FINAL DRAFT
JUNE 2026
COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
ACTION PLAN
City of
MOUNTAIN VIEW
Attachment 1
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 2 Acknowledgments
CITY COUNCIL
COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Ray Bramson, Destination: Home
Alex Brown, Mountain View Mobile Home Alliance
Diana Castillo, Santa Clara County
Office of Supportive Housing
Regina Celestin Williams, Silicon Valley at Home
Jan Lindenthal-Cox, San Francisco
Housing Accelerator Fund
Pilar Lorenzana, CoLab Spark
Julie Mahowald, Housing Trust of Silicon Valley
Maria Marroquin, Day Worker Center of Mountain View
Olga Melo, Mountain View Community Land Trust
Sandy Perry, South Bay Community Land Trust
Angel Santuario, Mountain View Tenants Coalition
Rachel VanderVeen, Santa Clara County
Housing Authority
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM
Kimbra McCarthy, City Manager
Arn Andrews, Assistant City Manager
Audrey Ramberg, Assistant City Manager
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW PROJECT TEAM
Wayne Chen, Housing Director
Lenka Wright, Chief Communications Officer
Mayra Cordero, Community Outreach Specialist
CITY FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE
SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Derek Rampone, Finance and Administrative
Services Director
Grace Zheng, Assistant Finance and
Administrative Services Director
CONSULTANT TEAM
Community Planning Collaborative
David Driskell
Kristy Wang
Rachel Ozer-Bearson
Abbie Tuning
ECOnorthwest
Amanda Ufheil-Somers
Erik Bagwell
Good City Company
Micaela Hellman-Tincher
Emily Ann Ramos, Mayor
Chris Clark, Vice Mayor
Alison Hicks, Councilmember
Ellen Kamei, Councilmember
John McAlister, Councilmember
Lucas Ramirez, Councilmember
Pat Showalter, Councilmember
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 3 Table of Contents
Acknowledgments 2
Executive Summary 4
1. About the Community Ownership Action Plan 6
2. People-Centered Housing 11
3. Defining Community-Owned Housing 14
4. Making Community-Owned Housing Work 20
5. Five-Y ear Goals and Action Plan 27
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 4 Resident Roles in Governance
Residents have meaningful roles
in oversight, decision-making,
or ownership.
Decommodification
Mission-driven organizations
own and operate housing that
protects long-term affordability
and is removed from speculative
market pressures.
Executive Summary
Community Stewardship
Housing is managed with a long-
term perspective that considers
current and future residents, sound
operations, asset preservation, and
community integration.
Mountain View has long been proactive in addressing housing needs through affordable housing production, tenant protections, homelessness response, and homeownership programs. Y et significant gaps remain. Housing costs in Mountain View are among the highest in the region, many lower-income households face severe rent burdens, and older naturally affordable rental homes remain vulnerable to demolition and redevelopment. These pressures can destabilize families, displace long-term residents, make it difficult for essential workers to live here, and erode community connectedness.
The Community Ownership Action Plan (COAP) is part of the City’s 2023-31 Housing Element to comprehensively address tenant displacement. The COAP is also just one component of the City’s broader housing response designed to address these challenges through innovative housing models centered on long-term resident and community benefit.
The COAP advances a people-centered vision: a future where housing supports community well-being, health, connectedness, affordability, and stability for all.
Unlike conventional housing models that prioritize financial return, community ownership intends to preserve housing as a lasting community asset while giving residents a voice in decisions affecting their homes.
For purposes of the COAP, community-owned housing is defined by three core elements:
Community-owned housing can take many forms and structures and can provide rental or ownership opportunities for residents. The COAP is intended to be flexible enough to support different models, as long as the project aligns with the COAP’s vision, guiding principles, and definition of community-owned housing.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 5 Convener – align partners and sustain
implementation momentum.
Funder – deploy and leverage capital
for acquisitions, rehabilitation, and
preservation.
Capacity Builder – strengthen
organizations and the broader support
ecosystem.
Policy Leader – adopt supportive policies
and advocate regionally and statewide.
Community-owned housing typically does not emerge on its own in the private market and requires intentional support. Successful projects depend on access to flexible capital, capable mission-driven organizations, technical expertise, strong governance, and resident education. In Mountain View and the broader region, this ecosystem is still developing. As a result, the COAP emphasizes capacity building, partnerships, and gradual scaling through early pilot projects rather than expecting immediate large-scale production.
Additionally, because these efforts are new in Mountain View and nascent in the region, implementing the COAP will require learning with partners and the flexibility to update the plan as needed based on new information, findings, and needs.
To help catalyze this work, the City will serve four primary roles:
The COAP includes a Five-Y ear Implementation Plan with five goals and related actions.
While the initial 50-unit target is modest relative to citywide need, the COAP is designed to establish systems, partnerships, and demonstrated successes that can support more units in the future. Over time, community-owned housing can become a durable complement to the conventional housing system by preserving existing housing and providing stable, people- centered housing that reduces displacement risk and places residents and community first.
