Update

Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA)

The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) is a regional public authority that works to create a Bay Area where there is enough safe, affordable and stable housing for all residents. The California Legislature created BAHFA in 2019 after determining that the Bay Area’s housing challenges were too great for any one city or county to meaningfully address. A regional approach will support Bay Area communities to create and preserve affordable homes and protect tenants.  

Credit
Noah Berger

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 works to transform the way affordable housing is financed in the region and encourages collaboration across all cities and counties to solve the Bay Area’s affordable housing challenges together.

BAHFA is working to bring immediate housing benefits to the region, including:  

  • A potential regional bond measure to generate $10 to $20 billion to build more affordable homes and help keep existing homes affordable. 
  • Several programs, including:
    • Doorway, an online affordable housing search and application portal that serves the nine counties, to simplify the process of finding affordable homes in the Bay Area.
    • A rental assistance subsidy program in Napa to prevent extremely low-income seniors and people with disabilities from becoming homeless. 
    • One-time state grants for affordable housing preservation and production projects. 
    • A Bay Area affordable housing pipeline to provide a comprehensive inventory of affordable housing projects in pre-development in the region.
BAHFA Equity Framework & Funding Programs

BAHFA has released its Equity Framework and Funding Programs.

Learn more about the Equity Framework and Funding Programs.
Bay Area Affordable Housing Bond

In November 2024, Bay Area residents could potentially vote on a regional bond measure to generate $10-$20 billion to build more affordable homes and help keep existing homes affordable.

Read more about the potential bond measure.

The 3Ps Framework - Solutions for the Bay Area

The 3Ps drive BAHFA’s strategy for creating systemic change in the way the Bay Area addresses its housing challenges. The framework is rooted in:

  • Production of new housing at all income levels, especially affordable housing
  • Preservation of existing housing affordable to lower- and middle-income residents 
  • Protection for current residents to avoid eviction and displacement from their communities

The goal of this framework is to make sure housing is available for all Bay Area residents, no matter their income. Read more about BAHFA’s 3Ps Framework.

Staff Contact

Kate Hartley, BAHFA Director
Phone: 415-778-6679
Email: BAHFA@BayAreaMetro.gov

Join the BAHFA Mailing List

Subscribe to receive email updates highlighting BAHFA’s work.

BAHFA Advisory Committee Members
  • Jamie Almanza, Executive Director, Bay Area Community Services
  • Aissia Ashoori, Housing Manager, City of El Cerrito
  • Efrén Carrillo, CEO, Gallaher Community Housing
  • Consuelo Hernandez, Director, County of Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing
  • Nevada V. Merriman, Director of Policy, MidPen Housing Corporation
  • Tomiquia Moss, Founder & CEO, All Home
  • Hugo Ramirez, Community Development Program Manager, San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development
  • Leelee Thomas, Deputy Director, Housing & Grants Division, Community Development Agency, County of Marin
  • Michelle Whitman, Executive Director, Sonoma County Community Development Commission
BAHFA History

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.

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