Rental Assistance Program

Rental Assistance Program is sponsored by California Department of Housing and Community Development. Offers rental assistance to low-income households in California to help pay rent and avoid eviction.

Grants & Funding | California Department of Housing and Community Development Multifamily Finance Super NOFA Streamlines four of HCD’s rental housing programs allowing for a coordinated single application and award process.

By administering programs that provide grants and loans (from both state and federal housing programs), HCD creates rental and homeownership opportunities for Californians from all walks of life, including veterans, seniors, young families starting out, people with disabilities, farmworkers, and individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness.

Over the last three decades, HCD has provided more than $3 billion of funding for the development of affordable housing and associated infrastructure, but HCD’s role does not end once the awards are made. Through long-term monitoring, HCD ensures the developments continue to provide safe and affordable homes, and that the homes remain well-maintained and financially sound. Can't find what you're looking for?

Give us a call. Targeted release dates for draft guidelines, notices of funding availabilities (NOFAs), NOFA application due dates, and awards. Federal programs that offer ongoing over-the-counter funding, have recently announced funding, or will be announcing funding available over the next 12 months.

State programs that offer ongoing over-the-counter funding, have recently announced funding, or will be announcing funding available over the next 12 months. Multifamily Finance Super NOFA Streamlines four of HCD’s rental housing programs to align eligibility criteria, scoring and release of funds allowing for a coordinated single application and award process.

Grants to acquire and rehabilitate a variety of housing types to rapidly expand housing for persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Provides gap funding to replace tax credit equity in shovel-ready projects reducing the backlog of projects in the CDLAC funding pipeline and accelerate the development of housing to those in need.

ReCoverCA provides funds to assist with unmet needs to help eligible homeowners in impacted areas rebuild and/or rehabilitate their homes. Disaster Recovery & Mitigation HCD works to help communities recover after disasters (such as droughts, fires, and floods) by administering special federal funds for both recovery and mitigation purposes.

Reporting and Compliance: Grant Programs Requirements and resources for reporting and compliance of HCD program grants. Reporting and Compliance: Loan Programs Requirements and resources for reporting and compliance of HCD program loans. Information on federal and state income limits, rent, and loan-to-value limits and which limit determination to use under which program.

Uniform Multifamily Regulations Regulations, uniform standards and program rules for multifamily rental housing developments assisted by HCD multifamily housing loans or grants. Programs that are not currently funded.

Administrative Memos on HCD Programs Memo Date Subject Description 26-02 April 6, 2026 CAHMS Announcement (PDF) The new California Housing Management System (CAHMS), is a secure, centralized platform that allows affordable housing sponsors to submit required documents to multiple state agencies through one streamlined portal.

Developed by CalHFA, HCD, and CTCAC in alignment with AB 2006, CAHMS improves efficiency, reduces duplicate submissions, and strengthens statewide coordination for affordable housing compliance. The system is now live and supports multi-agency processes such as reserve disbursement requests, ownership changes, and management changes. A user guide and support resources are available to help sponsors get started.

26-01 March 17, 2026 Early Disbursement of Multifamily Loan Funds Omnibus Amendment (PDF) Administrative Notice No. 26-01 is intended to make the delivery of affordable multifamily rental housing projects more cost-effective by allowing a Sponsor, under certain circumstances, to receive an early disbursement of a qualifying loan for the purpose of prepaying all or a portion of the outstanding principal balance of the construction loan for the relevant project.

25-06 October 10, 2025; amended June 4, 2026 Rent Increase Limit Policy and Waiver (Assembly Bills 846 and 1529) (PDF) This Administrative Notice (amended June 4, 2026) provides guidance to Sponsors, Borrowers, and Management Agents on 1) rent limit standards established in accordance with Assembly Bill 846 (Chapter 674, Statutes 2024); 2) further clarification on applicable rent limits in accordance with Assembly Bill 1529 (Chapter 203, Statutes of 2025); and 3) the process for requesting rent increase limit waivers, including submission requirements and evaluation criteria.

25-05 September 16, 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) Factor for Rent Increase Calculation for 2026 for CHRP, FHDP, RHCP-Bond, and SUHRP (PDF) This memo provides the Consumer Price Index (CPI) factor to be used for calculating project rent increases for fiscal year 2026. It applies to all CHRP, FHDP, RHCP-Bond, and SUHRP projects.