1. Achieve at least 50 Community-
Owned Housing Units
2. Continue to Build the Community-
Owned Housing Fund
3. Build Capacity Within Organizations
and the Broader Ecosystem
4. Transition from City-Led Catalyst
to Shared and Regional Leadership
5. Monitor Housing Quality, Resident
Stability, and Resident Governance
A key implementation tool is the City’s Community Owned Housing Fund, structured as a flexible financing resource to support acquisitions and rehabilitation. The City has already committed $4 million in seed funding and seeks to leverage outside resources to grow the fund to $25 million to acquire and preserve at least 50 community-owned housing units per the City’s Housing Element.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 6 SECTION 1 KEY TAKEAWAYS
› The COAP was developed based on input from a 12-member advisory committee, stakeholders, and practitioners, and direction from the City Council. › Mountain View’s robust economy is both a strength of the community and an underlying cause of the City’s housing costs and affordability challenges. › High housing demand, rents, and home prices put redevelopment pressure on older, naturally affordable housing, creating displacement risk for low-income residents and vulnerable households.
› The Community Ownership Action Plan (COAP) is one part of the City’s Tenant Displacement Response Strategy, helping to acquire and preserve existing housing and support household stability.
› If successful, the COAP will create the infrastructure to scale beyond the initial 50 units required by the City’s Housing Element.
Introduction
Over the past two decades, the City of Mountain View has taken proactive steps to respond to the wide-ranging housing needs of its residents and community members. This includes significantly expanding the supply of affordable housing, and developing policies and programs to address homelessness, support homeownership, and prevent tenant displacement.
Despite these efforts, housing needs remain substantial. Mountain View is home to leading global companies, and its strong schools, transit system, parks, and amenities make it an extremely desirable place to live. Many households with higher incomes and significant assets—such as equity compensation—are willing and able to pay more for housing in this context, and market-rate housing is priced accordingly, resulting in rents and sales prices that are among the highest in the region and State. This strong economic environment is a key strength for the community; however, it is also an underlying cause of the City’s high housing costs and affordability challenges.
1. About the Community Ownership Action Plan
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 7 These market dynamics place pressure on the many lower-income households who live in Mountain View. These residents fill essential roles in the community – such as service, retail, and domestic workers – but are more vulnerable to housing instability and rent increases due to their low incomes. Other groups with variable or informal incomes may experience even greater vulnerability. These community members often rely on older housing that is more naturally affordable than newly built units, but the older units are more susceptible to redevelopment pressures, which can result in demolition of the units and displacement of the residents.
Tenant Displacement Response Strategy
These redevelopment pressures have already resulted in the loss of a significant number of older, naturally affordable rental units in Mountain View. Since 2014, approximately 1,000 such units have been demolished or are slated for demolition as part of redevelopment projects. These units have been or will be replaced by higher-cost market-rate housing that are not affordable to many of the former residents displaced from the original housing. These older units—now covered under the City’s rent stabilization program, the Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act (CSFRA)—represent a critical component of the City’s housing supply.
In 2019, the City Council identified addressing the loss of CSFRA units and the displacement of affected residents as a top priority and initiated development of the Tenant Displacement Response Strategy (Strategy). In 2023, the City adopted its 2023–2031 Housing Element, which includes Program 3.2 to advance this Strategy.
Community Ownership Action Plan
As part of implementing the Tenant Displacement Response Strategy, the City’s Housing Element Program 3.2 includes several objectives, including developing a Community Ownership Action Plan (COAP) to explore and advance new models for preserving and acquiring existing housing.
The City’s Housing Element Program 3.2 includes the following key objective:
“Create a community ownership action plan for a community ownership model/structure that, with community partners, could address housing needs that are not met through traditional affordable housing and that could take part in preservation and acquisition activities. The action plan will identify the City’s and other organizations’ responsibilities, establish a schedule such that acquisition could occur within two years, depending on the timing of funding opportunities and the fulfillment of other organizations’ responsibilities.” and
facilitate “…community ownership models to acquire/preserve at least 50 housing units.” Mountain View
Housing Element
2023-2031
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 8 Why the COAP is Needed
Community-owned housing does not develop on its own within the conventional housing market.
Market-rate development is driven by financial returns, which can create speculation and redevelopment pressures that may lead to tenant displacement. Publicly subsidized affordable housing provides housing for low-income households, but funding is limited, and projects must meet many requirements of various funding sources, which limits the ability of traditional affordable housing to address the full range of a community’s housing needs.
The COAP is focused on ensuring permanently affordable housing that incorporates resident governance and long-term community stewardship as additional factors for long-term success. While community-building activities or programming may be present in market-rate or traditional affordable housing, they do not substitute for the resident governance and stewardship goals that define community-owned housing.
Creating the “people first” housing envisioned by the COAP requires different structures, partnerships, and capacities that are not present in standard development processes. The COAP is intended to create the conditions—through coordination, capacity building, and flexible funding—under which these models can be implemented and expanded over time.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 9 March 2026 Convened to review potential
COAP goals and actions.
October 2024 – June 2025 Met 8 times to
provide input across all aspects of the COAP,
including the Vision and Guiding Principles;
definitions and project models for community
ownership; strategies to build capacity and
infrastructure; and the identification of actions,
roles, and responsibilities within the five-year
implementation plan.
May 2026 Convened to review draft COAP.
COAP DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE
City Council actions, COAP Advisory Committee (COAPAC) engagement, and key milestones in the development of the Community Ownership Action Plan. All meetings and materials were provided in English and Spanish to support full participation.
COAP ADVISORY COMMITTEE
How the COAP was Developed
The COAP was developed through a comprehensive process informed by research, input from the COAP Advisory Committee (COAPAC) and stakeholders, and direction from the City Council. Through a competitive selection process, the City engaged a consultant team led by Community Planning Collaborative with ECOnorthwest to support development of the COAP.
The COAP development timeline is shown below.
June 23, 2026 Adopted the COAP (pending).
