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Community Development
DATE: April 28, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Daniel Chavarria, Director of Public Works
Subject:
Authorize AHSC Grant Application for Riveter Project and Associated Active Transportation Improvements
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The City is proposing participation as a non-Applicant in the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities
(AHSC) Program grant application. The Co-Applicants
would be Eden Housing and Community Housing
Development Corporation (CHDC) for the Riveter project.
If the grant is awarded, the City will then appropriate the AHSC grant funds and adjust the Community
Development and Public Works budgets accordingly in
coordination with Finance. There is no fiscal impact
associated with this item, and no funds are being
appropriated at this time.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
October 4, 2022
October 18, 2022
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Community Development and Public Works
Departments are working with Community Housing
Development Corporation (CHDC) and Eden Housing to
apply for approximately $32 million in funds from the
Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and
Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) program for
the Riveter project. The City would be a non-Applicant
participant in the grant and would be responsible for the implementation of certain bicycle and pedestrian
improvements.
AGENDA
REPORT
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RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution to AUTHORIZE the City’s
participation in an Affordable Housing and Sustainable
Communities Program (AHSC) grant application for the
Riveter Project, a 59-unit affordable housing
development at 100 38th Street, for the purposes of
implementing certain pedestrian and bicycle
improvements, and AUTOHRIZE the City Manager or
their designee to execute the necessary agreements with the Co-Applicants to complete the project components
with grant funds and appropriate the grant funds, if
awarded – Community Development Department (Lina
Velasco 510-620-6841).
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond has been invited by Co-Applicants, Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC) and Eden Housing, to participate as a non-Applicant in their application for Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) funds for the purpose of delivering the Riveter project, which includes, the Riveter, a 50-unit supportive housing project; bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to be implemented by the City of Richmond, and new Zero-emission buses for AC Transit.
The AHSC Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Invest dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in Disadvantaged Communities (DACs). The AHSC Program furthers the purposes of AB 32 (Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006), SB 375 (Chapter 728, Statutes of 2008), and SB 32 (Chapter 249, Statutes of 2016) by investing in projects that facilitate green-house gas (GHG) reduction by supporting more compact, infill development patterns, encouraging Active Transportation and transit usage, and protecting Agricultural Land from sprawl development (AHSC Round 10 Program Guidelines, February 25, 2026). The AHSC Program is administered by the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC). The Department of Housing and Community Development (Department) will implement the transportation, housing, and infrastructure components of the AHSC Program. The SGC staff will coordinate efforts with City staff, working with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the SGC to administer the broader AHSC Program, including developing Program Guidelines, evaluating applications, preparing agreements, monitoring agreement implementation, and AHSC Program reporting.
Riveter Project Summary
Riveter is an Integrated Connectivity Project in Richmond that combines the adaptive reuse of a former Contra Costa County courthouse into 59 units of affordable housing with a robust package of active transportation, transit, workforce, and anti-displacement investments. The residential component is especially distinctive because it transforms a
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surplus public site specifically offered for affordable housing into a new community asset, demonstrating a time- and cost-efficient model for increasing housing supply through adaptive reuse. The City Council approved the Riveter project on October 4 and October 18, 2022. In addition to converting the former health center building, into a 59- unit affordable housing development, the approved project included construction of a new 79-unit affordable housing building; however, that portion of the project is not included in this grant.
The AHSC scope includes more than 2 new lane miles of Class II bikeway, more than 2,000 linear feet of Safe and Accessible Walkway improvements across multiple quadrants of the City, and the purchase of three new zero-emission buses for AC Transit (Attachment 1). These improvements will strengthen neighborhood connectivity, improve safe access to transit and daily destinations, and expand lower-emission mobility options for future residents and nearby low-income households.
Riveter also reflects significant cross-sector collaboration. The City of Richmond helped shape the bike and pedestrian improvements, AC Transit will receive new ZEV buses, RichmondWORKS serves as the workforce partner, and RichmondLAND serves as the anti-displacement partner. Together, these components position Riveter as a model of equitable reinvestment that links affordable housing production with mobility, neighborhood stability, and access to opportunity. The City would be a non-Applicant in the grant and will execute an agreement with the Co-Applicants to receive grant funds to implement the identified pedestrian and bicycle improvements, including overseeing the design, construction plan development, bidding, and construction oversight.
In general, the grant application proposes the following funding requests:
Housing: $22 Million
STI: $9.65 Million
o City: $7,500,00
o AC Transit: $2,165,000
Other (workforce, transit passes, internet): $537,920 Total: ~$32,250,000
The City’s funding request would cover the costs of implementing certain bicycle and pedestrian improvements identified in adopted City plans. The total funding request amounts will be finalized as the application is completed. Applications are due on May 4, 2026.
Therefore, City staff recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution to authorize the City’s participation in an Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program grant application for the Riveter Project, a 59-unit affordable housing development at 100 38th Street, for the purpose of implementing pedestrian and bicycle improvements (Attachment 2). City staff further recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute the necessary agreements with co-applicants to complete the project components and appropriate the grant funds if awarded.
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DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Map of Project
Attachment 2 – Resolution