SB2 Planning Grants Program
The SB2 Planning Grants Program provides financial and technical assistance to local governments to update planning documents and zoning ordinances in order to streamline housing production, including, but not limited to, general plans; community plans; specific plans; implementation of sustainable communities strategies; and local coastal programs. Eligible uses also include new environmental analyses that eliminate the need for project-specific review and local process updates that improve and expedite local permitting. For more information, visit the SB2 Planning Grants Program website.
Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) Grants and Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Grants
The 2019-20 Budget Act provided $250 million in planning grants and technical assistance to local and regional governments for planning activities that accelerate housing production. HCD will administer the program, and these funds are anticipated to be available in late 2019 through the first half of 2020.
Pro-housing Designations
Through the 2019-20 Budget Act and pursuant to Government Code Section 65589.9(f)(2), requires HCD to develop the Pro-housing designation emergency regulations by no later than July 1, 2021. This program will allow HCD to designate jurisdictions as “Pro-housing,” when they demonstrate policies and strategies to accelerate housing production much the policy considerations noted in this toolkit and developed through the SB2 Planning Grants Program. In turn, Pro-housing jurisdictions will be awarded additional points or preference in programs such as the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC), Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) and Infill Incentive Grant (IIG) programs. HCD anticipates developing emergency regulations and Pro-housing designations prior to July 1, 2021 and will seek to designate jurisdictions prior to future rounds of AHSC, TCC and IIG programs.
Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities Grant Program (AHSC)
The Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities Grant Program (AHSC) funds land-use, housing, transportation, and land preservation projects to support infill and compact development that reduce greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions. Historically, most applicants have been developers of affordable and mixed-income housing, local governments, regional transportation agencies, and public transit providers. For more information, visit the AHSC website.
Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)
The Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) is a flexible program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. The annual CDBG appropriation is allocated between States and local jurisdictions called “non-entitlement” and “entitlement” communities respectively. Entitlement communities are comprised of central cities of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs); metropolitan cities with populations of at least 50,000; and qualified urban counties with a population of 200,000 or more (excluding the populations of entitlement cities). States distribute CDBG funds to non-entitlement localities not qualified as entitlement communities. For more information on how to use CDBG funds for housing activities, visit the CDBG website.
Home Investments Partnerships Program (HOME)
The HOME Investments Partnerships Program (HOME) provides grants to states and local governments to fund a wide range of activities including 1) building, buying, and/or rehabilitating housing for rent or homeownership or 2) providing direct rental assistance to low-income families. It is the largest Federal block grant program for State and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households. For more information, visit the HOME website.
National Housing Trust Fund (HTF)
The National Housing Trust Fund (HTF) supports the acquisition, new construction, or reconstruction of rental units for extremely low-income families or families with incomes below the poverty line. For more information, visit the HTF website.
CalHome
CalHome is available to local public agencies and nonprofit developers to assist individual first-time homebuyers through deferred-payment loans for downpayment assistance, home rehabilitation, including manufactured homes not on permanent foundations, acquisition and rehabilitation, homebuyer counseling, self-help mortgage assistance, or technical assistance for self-help homeownership. Eligible activities include: Predevelopment, site development, and site acquisition for development projects. Rehabilitation and acquisition and rehabilitation of site-built housing, and rehabilitation, repair, and replacement of manufactured homes. Downpayment assistance, mortgage financing, homebuyer counseling, and technical assistance for self-help. For more information, visit the CalHome website.
Multifamily Housing Program (MHP)
The Multifamily Housing Program assists with the new construction, rehabilitation and preservation of permanent and transitional rental housing for lower income households. MHP funds will be provided for post-construction permanent financing only. Eligible costs include the cost of child care, after-school care, and social service facilities integrally linked to the assisted housing units; real property acquisition; refinancing to retain affordable rents; necessary on-site and off-site improvements; reasonable fees and consulting costs; and capitalized reserves. For more information, visit the MHP website.
Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grants
Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grants finance the new construction, rehabilitation, and acquisition of owner-occupied and rental units for agricultural workers, with a priority for lower income households. Activities incurring costs in the development of homeowner or rental housing for agricultural workers, including land acquisition, site development, construction, rehabilitation, design services, operating and replacement reserves, repayment of predevelopment loans, provision of access for the elderly or disabled, relocation, homeowner counseling, and other reasonable and necessary cost are eligible for these funds. For more information, visit the Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grants website.
Infill Infrastructure Grant Programs (IIG)
Infill Infrastructure Grant Programs support infrastructure improvements to facilitate new infill housing development. IIG serves to aid in new construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure that supports higher-density affordable and mixed-income housing in locations designated as infill. Infill project sites must have been previously developed, or largely surrounded by development. To be eligible for funding, a Capital Improvement Project must be an integral part of, or necessary for the development of a Qualifying Infill Project. Program grant funds must be used for reasonable and necessary costs of the Capital Improvement Project. Eligible activities include new construction, rehabilitation, and acquisition of infrastructure. For more information, visit the IIG website.
No Place Like Home
On July 1, 2016, Governor Brown signed landmark legislation enacting the No Place Like Home program to dedicate up to $2 billion in bond proceeds to invest in the development of permanent supportive housing for persons who are in need of mental health services and are experiencing homelessness, chronic homelessness, or who are at risk of chronic homelessness. Funding for permanent supportive housing must utilize low barrier tenant selection practices that prioritize vulnerable populations and offer flexible, voluntary, and individualized supportive services. For more information, visit the No Place Like Home website.
California Emergency Solutions and Housing (CESH)
California Emergency Solutions and Housing (CESH) Program provides funds for a variety of activities to assist persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness. CESH funds may be used for five primary activities: housing relocation and stabilization services (including rental assistance), operating subsidies for permanent housing, flexible housing subsidy funds, operating support for emergency housing interventions, and systems support for homelessness services and housing delivery systems. In addition, some administrative entities may use CESH funds to develop or update a Coordinated Entry System (CES), Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), or Homelessness Plan. For more information, visit the CESH website.
Additional Funding Programs
Additional information about California State Funding Programs to address unhoused populations can be found on the BCSH website.