September 9, 2025 Approved staff’s
recommendations for the COAP vision,
guiding principles, City roles, and appropriation
of $75,000 in City funding for a Technical
Assistance Grad Program.
March 19, 2024 Approved staff’s
recommendations for the overall tenant
displacement response strategy, COAP scope of
work, and allocation of $4 million in City funding
for acquisition/preservation project.
CITY COUNCIL
October 8, 2024 Appropriated $4 million in City
funding for acquisition/preservation projects.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 10 In addition to City Council actions and input from the COAPAC, the City conducted extensive stakeholder engagement throughout the process, including one-on-one meetings with each COAPAC member organization, as well as additional discussions with other organizations in the region that are actively developing or have an interest in community ownership projects, including the Sobrato Foundation, City of Oakland, San Francisco Community Land Trust, Bay Area Housing Finance Authority, Enterprise Communities, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Los Angeles County, and Marin County.
A Blueprint for Action
The COAP establishes a five-year blueprint for the City and its partners to meet Housing Element objectives and facilitate at least 50 units of innovative, community-owned housing centered on the needs of residents and the community.
This work is critical because Mountain View has approximately 12,500 units fully covered under the CSFRA, many of which may face redevelopment pressure over time. The COAP represents a significant civic and institutional effort. Once the necessary systems, partnerships, and capacity have been developed, the COAP will have established the conditions needed to expand beyond the 50 units to preserve additional vulnerable homes through community-owned housing.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 11
2. People-Centered Housing
SECTION 2 KEY TAKEAWAYS
› The COAP prioritizes a people-centered approach instead of maximizing financial returns. › It seeks to catalyze change across three levels—household, community, and system. › It is driven by a vision for community well-being, health, connectedness, affordability, and stability, and is guided by six key principles.
› Requires several important conditions for success informed by lessons from similar initiatives in other communities, including flexible funding, organizational capacity, and partnership support.
Introduction
The COAP seeks to facilitate innovative housing models that prioritize the needs of residents and community over profit maximization, led by mission-driven organizations focused on preventing displacement. This people-centered approach promotes resident stability and well-being, community cohesion, and long-term operational sustainability. The COAP seeks to catalyze change at three levels:
Household level. The COAP seeks to reduce housing instability and the near- and long-term impacts of displacement. By engaging households as long-term partners, community-owned housing can provide affordable, stable housing while also supporting resident well-being.
Community level. The COAP seeks to strengthen organizational capacities, connectedness, and community stewardship to create housing that is locally rooted. Community-owned housing can preserve affordability and stability while stewarding housing as a long-term community asset. It can also create opportunities for neighbors, local organizations, and other community members to support, participate in, or help shape projects so that benefits extend beyond the residents of a single property.
System level. The COAP seeks to broaden housing policies and practices beyond financial metrics to incorporate social values and outcomes — such as stability, inclusivity, and community well-being.
It also seeks to build the ecosystem of organizations, funding sources, and technical partners needed to deliver alternative housing models that the conventional market does not produce. By helping community partners participate more effectively in the local property market, the COAP seeks to address structural inequities in the current housing system.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 12 Vision
The COAP is grounded in a people-centered approach and guided by the following vision, developed through the COAPAC process and endorsed by the City Council in 2025:
A future where innovative housing models support community well-being, health, connectedness, affordability, and stability for all.
Guiding Principles
The COAP is informed by six principles. The first three define the core characteristics of community-owned housing. The remaining three principles guide how the City and its partners can build the capacity, systems, and partnerships needed for long-term success.
Decommodification: Housing
and land are held and operated by
mission-driven organizations that
prioritize affordability, resident
stability, community, and public
purpose over maximizing financial
return.
Resident Roles in Governance:
Residents have formal governance
roles or a meaningful say in policies,
oversight, and key decisions
affecting their housing through
board seats or other representative
governance structures.
Community Stewardship:
Housing is managed with a long-
term perspective that considers
current and future residents, sound
operations, asset preservation, and
community integration.
Capacity Building: Investments are
made to strengthen the capacity
of mission-driven organizations
to acquire, develop, own, govern,
and manage community-owned
housing, while also building the
broader ecosystem of funders,
technical partners, public agencies,
and supporting institutions needed
to sustain these models over time.
Systems Transformation:
Advance new ways of organizing
partners, capital, expertise, and
public support to deliver housing
outcomes that the conventional
system does not produce, while
developing practical and repeatable
community-owned housing models
that can reach more households
more effectively over time.
Continuous Improvement: Use
data and feedback for ongoing
refinement of the COAP on an as-
needed basis.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 13 Conditions Needed for Success
Research and interviews with community-owned housing practitioners identified key factors for success:
Investment and Flexible Capital. Community partners
need access to funding that allows them to compete
for property acquisitions, preserve housing, complete
rehabilitation, and support long-term operations under
community ownership models.
Organizational Capacity. Mission-driven organizations
may need support to build the skills, staffing, systems, and experience required to acquire, finance, govern,
rehabilitate, and manage housing successfully.
Capacity building is also needed among funders and
supporting institutions.
Collaborative Governance and Coordination.
Effective implementation requires clear decision-
making, alignment with City policies, accountability,
and structures that can guide continued learning and
evolution of the COAP over time.
Strong Partnerships and Ecosystem Support. Cross-
sector and cross-agency partnerships are needed to
share expertise, leverage resources, solve problems
collaboratively, and strengthen the broader ecosystem
for community-owned housing.
