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Commission reviews Certificate of Preference report as outreach expands but affordable matches remain limited
Summary
At a May 7 workshop, MOHCD staff said outreach and process changes produced more active Certificate of Preference (COP) holders and faster certification, but commissioners and public commenters said available city units often do not match COP holders— incomes or family sizes, limiting lease‑ups.
The Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure heard an overview of the Certificate of Preference (COP) program for fiscal year 2022–23 on May 7, when MOHCD staff described expanded outreach and operational changes that sped certification but left many holders without units they could accept.
Pam Sims, senior development specialist in the Mayor—s Office of Housing and Community Development, told commissioners the COP program grants a preference to households displaced by redevelopment and their direct descendants and "provides qualified COP holders a lottery priority when renting or purchasing an affordable OCII unit." She reported that of 7,332 total COPs, 1,583 were "active" during the 2022–23 period, a roughly 73% increase over the prior year.
Maria Benjamin, MOHCD deputy director for homeownership and BMR…
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