upcoming project in Santa Clara County, we encourage you to submit an application early and let us know about any important deadlines so we can determine how best to support your project.

Land and Funding Opportunities 

Explore these new funding sources for affordable housing development:

  • San Jose Rolling RFP: The City of San José has launched a rolling RFP for its Gap Financing Program, accompanied by updated underwriting guidelines. Projects submitted will be publicly scored, with top proposals prioritized for funding and the remainder added to a new waitlist.
  • Homekey+ and Tribal Homekey+: The State of California has launched two parallel funding programs to expand Permanent Supportive Housing for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness with behavioral health challenges. The Homekey+ NOFA provides $2.145 billion for projects serving veterans and other individuals with behavioral health needs, and the Tribal Homekey+ NOFA allocates $121 million specifically for Tribes and Tribal Entities.
  • NEW: Milpitas Transit Center TOD RFP: The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has released an RFP to develop a 1.7-acre site at the Milpitas Transit Center, seeking proposals for high-density residential, mixed-use, or commercial development. Affordable, mixed-income, and market-rate housing proposals are all eligible, provided they align with VTA’s Transit-Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Policy. Proposals are due August 21, 2026.

News and Resources

Access important resources and guidance for affordable housing development:

  • ICE Response Resources
    • 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. Here we have compiled a list of available resources to help navigate these challenges.
  • NEW: 2026 Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Guidelines Released
    • HCD has released the 2026 Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Guidelines implementing AB 130’s new statewide VMT Mitigation Bank and Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Fund. The new framework is designed to channel CEQA mitigation funds into location efficient affordable housing and related infrastructure, creating a new long-term financing tool for TOD housing projects.
  • NEW: Two Propositions. Big Implications for Housing. (Prop 1 & Prop 43)
    • This November, California voters will get to decide on two ballot measures that could shape the future of affordable housing financing. Proposition 1 would provide $11.25 billion in new funding to build and preserve affordable housing, while Proposition 43 could make it significantly harder to approve future local housing funding measures, making both initiatives critical for the housing development community and its allies to advance housing in the years ahead.

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars for these key industry events:

  • NEW: Residents United Network (RUN) Bay Area Regional Convening
    • Join the Residents United Network (RUN) on Tuesday, July 29, from 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM in Oakland to connect with affordable housing residents, advocates, and practitioners working to advance housing justice through grassroots organizing. The convening offers an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, hear directly from residents, and support resident-led advocacy efforts.
  • All-Hands Regional Convening 
    • The co-chairs of the Regional Housing Stakeholder Committee (RHSC) are inviting you to an All-Hands Regional Convening to engage in an effort that will advance a housing revenue measure for the Bay Area as early as 2028. This convening on Friday, July 24, from 1:00 to 3:30pm at Bay Area Metro Center is designed to create a structured and accessible space for meaningful input on key policy questions. Your participation will help ensure that this effort reflects the breadth of needs, experiences, and perspectives across the Bay Area. Please note that space is limited, and we request that only one person attend per organization.
  • NEW: Home from Work: Design Trade-Offs in Office-to-Residential Conversions
    • Join this webinar on Wednesday, July 22, from 9:30 AM to hear architects behind major office-to-residential conversion projects discuss the design strategies, trade-offs, and innovations shaping adaptive reuse.
  • NEW: Taking Stock of Interim Housing: Lessons from the Bay Area
    • Join the Terner Center & All Home on Tuesday, July 21, from 10:00 – 11:00 AM for a webinar exploring new research on interim housing programs across the Bay Area. The discussion will examine lessons learned, policy tradeoffs between interim and permanent housing, and strategies to better address homelessness.