Resident Education and Participation. Residents need
opportunities, training, and support to participate
meaningfully in ownership structures, governance
processes, and long-term stewardship.
Longer-Term Strategy Within Broader Housing Response
Community-owned housing is a critical strategy that will need time to implement. The COAP supports mission-driven organizations that are new to residential ownership, development, and management. Projects will require time to ensure organizational readiness, assemble partners and capital, and identify viable acquisition opportunities. For these reasons, the COAP is a longer- term strategy to build up and support an ecosystem capable of delivering successful community- owned housing projects. This will allow the initial goal of 50 units in the Housing Element to be achieved and support expansion over time.
Additionally, community-owned housing is one part of the City’s broader response to housing affordability and displacement pressures. The City will continue to use regulatory tools, housing investments, and more traditional affordable housing models to create and preserve homes, while also advancing community-owned housing as an important pathway to long-term affordability, resident stability, and community stewardship.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 14 SECTION 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS
› Community-owned housing can take different forms, but is defined by three core elements—decommodification, resident governance, and community stewardship. › Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and Cooperatives (Co-ops) are two of the most common entities that undertake community-owned housing.
› While different entities can own the land, building, and individual units, supporting both rental and ownership opportunities, there are generally four common models. › The COAP supports various models, as long as the project meets the definition of community-owned housing and the COAP’s vision and guiding principles.
Three Core Elements
Community-owned housing is defined by three core elements: decommodification, shared governance, and community stewardship. These are defining requirements, regardless of the operational and legal structure used for a particular project.
1. Decommodification
In community-owned housing, both the land and building are permanently held by mission-driven organizations that prioritize long-term affordability, resident stability, and public purpose over maximizing financial returns. This is typically implemented through long-term affordability controls such as ground leases, resale restrictions, rent regulations, deed restrictions, regulatory agreements, or other binding legal mechanisms.
Decommodification is not tied to a specific model. Rather, it is achieved when the ownership structure and legal mechanisms ensure that the property remains a long-term community asset rather than reverting to a market-driven asset.
3. Defining Community-Owned Housing
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 15
2. Resident Roles in Governance
Governance refers to how major decisions are made and who holds formal authority within a project. It is distinct from ownership of the property and from day-to-day property management or operations, such as leasing, maintenance, compliance, or bookkeeping.
These day-to-day functions may be performed by qualified staff, a third-party manager, or, in some cases, residents themselves. Resident participation in daily operations is not a requirement for community-owned projects.
Community-owned housing projects generally use one of three broad approaches for resident governance. These models vary in the types and levels of decisions residents influence or control, the number and roles of resident seats, and whether non-resident participants also hold governance roles. The specific governance structure for any project will depend on the goals and capacity of the mission-driven organization undertaking the project, and the COAP is intended to be flexible as to the resident governance structure proposed for a project as long as it meets the COAP’s requirements.
Resident-Controlled Governance: Residents hold primary governing authority over major project decisions, typically through majority voting power or majority representation on the governing board. In community-owned housing operated by a cooperative – where residents are members of the cooperative – governance may occur through direct voting by resident-members on key matters or through a board elected by and accountable to resident-members (more details below).
Shared Governance: Formal governing authority is intentionally shared among residents and one or more other stakeholder groups, such as the project’s governing entity, community representatives, mission-driven partners, and/or independent board members. For example, residents might hold decision-making roles over defined matters such as community policies, resident priorities, or management oversight, while other non-resident stakeholders might oversee decisions related to long-term affordability, major financial obligations, asset management, or regulatory compliance.
Entity-Led Governance with Structured Resident Influence: A mission-driven ownership or stewardship entity retains primary governing authority without resident representation on the highest decision-making body. Residents instead hold formal and ongoing roles to influence policies, priorities, and accountability through advisory bodies, resident committees, consultation requirements, participatory processes, or other structured mechanisms.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 16 Stewardship Element What’s Covered What This Looks Like Physical
Asset
Management
Maintenance planning,
reserves, and reinvestment
needed to sustain the building.
• Capital needs assessments
• Preventive maintenance plans
• Reserve policies
• Rehabilitation planning tied to building longevity
Financial
Sustainability
Budgeting, reserve policies,
and operating decisions that
protect long-term viability.
• Operating budgets
• Reserve thresholds
• Rent or carrying-charge policies that balance
affordability with long-term viability
Resident
Stability
Policies and practices that
reduce displacement and
support long-term tenancy or
membership stability.
• Policies that reduce involuntary displacement
• Predictable occupancy rules
• Support for long-term tenancy
Community
Integration
Activities that connect
the project to surrounding
residents, neighbors, and
community institutions.
• Regular resident meetings
• Onboarding into governance structures
• Activities tied to shared responsibilities
• Engagement with neighbors
• Participation in local forums
• Use of common spaces or events that connect
the project to the broader community
3. Community Stewardship
Community stewardship refers to the long-term care of the housing as a community asset. It extends beyond preserving affordability and includes how the property is maintained, governed, and connected to the broader community – such as neighboring residents – over time. It is important to underscore that people-centered housing still requires a mission-drive organization to provide effective and sound property management and financial practices: community-owned housing projects could not succeed without these practices. The difference between community-owned housing and market-rate housing is that the financial success of COAP projects is used to support resident stability and the six guiding principles, whereas the financial success of market-rate housing prioritizes economic returns.
