Housing Trust Fund
Affordable housing developers and land trusts can apply for funding for housing projects through Berkeley’s Housing Trust Fund.
Berkeley’s Housing Trust Fund pools funds for affordable housing construction and renovation from a variety of sources and makes them available to developers through one single application process. The Small Sites Program is a subset of the Housing Trust Fund program, tailored to smaller, acquisition-rehab projects.
Affordable housing developers and land trusts can find funding opportunities on this page as they become available.
Open funding opportunities
Small Sites Program Notice of Funding Availability
The City of Berkeley has $2,500,000 in Small Sites Program funds to support the acquisition and renovation of small, multifamily rental properties with up to 25 units. The City of Berkeley released a Notice of Funding Availability on August 18, 2025, and will accept applications starting August 25, 2025. Please review the application instructions for detailed information on the City’s process and what is required to be eligible for funding.
City staff cannot respond to questions individually but will post responses to questions about the application and process weekly, as applicable. Submit questions to Asavari Devadiga at adevadiga@berkeleyca.gov. Applicants are encouraged to submit questions by September 2, 2025, at noon.
2025 Small Site Program NOFA Application Materials
- NOFA and Application Instructions
- Application Workbook
- Certification of Household Income Form (spreadsheet)
- 2025 NOFA Application Questions and Answers
Guidelines and Fees
The Housing Trust Fund and Small Sites Program Guidelines outlines the process and guidelines for how the City operates the Housing Trust Fund. Fund recipients will follow the standard Loan Terms, which are available upon request.
All projects will be subject to the Housing Trust Fund's Fees:
Origination Fee: 1% of total loan amount
New construction projects only
Predevelopment, acquisition and development loans
Loan closing after July 1, 2025
Paid at loan closing
Subordination Fee: $600 per request
Any request submitted to City after July 1, 2025
Assumption Fee: $600 per request
Any request submitted to City after July 1, 2025
Loan Modification Fee: $3,000 per request
Any request submitted to City after July 1, 2025
All loan modifications including extensions, refinancing, etc.
HTF Project Management Fee (Hourly Rate): $130/hour
For new construction projects with executed predevelopment, acquisition, or development loans that are not subject to the origination fee
City staff to invoice project monthly
FUNDING AWARDED
Below are projects in development that have received funding from the Housing Trust Fund or Small Sites Programs.
New Construction Projects with Development Funding Reservations
The affordable housing projects listed below have received funding from the City of Berkeley’s Housing Trust Fund.
| Project | Sponsor | Units* | Total City Funds Reserved | Projected Sources of Funds | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUSD-Sponsored Educator Housing | Berkeley Unified School District/SAHA/Abode | 110 | $26,500,000 | Measure O | Under Construction |
| 1740 San Pablo Avenue | BRIDGE Housing | 54 | $11,996,669 | Measure O | Pre-development |
| St Paul Terrace (2024 Ashby Ave) | Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC)/St. Paul AME | 50 | $11,996,669 | HTF, TBD | Pre-development |
| Ephesian Legacy Court (1708 Harmon Street) | CHDC/Ephesian Church of God in Christ (ECOGIC) | 80 | $14,531,301 | HTF, TBD | Pre-development |
| Supportive Housing at People's Park | TBD | 119 | $14,359,593 | TBD | Pre-development |
| North Berkeley BART (NBB) BRIDGE Phase 1 Project | BRIDGE Housing | 110 | $11,563,636 | Measure O, HTF | Pre-development |
| NBB EBALDC Project* | East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) | 60 | $5,926,364 | Measure O, HTF | Pre-development |
| NBB BRIDGE Insight PSH Project** | BRIDGE Housing + Insight Housing | 85 | $9,010,000 | Measure O, HTF | Pre-development |
*NBB EBALDC Project: The City has submitted an application to the State of California’s Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF) Program, and if awarded, LHTF funds will be allocated to this project. Learn more about reserved funding for NBB EBALDC Project
** NBB BRIDGE Insight Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Project: The City has submitted an application to the State of California’s Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF) Program, and if awarded, LHTF funds will be allocated to this project. Learn more about reserved funding for NBB BRIDGE Insight PSH Project
Renovation Projects with Development Funding Reservations
| Project | Sponsor | Units* | Total City Funds Reserved | Projected Sources of Funds | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Street Apartments (2627 California Street) | Bay Area Community Land Trust (BALCT) | 12 | $3,599,948 | HTF, General Funds (U1) | Pre-development |
| Rosewood Manor | SBNDC | 35 | $1,792,491 | CDBG and HTF | Under Construction |
| University Homes (Homekey) | Memar Properties/Housing Consortium of the East Bay | 43 | $8,500,000 | General Funds (U1) | Under Construction |
| 2321-2323 10th Street | Northern California Land Trust | 8 | $3,324,225 | General Funds (U1) | Pre-development |
| MLK House | Insight Housing | 12 | $2,000,988 | General Funds (U1) | Pre-development |
| Ashby Lofts | Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (SAHA) | 54 | $3,718,571 | PLHA | Contract Pending |
| Adeline Street Apartments | Resources for Community Development | 18 | $2,990,000 | HTF, PLHA, Pro-housing Incentive Program | Contract Pending |
| 2207 Haste Street | The Northern California Land Trust | 8 | $500,000 | PLHA | Contract Pending |
Preference Policy Resources for Owners and Property Managers
The City of Berkeley’s housing preference policy gives people who have lost or are at risk of losing housing in Berkeley priority when new affordable housing units become available.
The policy applies a portion of Housing Trust Fund (HTF) units that are allocated by lottery. Applicants will still need to qualify for unit-specific income requirements, as well as other unit-specific requirements (for example, if a unit is reserved for seniors, veterans, etc.). Find policy resources for HTF owners and property managers below:
