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Housing Authority approves $5 million CalHome grant application for down-payment aid and home repairs
Summary
The City of Santa Rosa Housing Authority voted 7-0 to submit a $5 million application to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (CalHCD) under the CalHome program, proposing $2 million for down-payment assistance and $3 million for rehabilitation loans (up to $200,000 per unit).
The City of Santa Rosa Housing Authority voted unanimously on Jan. 27 to submit a $5 million application to the California Department of Housing and Community Development under the CalHome program.
Commissioner Conte moved to approve the grant application; Vice Chair Downey seconded. The motion passed on a 7-0 roll call: Commissioners Conte, Friedman, Capio, Owen, Smith, Vice Chair Downey and Chair Newton all voted aye.
The application requests the maximum award allowed in the current CalHome round and proposes to split the funds between down-payment assistance and rehabilitation. Housing Authority staff described the proposed allocation as $2,000,000 for down-payment or mortgage-assistance loans and $3,000,000 for homeowner rehabilitation loans. Under program guidelines cited by staff, loans can be up to $200,000 per household, which staff said would translate to roughly 25 to 30 households if awards hit program maximums.
Why this matters: If awarded, the grant would let the authority restart down-payment assistance that was paused in recent budget cycles and establish a larger homeowner rehab program the authority has not run in several years. Staff estimated the rehab component would be framed around life-safety and essential repairs (roofing, water heaters and similar work) and that loans would be secured by a recorded deed of trust and repayable at time of sale.
Public comment and policy questions
During public comment, David Harris, a former housing authority member, asked whether the authority has a clear policy priority if funds are awarded, noting the potential for funds to be used entirely on rehab or entirely on down-payment assistance. Megan Basinger, the authority’s executive director, said the authority has prior policies for both types of programs and that program policies would be included in the submittal to the state: “We do have policies in place from our down payment assistance program, and the housing authority has operated rehab programs in the past,” she said.
Next steps
Staff will finalize the HCD application and policies as part of the submittal. Commissioners approved the motion to submit the application; authorization to accept and expend any award would require a future action by the authority and would be subject to HCD award terms and program guidelines.