For the purposes of the COAP, “community stewardship” comprises four elements:
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 17 Key Entities in Community-Owned Housing
Community-owned housing projects can involve a different mission-driven entities that play different roles in ownership, governance, development, and long-term stewardship. The COAP intentionally allows different combinations of these entities while defining the core features that distinguish community ownership from other housing approaches.
Based on examples from other communities, the two most common types of entities are:
Community land trusts (CLTs): A CLT is a mission-
driven organization generally structured to hold land
in perpetuity for community benefit and to maintain
permanent affordability through long-term ground
leases and other legal mechanisms. A CLT may own
just land or also the residential structure. When it owns only the land, it typically leases it – often through a long-term ground lease – to another entity such as a
cooperative, nonprofit housing provider, or individual
homeowners. This structure allows the CLT to maintain
long-term affordability while enabling different forms
of occupancy and ownership. CLTs are typically
governed by boards that may include residents,
community members, and other stakeholders.
Cooperatives (Co-ops): A cooperative is a form
of collective ownership in which residents jointly
own housing through a member-based entity. The
cooperative owns the property, and residents hold
shares or membership interests that grant them the
right to occupy a unit and participate in governance,
typically through an elected board. In many
community-ownership models, a cooperative operates
the housing while a CLT retains ownership of the land.
In other cases, a cooperative may own both the land
and building directly, such as when tenants organize to purchase a property.
Besides CLTs and co-ops, other types of entities such as nonprofit housing organizations or public agencies may also be involved with community-owned housing projects.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 18 Common Project Models
Depending on the entities involved, community-owned housing projects can also be structured depending on project goals. The entities must perform several functions at once, including preserving long-term affordability, supporting resident governance, managing operations, maintaining financial stability, and stewarding the property over time.
Different structures organize and implement these functions in different ways.
The chart on the following page highlights four commonly used models, along with typical use cases, key strengths, and implementation considerations. These models are illustrative rather than prescriptive, and projects may adapt or combine elements based on their goals, partners, and context.
Importantly, no one structure is inherently better. In practice, success depends less on the formal structure itself than on governance quality, operational capacity, financial discipline, and long-term stewardship. The COAP supports projects that meet any one of these four common types or variations of these models, as long as the project meets the definition of community-owned housing above and the COAP’s vision, guiding principles, and underwriting requirements.
Mobile Home Park Ownership
In addition to the four common models, community-
owned housing can also include mobile home parks. One
example is a “Resident Owned Community,” or ROC. In
an ROC, residents create a cooperative entity to purchase and own the land together while maintaining individual
ownership of their units. The COAP supports ROCs or
variations of this model as long as the community-owned mobile home park meets the COAP’s requirements.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 19
FOUR COMMON COMMUNITY-OWNED HOUSING MODELS
How land may be owned and how the building(s) may be owned, with typical use cases and key considerations.
Model 1
CLT
RENTAL 2
CLT + Individual Unit
OWNERSHIP 3
CLT + Cooperative
OWNERSHIP 4
Cooperative
OWNERSHIP
Ownership
Land and building: CLT
(Community Land Trust)
Land: CLT Building: Individual
Unit Owners
Land: CLT Building:
Housing Co-op
Land and building:
Housing Co-op
Typical Use Case Acquisition and preservation
of rental housing where
long-term affordability
the primary near-term
objective. Often used for
early projects or where
resident ownership capacity
is still developing.
Communities seeking affordable
homeownership opportunities
while preserving affordability for
future households. Often used
for condominiums, townhomes,
or similar unit-based ownership
models.
Communities seeking strong
resident governance and long-
term affordability. Often used
where resident participation
and shared ownership are key
goals. Residents collectively
own building through shares or
membership in the coop.
Residents seeking shared
ownership and direct control
through a single entity.
Often arises when tenants
organize to purchase their
property, creating collective
ownership through shares
or membership in the
cooperative.
Main Strengths • Strong affordability
control through a single
stewardship entity.
• Simpler to implement
than multi-entity models.
• Creates pathways to ownership
while maintaining long-term
affordability through ground
leases, resale restrictions, or
related tools.
• Separates long-term land
stewardship from resident
control of the housing.
• Can combine affordability
protections with meaningful
resident governance.
• Strong resident ownership,
autonomy, and shared
decision-making.
• Can build community
control and resident
leadership.
Key Challenges/
Considerations
• Residents may have less
direct ownership than in
coop models.
• Success depends on
quality and responsiveness
of stewarding organization.
• Requires homeowner education,
resale administration, and clear
affordability controls over time.
• More complex to structure
and administer.
• Requires clear legal
agreements, coordination
between entities, and strong
governance capacity.
• Long-term affordability,
capital planning, and
governance depend largely
on the cooperative’s
internal strength and
discipline.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 20 SECTION 4 KEY TAKEAWAYS
› Community-owned housing projects are complex and require coordinated action between multiple partners at every stage of a project’s lifecycle. › The ecosystem needed to deliver and sustain these projects is still developing and requires sustained, long-term investment.
› City roles in the ecosystem include serving as convener, funder, capacity builder, and policy leader.
› Initial City funding commitments include the Community Owned Housing Fund (a flexible loan program) and a Technical Assistance Grant Program for capacity building.
4. Making Community-Owned Housing Work
The Lifecycle of Community-Owned Housing Projects
Community-owned housing projects involve multiple stages and require coordination across a range of organizations at each step. Delivering projects successfully depends on aligning capital, technical expertise, and organizational capacity across this full lifecycle.
