Housing

MTC Commissioners and the ABAG Executive Board have voted to endorse Assembly Constitutional Amendment 14, which would dedicate 5% from the state’s General Fund each year over a 10-year period to address California’s affordable housing and homelessness crisis.

As the total apartment size has decreased throughout the past 10 years, so has the amount of living space per renter in the Bay Area and across the country, according to a new study from RentCafe.

With home prices reaching an all-time high of $405,000 in the United States, a new report by Point2 looks at how much square footage $400,000 buys in the nation’s 100 largest cities.

Growing housing prices continues to be a concern, especially for those living in the most populous and desirable U.S. cities. And for good reason as, with the constant rise in million-dollar and luxury homes for sale, the threshold for what is considered affordable homes is getting higher as well, according to a new report from Point2Homes.com.

The Bay Area Council has long advocated for a strong regional approach to addressing our housing crisis, including supporting legislation that created the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA). In this guest item highlighted in the council's Weekly Flash newsletter, Metropolitan Transportation Commission Chair Alfredo Pedroza and Association of Bay Area Governments Chair Jesse Arreguin outline the purpose and objectives for BAHFA.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) announced Tuesday new underwriting guidelines for its four-year-old Bay Area Preservation Pilot loan fund, which is designed to help nonprofit housing developers and community land trusts finance the acquisition and preservation of existing multifamily properties that are affordable for lower- and moderate-income renters and located in areas with high-frequency transit service.

Two tiny model homes have landed at the Castro Valley Station parking lot, which is currently underutilized by passengers as BART continues to bring riders back to the system, the agency said.

Looking back over the first year of ABAG's Regional Housing Technical Assistance (RHTA) Program, the program has accomplished much to help jurisdictions prepare to submit their updated 6th Cycle Housing Elements.

The Partnership for the Bay’s Future has announced $5 million in grants focused on advancing equitable housing policies.

A group of local governments and community-based organizations led by BayREN is among five groups nationwide selected by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy to receive technical assistance through the Energy Equity for Renters Initiative.