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Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco Receives Generous State Grant to Support Homeownership in Three Bay Area Counties
The $9.6 million grant from CalHome will support the development and preservation of affordable homes in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 15, 2026)— we are thrilled to announce we’ve been awarded a $9.6 million grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) CalHome Program. The grant will fund multiple projects serving more than 45 families across all three of the counties we serve — San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin — and will help further our mission of providing stable, healthy, affordable homes for low-income families in the Bay Area. The award comes at a critical moment, as CalHome funding was not included in the Governor’s January 2026–27 state budget proposal, placing the future of California’s only state-wide affordable homeownership program at risk.
“This funding opens doors for local families to become homeowners for the first time and begin building the long-term financial stability that lasts for generations. We are deeply grateful to the state for this critical support. As home prices in the Bay Area continue to rise and construction costs skyrocket, supporting affordable homeownership and home preservation is essential to ensuring our families and communities thrive. The CalHome program is a foundational tool in our efforts to help families put down roots, increase resilience and strengthen neighborhoods for the long-term. At the same time, the absence of future CalHome funding threatens to stall projects like these just as the need continues to grow.”
– Maureen Sedonaen, Chief Executive Officer
The $9.6 million grant comes from the state’s 2023-2024 fiscal year budget and will provide $2 million towards building eight new, affordable homes in Menlo Park, $2 million towards eight affordable homes in Bolinas, $1.2 million to conduct important safety repairs for 11 homes in San Francisco, and $4,405,000 towards first-time homebuyer mortgage assistance for 20 low-income families in Marin County. This is the second year Habitat Greater San Francisco was awarded funding and could potentially be the last if CalHome funding is not reinstated in the upcoming state budget.
CalHome is the only state program that directly increases the supply of affordable homes for sale, a key element in addressing California’s housing crisis. Nonprofit developers, including Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, use this program to support new home construction and home preservation. The program is vital in helping more families become first-time homeowners and access the proven benefits of stable housing, including increased security, better health and educational outcomes, and the chance to build generational wealth. It is one of California’s most effective strategies for advancing housing equity and creating lasting pathways out of poverty. Without renewed investment, this critical pipeline of affordable homeownership opportunities is at risk statewide.
Despite its clear benefits, CalHome was not included in the Governor’s January 2026–27 state budget proposal, following its elimination in the prior year’s budget. This omission leaves no dedicated state funding stream for affordable homeownership, making it even harder for families to achieve the stability and opportunity that owning a home provides. Without renewed funding, California risks falling further behind in supporting the one in five families who already spend more than half their income on housing and losing momentum on a proven path to long-term community and economic stability.
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco is grateful for this $9.6 million CalHome award, which will have a meaningful impact on families across the Bay Area. It takes a village to bring homeownership within reach, with funding coming not only from state and local government programs, but also from visionary foundations, generous individual donors, local advocates and dedicated volunteers. The absence of future CalHome funding creates uncertainty for affordable homeownership projects statewide and highlights the importance of sustained investment in programs that support long-term housing stability.