The following are major components of a project’s lifecycle with illustrative examples of activities:
• Acquisition and Financing: site identification, underwriting, capital structuring, and competitive acquisition
• Real Estate Development and Rehabilitation: procurement of contractor, construction oversight, and cost management
• Lease-Up and Project Stabilization: Application process, tenant selection, and getting the units filled
• Operations and Property Management: ongoing management and maintenance • Governance and Long-Term Stewardship: resident governance, asset management, and long-term affordability
• Monitoring and Compliance: adherence to funding requirements, organizational business plans, and applicable local, State, and federal regulations, including fair housing
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 21 Each stage requires distinct and specialized expertise. Organizational gaps at any point can undermine the success of the entire project.
In Mountain View – and across the region – many mission-driven organizations seeking to undertake community-owned housing projects are new to real estate development and do not yet have the full range of capacity required to deliver projects across the full lifecycle. At the same time, these organizations bring critical strengths, including deep community relationships, local knowledge, and a commitment to people-centered outcomes.
Building capacity will require sustained, long-term investment. Efforts must focus not on developing just one or a handful of skills, but on assembling and maintaining the full range of expertise needed across the project lifecycle. Early projects in Mountain View are highly likely to also require strong partnerships with experienced, mission-driven developers and technical experts, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
Recognizing these capacity gaps is not a critique of the commitment or values of these organizations. Rather, it reflects the complexity of community-owned housing, the time necessary for organizations to acquire experience, and the support required to successfully deliver and steward these projects over the long term.
Community-Based & Community-Oriented Organizations
Successful community ownership efforts often require both community-based organizations – those rooted in the communities where projects are implemented – and community-oriented organizations – mission-driven partners that may not be locally based but bring relevant development experience and expertise. “Community-based organizations” are typically founded in the same community in which they seek to operate projects. In the context of the COAP, an organization can be considered community-based if it has deep local knowledge, even if it is technically based outside of Mountain View. Community-based organizations bring local knowledge, relationships, trust with tenants, and accountability, which are important for successful projects. “Community-oriented organizations” may not have been founded or developed in Mountain View but have experience operating projects according to the COAP’s values as well as some or all of the guiding principles.
These mission-driven organizations have the skills to provide valuable specialized development, financing, governance, or operational expertise that can support the local ecosystem and newly formed community-based organizations.
Both community-based and community-oriented organizations play essential and complementary roles in building a durable community ownership ecosystem.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 22 Community Ownership Ecosystem
Creating and sustaining community-owned housing requires a coordinated ecosystem of partners working together to deliver successful projects and support long-term stewardship. This ecosystem should include:
Mission-driven organizations
(community-based and community-
oriented) that sponsor, own, or help
lead community ownership projects.
Community land trusts, cooperatives,
and non-profit developers are examples
of mission-drive organizations that
commonly undertake community-
owned housing projects.
Funders and intermediaries that
invest in non-traditional housing
models, support education
and capacity building, and help
leverage resources for projects. Governmental agencies at the local, regional, State, and federal
levels that provide funding, policy
support, or program alignment for
acquisition and preservation efforts.
Technical experts who
understand community
ownership models and can
provide specialized support
in areas such as finance,
governance, legal structure,
operations, and project
planning. Examples include
consultants, individual advisors,
and experienced CLTs.
Community-oriented
development partners with
experience in acquisition,
financing, rehabilitation,
and property management
who can collaborate with
community groups and
residents.Peer and cohort groups
that support preservation
strategies and community
ownership models
through shared learning,
technical exchange, and
information about funding
opportunities.
Community leaders,
allies, and neighbors who
can build public support,
help raise funds, volunteer
time, and contribute to
long-term community
stewardship.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 23 City Roles
The City can play significant and unique roles in advancing community-owned housing. This is especially important because the ecosystem remains nascent and requires coordinated leadership, investment, and capacity building to develop.
The City will take on four key roles to catalyze this work and support it over time:
Convener. The City will continue to bring together key organizations to align partners, coordinate efforts, and advance community-owned housing. As the ecosystem matures, the City intends to transition from a primary convening role to becoming a vital participant in coordination efforts led by another entity, potentially at the regional level.
This shift would reflect growing capacity to support community ownership in Mountain View and across the region.
Funder. Approximately $25 million in gap funding is needed to meet the Housing Element goal of acquiring and rehabilitating at least 50 community-owned housing units. The City has committed $4 million and will seek to leverage an additional $21 million through partnerships to meet this target. See the detailed discussion below.
Capacity builder. Mission-driven organizations undertaking community ownership projects are often still building the full range of skills needed to deliver projects across the lifecycle.
Strengthening the capacity of these organizations, as well as the broader ecosystem of partners, is critical to long-term success. The City, in partnership with other agencies and organizations, will pursue strategies to build project delivery capacity and system-wide support. See the detailed discussion below and in the following sections of this document.
Policy leader. The City is well-positioned to develop, adopt, and implement policies that support community ownership and to represent local priorities in coordination with regional and state agencies and through legislative efforts.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 24 Funding
Achieving the initial goal of acquiring and rehabilitating at least 50 community- owned housing units will require substantial new capital. Additional resources will also be needed over time to preserve more units beyond the initial 50 and to build the capacity of mission-driven organizations to develop, own, and manage these projects.
The City cannot fund this work alone, but it can play an important catalytic role by committing seed funding, creating funding tools, and leveraging outside investment.
