Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA)
The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) is a first-of-its-kind regional authority created to address the Bay Area’s chronic housing challenges.
The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) is the first regional housing finance authority in California. BAHFA has the potential to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to help address affordable housing — and housing stability — in the Bay Area.
The 3Ps Framework - Solutions to the Housing Crisis
BAHFA’s focus is rooted in the “3Ps” framework. Specifically:
- Protection for current residents to avert displacement
- Preservation of existing housing affordable to lower- and middle-income residents
- Production of new housing at all income levels, especially affordable housing
The goal of this framework is to make sure housing is available for all Bay Area residents, no matter their income.
Collaborating Across Counties & Cities
Currently, the Bay Area’s nine counties and 101 cities and towns address most housing issues individually, and often with limited staff and financial resources.
BAHFA instead encourages coordination, regional thinking, and working together to tackle the housing crisis on a larger scale — because together, we can do more.
The “3Ps” drive BAHFA’s strategy for creating systemic change in the way the Bay Area addresses the housing crisis.
The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) offers resources to planners and policymakers, including a comprehensive database of housing Technical Assistance programs.
Committee Members
Get the list of all 21 Metropolitan Transportation Commissioners that serve on the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority.
Public Advisory Committee
The process for the formation of a permanent nine-member public advisory committee is currently underway.
Staff Contact
Kate Hartley, BAHFA Director
Phone: (415) 778-5230
Email: khartley@bayareametro.gov
BAHFA Oversight Committee
Learn more about the BAHFA Oversight Committee.
Join the BAHFA Mailing List
Subscribe to receive email updates highlighting the work of BAHFA.
Read about how MTC’s planning efforts are working to address the region’s housing crisis.
MTC and Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) policymakers collaborated closely during the legislative process to establish BAHFA, including its unique joint governance structure that requires a double green-light process to obtain policy and programming approvals from both the BAHFA Board (composed of the same board as MTC) and the ABAG Executive Board.
BAHFA shares decision-making with the ABAG Executive Board related to raising and spending funds.
BAHFA was established by California State Legislature AB 1487 (2019, Chiu) to support the production and preservation of affordable housing by placing new revenue options on the ballot. (Due to the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was made not to place a revenue measure on the November 2020 ballot.)
Any new revenue source to be placed on the ballot would require voter approval by a two-thirds vote. Possible future options include:
- General obligation bond backed by property tax receipts (also known as a GO bond)
- Parcel tax
- Gross receipts tax
- Per-employee corporate “head tax”
- Commercial linkage fee (only authorized after voters approve a GO bond or parcel tax)
BAHFA shares decision-making with the ABAG Executive Board related to raising revenues or expenditure of funds.