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Alameda County committee advances $52.95M in Measure W awards to full board, freeing funds for homeless‑serving housing
Summary
County staff recommended increasing the Measure W capital round to $52.95 million to fund 10–11 affordable housing projects (including homeless‑serving units); the committee voted to forward the awards to the full board for adoption.
The Alameda County Health Committee voted to forward results of a Measure W capital RFP to the full Board of Supervisors after staff recommended increasing the round from $40 million to $52.95 million to fund projects that leverage state resources and deliver homeless‑serving units.
John Lowe and other County Department of Housing and Community Development staff described a rapid RFP process: 20 proposals were submitted, 11 passed completeness and moved to scoring, and staff recommended funding 10 projects through this round while one county‑owned project will be handled separately. Staff said the awards would support more than 900 new affordable units, including over 300 units targeted for households experiencing homelessness, and would advance multiple projects toward competitive state funding applications.
Why it matters: Measure W capital funds were set aside to build homeless housing and bring additional state and outside resources into Alameda County; advancing this round aims to move shovel‑ready projects into construction and preserve eligibility for tax credits and other leveraged funding streams.
City of Oakland and nonprofit housing developers spoke in support. Oakland officials told the committee local partners have committed more than $100 million in matching or pipeline funds to position the county‑funded projects for tax credits and construction. Developers including Eden Housing urged the committee to approve the listed awards to prevent projects from stalling and losing leverageable state resources.
Committee action and vote: A committee member moved to forward the RFP results to the full board; a second was recorded and the clerk called votes for supervisors present. The clerk called Supervisors Tam and Riley by name and recorded “Aye” for both; the committee announced the motion passed. Staff said a subsequent board action would adopt funding resolutions and reserve construction funding contingent on projects securing expected financing within 12 months.
Details from staff: The RFP prioritized speed (projects ready for construction within 12 months), geographic distribution across supervisorial districts, feasibility and competitiveness for state tax credits. Staff noted that of the 20 proposals received, eight were initially incomplete for reasons that included permitting or missing required homeless‑unit commitments. One applicant withdrew; the remainder advanced to scoring. Staff also said additional capital rounds will be considered to capture acquisition, conversion and small‑lot development opportunities beyond new tax‑credit construction.
Next step: The committee forwarded the recommendations to the full board for adoption of funding resolutions and reservations; staff said they plan future RFPs and programs to expand funding options for a wider set of homeless‑serving projects.
