El Cerrito Plaza BART Station affordable housing gets BAHFA assist
MTC Chair Sue Noack (third from right) helped break ground last week on the El Cerrito Plaza BART Station housing project.
An El Cerrito Plaza BART Station affordable housing project, which celebrated the start of construction this week, had an early infusion of dollars from the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA).
The transit-oriented development project was funded by a multitude of sources, including $2.4 million from BAHFA. These funds were provided early in the process, allowing the project to competitively leverage other state funding sources and bringing in new resources to El Cerrito to help stretch local dollars for greater impact.
BAHFA provided a loan through its Priority Sites program to support predevelopment at Parcel A South, which will be 100% affordable and will include 70 units for people earning 30-60% of the area median income. The project is within close proximity to frequent public transit, essential services and green space.
It is part of a broader master development at the BART site, which once completed, will include 743 units for people of all incomes, of which 47% will be affordable.
El Cerrito Plaza is one of 20 BART stations that have been adopted by regional agencies as Priority Sites. BAHFA, MTC and the Association of Bay Area Governments will continue to support BART, the respective local governments, and their development partners to bring these projects closer to completion through regional funding in the form of predevelopment loans and technical assistance grants.
This project is an example of coordination among state, regional and local partnerships as BAHFA, the California Department of Housing and Community Development, the California Strategic Growth Council, BART, the City of El Cerrito and Contra Costa County combined resources.
In attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony: MTC Chair, BAHFA Board Chair and Pleasant Hill Council Member Sue Noack; ABAG Director, ABAG Housing Committee Vice Chair and El Cerrito Council Member Lisa Motoyama; MTC Executive Director Andrew Fremier; MTC Chief Deputy Executive Director Alix Bockelman; and MTC Deputy Executive Director for Housing and Energy Daniel Saver.
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