Salinas updates multifamily NOFA: $8 million offered; five proposals under interdepartmental review

City staff told the Housing and Land Use Committee on Sept. 30 that the 2025–26 multifamily Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) offered approximately $8,000,000 to support affordable housing projects and that five proposals were received.
Vincent Montgomery, planning manager for the Salinas Housing and Community Development Department, said funding sources include the local housing trust fund, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and the HOME CHDO set-aside. Montgomery said staff cannot yet release the names of applicants because the interdepartmental review and award-recommendation process is ongoing.
Staff said four proposals are for new construction and one is for rehabilitation. Unit counts reported by staff range from roughly 36 to 88 units. Montgomery described affordability targets in different parts of the presentation using both "30–80% of area median income" and later "60–80% of area median income;" the transcript contains both figures and the committee did not resolve the discrepancy during the meeting. Proposed amenities mentioned included community rooms, gardens and computer labs; one proposal described permanent supportive housing and another targeted farmworker housing.
Montgomery said staff held a virtual workshop on July 9, closed the application window on July 30 and initiated a multistage review process including interdepartmental scoring and one-on-one applicant meetings to assess readiness and financial capacity. He told the committee funding recommendations will be presented to the Housing and Land Use Committee in October and to the City Council on Nov. 18, with funding agreements anticipated by December 2025 if council approves recommendations.
A public commenter urged careful contract review. Marisol Gonzales, a resident and public commenter, asked the city to scrutinize developer contracts and watch for loopholes that could lead to higher tenant charges or unexpected fees after occupancy. The committee did not take a funding vote at the Sept. 30 meeting.