City’s Catalytic Funding for Projects: Community-Owned Housing In October 2024, the Mountain View City Council approved the allocation of $4 million in City housing funds toward the acquisition and preservation of affordable homes under a community-owned model. This allocation was made with the goal of leveraging another $16 million from other funding sources, to create a Community Owned Housing Fund of $20 million to preserve at least 50 rent-stabilized units for community-owned housing.
Since then, updated analysis of acquisition and rehabilitation costs indicates that approximately $25 million may be needed to achieve the initial 50-unit goal. The City seeks external funding contributions to the Community-Owned Housing Fund to match the City $4 million allocation.
Based on discussions with organizations interested in pursuing projects in Mountain View, the City anticipates that the initial project funded through the Community- Owned Housing Fund will likely be a rental project.
As a result, the City has developed initial evaluation criteria and underwriting guidelines for investments made through the Fund structured primarily around acquisition and operation of a rental housing project. Because community ownership remains an emerging field locally, and many mission-driven organizations are still building development and operating capacity, the Fund will be structured as a flexible loan program adaptable enough to accommodate different project structures and organizational needs.
Over time, the City seeks to facilitate broader community-owned housing models that allow residents to own units or shares in the building.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 25 General requirements that must be met by any organization applying for project funding include:
• Meeting the COAP definition, vision,
and guiding principles for community
ownership.
• Demonstrating the expertise needed to
deliver and successfully operate a project,
whether through prior experience, in-
house staff, contracted consultants, or
partnership with an experienced developer.
• Providing a clear business model and
operations plan for the full lifecycle of the
project.
• Demonstrating financial need using
reasonable assumptions in project pro
formas.
• Complying with applicable local, State,
and federal regulations, including fair
housing requirements.
• Maintaining transparent governance and
accountability practices, including ongoing
monitoring and compliance requirements,
and regular audits.
• Various underwriting terms.
Flexible loan terms may be tailored to specific project needs and may include low or no interest rates, deferred loan repayment schedules, and/or forgivable loan amounts in limited circumstances, where justified by project outcomes or public benefit (such as affordability for very- and extremely-low income households).
The City is evaluating different options for approving and disbursing funding requests in a streamlined manner, such as partnering with a qualified third-party fiscal agent to administer the fund, receive and review funding applications, underwrite projects, or implementing a City funding approval process that is faster than the City’s typical process. A streamlined process is essential because residential properties that are listed for sale can move quickly and require prompt action.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 26 City Capacity-Building Funding: Technical Assistance Grant Program In September 2025, the Mountain View City Council approved $75,000 for a Technical Assistance Grant Program. The funding is intended to help mission-driven organizations working to acquire, rehabilitate, and manage community-owned housing access specialized expertise to support project-specific needs and the organization’s development capacity. The program is focused on project-specific technical assistance rather than general organizational support.
Eligible uses may include but are not limited to:
• Real estate brokerage services
• Property capital needs assessments
• Appraisals
• Legal services
• Title services
• Feasibility analysis and pro forma
evaluation
• Operating model or business plan
development
• Community facilitation, tenant
engagement, organizing
• Other project development services based
on demonstrated need
In addition to the Technical Assistance Grant Program, the COAP supports the following options to increase the capacity of mission-drive organizations:
• Partnership-Based Development - Support project approaches in which new/emerging mission-driven organizations seek out and partner with experienced organizations to advance projects. These partnerships may take different forms—including advisory support, technical assistance, or joint project delivery—and allow emerging organizations to access expertise while retaining a leading or co-leading role.
• Structured Pairing - Require or incentivize experienced developers to mentor emerging mission-driven organizations through structured learning partnerships. In these arrangements, the experienced developer takes on responsibility for project delivery while providing intentional training and exposure across key stages—such as due diligence, financing, design, construction, and operations—to build the emerging organization’s capacity to lead future projects.
• Regional Technical Assistance Bench - Develop a shared pool of consultants and practitioners accessible across organizations and jurisdictions to reduce duplication, lower costs, expand access to expertise, and support consistent best practices.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 27 SECTION 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS
› The COAP establishes a Five-Y ear implementation framework based on the plan’s vision, guiding principles, and identified needs for community-owned housing to be successful. › The five goals are:
The COAP establishes a five-year implementation period from July 2026 to June 2031, with five Goals supported by various actions to advance each goal. The implementation framework is based on the COAP’s vision, guiding principles, and identified needs for community-owned housing to be successful.
Building community-owned housing in Mountain View will require sustained, multi-year effort, with actions that evolve as opportunities emerge, partnerships develop, and lessons are learned.
The City cannot create community-owned housing on its own, yet it cannot dictate the actions of independent organizations. However, success will require coordinated participation from
5. Five-Y ear Goals and Action Plan
› The implementation framework is intended to provide clear direction and actionable items while preserving flexibility.
› The City should monitor progress, remain adaptive, and refine the actions as needed over time.
1. Achieve at least 50 Community-
Owned Housing Units
2. Continue to Build the Community-
Owned Housing Fund
3. Build Capacity Within Organizations
and the Broader Ecosystem
4. Transition from City-Led Catalyst to
Shared and Regional Leadership
5. Monitor Housing Quality, Resident
Stability, and Resident Governance
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 28 across the ecosystem, including community-based organizations, housing partners, technical experts, funders, philanthropic partners, regional agencies, and residents. The actions below reflect shared priorities identified through the COAP process and serve as a starting point for continued collaboration between the City and the COAP ecosystem of partners.
The five-year framework is intended to provide clear direction and actionable items while preserving flexibility. Community ownership remains an emerging field and is entirely new in Mountain View. Not all future projects, funding sources, or partner roles have yet been identified. Therefore, while some actions can begin immediately, others will depend on funding availability, organizational readiness, project opportunities, or future needs that are currently unknown.
