ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: October 8, 2026 AGENDA CATEGORY: New Business TO: Housing and Community Development Committee
FROM: Phillip Burns, Development Services Director
DATE: September 14, 2026
SUBJECT: Notice of Funding Availability Award Recommendations for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Committee conditionally approve the award recommendations.
BACKGROUND:
On July 14, 2021, the Bakersfield City Council adopted Resolution No. 124‐2021 to establish the Bakersfield Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF). The intent of the AHTF was to use local funds to leverage and draw in additional outside resources to increase the pool of financing to support the construction of affordable housing.
The City has allocated program funding for the 2026 AHTF Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) in the amount of $4,990,177.05, which include $2,490,177.05 from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) program, $700,000 from the HCD Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF) that goes with a local match of $700,000 from the City’s Public Safety & Community Vitality Measure N (PSVS), and $1,100,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOME-ARP program.
On June 15, 2026, the City of Bakersfield released its NOFA to solicit proposals from qualified applicants to construct quality, affordable housing and support first time homeownership.
NOFA Results:
Cumulatively, the NOFA was open for 36 days. Ten applications were submitted requesting $16,132,911 to build/rehabilitate approximately 694 housing units. Proposals were also received to support new home ownership. Consistent with the NOFA, applications were reviewed and scored by four internal staff members using the following criteria:
The experience and financial capability of the development team; The relationship of the proposed development to the surrounding community, its quality, configuration, appearance, and service of community needs; Market conditions, project feasibility, and level of current funding commitment to begin the Project;
Project readiness;
Consistency with the goals and objectives of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund; Application completeness as it relates to the requirements of this NOFA.
Recommendations:
Staff prepared the attached application summary and recommendations for funding. Based on the Committee’s recommendations, staff will contact the proposed applicants to discuss the next steps.
Each project receiving a reserved allocation of funding will be subject to further underwriting and funding approval by the Bakersfield City Council prior to officially executing a funding agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Housing project loans are funded through the city’s AHTF consisting of various local, state and federal funding sources and require full City Council approval to execute the final funding agreement.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Economic Opportunity for All
Reliable Infrastructure
ATTACHMENT:
2026 AHTF Funding Recommendations