California Housing Partnership
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| California Housing Partnership | |
|---|---|
| Name | California Housing Partnership |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | California |
| Region served | California |
| Focus | Affordable housing, housing policy, community development |
California Housing Partnership The California Housing Partnership is a nonprofit organization that provides technical assistance, policy analysis, financing expertise, and capacity building to affordable housing developers, community land trusts, and public agencies across California. It works with a wide range of stakeholders including nonprofit developers, local housing authorities, philanthropic foundations, and state agencies to preserve and expand affordable rental housing, influence housing policy, and advise on housing finance strategies. The Partnership engages with networks spanning Los Angeles County, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego County, and other metropolitan and rural regions across the state.
Overview and Mission
The organization’s mission emphasizes preserving existing subsidized housing, creating new affordable rental units, and strengthening nonprofit developers, community development corporations, and housing authorities. It provides capacity-building, financial modeling, and preservation strategies used by partners such as Mercy Housing, Related Companies, The Community Builders, BRIDGE Housing, and East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation. The Partnership collaborates with state entities like the California Department of Housing and Community Development, regional bodies including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and federal agencies such as the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to align resources and regulatory incentives. It participates in coalitions alongside Housing California, Enterprise Community Partners, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and philanthropic funders including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and The James Irvine Foundation.
History and Development
Founded in the 1990s by housing advocates and affordable housing practitioners, the organization emerged amid statewide debates following actions by entities like the Sierra Club, California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, and municipal housing programs in Oakland and San Jose. Early work included technical assistance for projects financed through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and the Community Development Block Grant program. Over time it expanded services in response to crises such as the early-2000s housing shortages, the 2008 financial crisis affecting lenders like Wells Fargo and Bank of America, and the 2010s surge in homelessness that prompted engagement with county offices and initiatives in Los Angeles County, San Francisco Homelessness and Supportive Housing, and San Diego Housing Commission. Leadership and board members have included experts with backgrounds at institutions like University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Harvard Kennedy School, and nonprofit networks including Northern California Community Loan Fund.
Programs and Services
Services span project underwriting, loan packaging, technical assistance for rehabilitation, property management advising, and preservation planning for at-risk portfolios owned by entities such as HUD-insured owners, mission-driven landlords, and faith-based developers like Catholic Charities USA. Program offerings include financial modeling compatible with funding sources such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit administered by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, tax-exempt bond financing through county housing authorities, and coordination with place-based initiatives like HOPE SF and Destination: Home. The Partnership provides training for nonprofit boards, organizes convenings with organizations such as California Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies, and assists in navigating regulations like the Density Bonus Law and state programs administered by the California Housing Finance Agency and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee. It supports preservation efforts involving tenants represented by groups including Tenants Together, Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, and Inner City Law Center.
Policy Advocacy and Research
The organization publishes research and policy memos on housing supply, preservation, and finance, informing legislation debated in the California State Legislature and policy discussions at the California State Capitol. Analyses cover interactions with programs like the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, No Place Like Home Program, and federal proposals from the United States Congress affecting mortgage markets and tax policy. It files comments and provides expert testimony before commissions such as the California Fair Political Practices Commission and regional planning agencies including the Bay Area Rapid Transit District planning bodies. Research outputs are used by advocates at Public Advocates, Natural Resources Defense Council when intersecting housing with environmental and transit policy, and by stakeholders in litigation involving entities like National Housing Law Project.
Funding and Partnerships
Funding sources include earned revenue from fee-for-service contracts, grants from private foundations such as The Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and program-related investments from community development financial institutions including California Community Reinvestment Corporation and Community HousingWorks. The Partnership leverages relationships with public funders such as the California Department of Housing and Community Development, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and local housing authorities in jurisdictions like Los Angeles Housing Department and San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. It partners with lenders and intermediaries including Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, Bank of America Community Development Banking, Low Income Investment Fund, and national nonprofits such as Enterprise Community Partners and National Community Stabilization Trust.
Impact and Criticism
Impact assessments cite preserved affordable units, technical assistance outcomes, and contributions to state housing policy; the Partnership’s work has influenced preservation transactions affecting properties financed by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and HUD rental assistance contracts. Supporters include nonprofit developers like Mercy Housing, advocacy groups such as Housing California, and philanthropic funders. Critics from some developer and fiscal conservative circles argue that preservation-focused strategies can limit market-rate production favored by entities like California Building Industry Association and sometimes complicate land use decisions contested at city councils in San Diego, Sacramento City Council, and Los Angeles City Council. Tenant advocates and community organizers including Los Angeles Tenants Union and Bay Area Community Services have at times pushed for stronger resident protections than those advanced by preservation financing models. The organization continues to adapt amid debates over statewide initiatives such as Proposition 13 (1978), local zoning reforms, and federal tax policy changes debated in the United States Congress.