The City should monitor progress, remain adaptive, and refine the actions as needed over time. At minimum, a progress review with the City Council is recommended in late 2028, approximately halfway through the implementation period, to assess progress, identify barriers, and consider adjustments for the remaining term.
Goal 1: Achieve at Least 50 Community-Owned Housing Units Facilitate the acquisition and preservation of at least 50 community-owned housing units, consistent with the Mountain View 2023–2031 Housing Element objective.
Goal 1 Actions
1.1 Complete adoption and implementation of the COAP, with updates as needed.
1.2 Achieve the acquisition and preservation at least 50 community-owned housing units, consistent with the Mountain View 2023-2031 Housing Element objective.
1.3 Prioritize early project opportunities that demonstrate feasibility and build momentum.
1.4 Finalize underwriting guidelines for community-owned projects that focus on rental housing for residents.
1.5 Complete adoption and implementation of the COAP, with updates as needed.
1.6 Achieve the acquisition and preservation at least 50 community-owned housing units, consistent with the Mountain View 2023-2031 Housing Element objective.
1.7 Prioritize early project opportunities that demonstrate feasibility and build momentum.
1.8 Finalize underwriting guidelines for community-owned projects that focus on rental housing for residents.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 29 Goal 1 Actions
1.9 Develop underwriting guidelines for community-owned projects that focus on ownership housing for residents.
1.10 Release the Notice of Funding Availability for the Community-Owned Housing Fund once the funding approval process has been determined.
1.11 Implement streamlined process to approve project funding requests and disburse funds.
1.12 Establish next-phase production goals by the end of the five-year period, such as preserving or creating up to 500 units by 2036, subject to feasibility and resources.
1.13 Continue to monitor the feasibility, practicality, and impact of Opportunity to Purchase Act programs.
Goal 2: Continue to build the Community-Owned Housing Fund Continue to grow the Community-Owned Housing Fund to ensure reliable and scalable sources of capital for project opportunities as they arise.
Goal 2 Actions
2.1 Implement the flexible loan program approved under the COAP framework.
2.2 Work with partners to leverage additional outside investment.
2.3 Continue outreach to public, private, corporate, and philanthropic partners.
2.4 Periodically reassess the size of the fund needed relative to market conditions and production goals.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 30 Goal 3: Build Capacity Within Organizations and the Broader Ecosystem
Invest in building the capacity of mission-driven organizations and the broader ecosystem of partners needed to support long-term implementation.
Goal 3 Actions: Mission-Driven Organizations
3.1 Advance a multi-pronged strategy for capacity building, including Technical Assistance Funding, Partnership-Based Development, Structured Pairing, and developing a Regional Technical Assistance Bench.
3.2 By the end of the five year COAP period, have at least one community-based, mission-driven organization in Mountain View that is self-sufficient and capable of leading projects through their entire lifecycle.
3.3 Connect new/emerging organizations with partners that provide funding, development expertise, governance support, and operational capacity.
• Help mission-driven organizations navigate City funding, entitlement, and approval processes. • Support project-based learning and share lessons across organizations. • Encourage partnerships that transfer knowledge and leadership over time.
Goal 3 Actions: Ecosystem
3.4 Explore partnerships with third-party entities to administer project funding.
3.5 Continue collaboration with regional organizations.
3.6 Be a resource to other jurisdictions and organizations advancing community ownership.
3.7 Advocate for State policies supporting community-ownership models.
3.8 Participate in regional networks focused on preservation and community-ownership housing.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 31 Goal 4: Transition from City-Led Catalyst to Shared and Regional Leadership
The City will serve as the initial lead and convener, with the long-term goal of transitioning the primary convening role to a regional entity or collaborative body capable of coordinating partnerships and long-term implementation.
Goal 4 Actions
4.1 Continue convening key partners through the COAPAC.
4.2 Support increasing leadership roles among community organizations, funders, technical experts, and public agencies.
4.3 Work with organizations to assess which functions are best led locally or regionally.
4.4 By the 2028 midpoint review, transition the primary convening role from the City to a regional entity agency or collaborative body, with the City remaining an active and vital participant and strategic partner.
Goal 5: Monitor Housing Quality, Resident Stability, and Resident Governance
Measure success not only by the number of units preserved, but also by whether residents remain stably housed and participate in governance and stewardship.
Note: Mission-driven organizations that own, operate, or support projects will be responsible for implementing these actions. However, the City can play an important to advance these objectives through funding agreements, loan terms, regulatory requirements, and ongoing monitoring, as appropriate.
Goal 5 Actions: Housing Quality
5.1 Conduct regular resident surveys regarding housing quality, property management, and resident experience.
5.2 Use resident feedback to improve project operations, management practices, and future projects.
5.3 Implement responsive management practices and long-term project upkeep.
CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP ACTION PLAN 32 Goal 5 Actions: Resident Stability
5.4 Track resident retention in community-owned housing.
5.5 Promote operating practices that support long-term stability and minimize displacement.
5.6 Periodically review outcomes to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
Goal 5 Actions: Resident Governance and Participation
5.7 Support resident participation in governance roles through education and training.
5.8 Ensure that governance structures, decision-making processes, and participation opportunities are clearly defined and understandable to residents.
5.9 Use resident participation and feedback to strengthen governance practices over time.
OUR VISION
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IN MOUNTAIN
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