25-04 June 16, 2025 Replacement Reserve Guideline Updates (PDF) The Guidelines set forth consistent criteria for evaluating replacement reserve withdrawal requests and the use of replacement reserve funds.

25-03 April 2, 2025; amended June 10, 2026 LA County Waitlist Priority for Households Displaced by Wildfires (PDF) In accordance with EO N-23-25, households displaced from their primary residence in Los Angeles County as a result of the proclaimed emergency shall be prioritized on the waiting lists for rental housing in the Department’s housing portfolio upon demonstration that the household (i) was displaced from a residence in Los Angeles County due to the proclaimed emergency; (ii) is currently experiencing homelessness; and (iii) meets all HCD program-eligibility requirements of the vacant dwelling unit.

25-02 February 18, 2025 FWHG Marketing and Prioritization Requirements (PDF) This policy sets forth marketing and prioritization requirements for FWHG-funded multifamily housing projects. The requirements require marketing in OMS centers and prioritization of eligible migrant farmworkers into FWHG units as detailed in Chapter 523, Statutes of 2024 Assembly Bill 2240 .

25-01 January 21, 2025 Disability Income Exclusion for Veterans (PDF) This memo sets forth a disability income exclusion for HUD-VASH participants who are applying to or living in HCD-assisted units and highlights a similar disability income exclusion for all VHHP tenants and VHHP applicants.

24-06 November 25, 2024 VHHP Secondary Tenants Policy (PDF) This policy establishes a petition process to temporarily redesignate a portion of a VHHP-assisted project’s 30% Area Median Income (AMI) Supportive Housing units at 50% or 60% AMI.

24-05 October 7, 2024 2024 Supportive Services Cost Limits Omnibus Guideline Amendments (PDF) This memo sets forth increased cost caps for supportive services funded through project budgets for DSFA multifamily rental programs. 24-04 September 27, 2024; amended January 2, 2025 LWSI Omnibus Amendment (PDF) Removal of Limited Waiver of Sovereign Immunity requirements for most of HCD's state-funded housing programs.

24-03 June 19, 2024; Developer Fee Memo (PDF) This memo provides important updates and clarifications regarding the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) policies on developer fees and project funding.

24-02 May 30, 2024; Homeownership Omnibus Amendment (PDF) Sets forth and repeals certain requirements under multiple homeownership financing programs, specifically the CalHome program and the homeownership elements of the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant program (“Serna Homeownership”).

23-01 January 3, 2023; amended August 8, 2023 Transition Reserve Policy (PDF) Sets forth the Department’s transition reserve policy applicable to all HCD funded multifamily rental programs. 22-07 July 29, 2022 Infill Infrastructure Grant Program COVID - 19 liquidation extension (PDF) Sets forth and clarifies certain requirements un the IIG Program of 2019 Guidelines.

The 2021 Budget Bill Guideline Amendment (Chapter 21, statute of 2021) authorized the Department of Finance to authorize and extension of the liquidation Period it is determined that an extension is needed to facilitate a projects’ completion due to the impact of COVID-19.

22-03 May 5, 2022 Omnibus Guideline Amendment (PDF) Sets forth, clarifies and repeals certain requirements under the Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), Homekey and California Housing Accelerator programs. 22-02 March 30, 2022 and amended Dec. 19, 2022 Notice of Disencumbrance (PDF) Sets forth the Department’s disencumbrance policy applicable to all HCD state funded multifamily rental programs.

22-01 March 31, 2022 and amended April 3, 2023 Notice of Negative Points (PDF) Sets forth the Department’s negative points policy applicable to all state and federal funding programs which will apply to any application submitted under a Notice of Funding Availability released on or after March 31, 2022.

21-05 June 22, 2021 Notice of Omnibus Interpretive Guidance to Program Guidelines (PDF) Sets forth and repeals certain requirements under multiple multifamily financing programs for the purposes of securing Calendar Year 2021 disaster credits through the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) 21-06 August 11, 2021 and amended September 13, 2023 Repeal of Stacking Prohibition of Multiple Department Funding Sources (PDF) Sets forth and repeals the Department’s stacking prohibition of multiple Department Funding Sources for all multifamily programs allowing the use of multiple funding sources on the same Assisted Unit in a single Project for applications submitted for HCD on or after July 1, 2021 20-01 September 1, 2020 Electronic Signature Policy (PDF) Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) will accept electronic copies of signatures (“e-signatures”) instead of wet or original signature.

The requirements for the e-signature may vary slightly depending on the document.

Division of State Financial Assistance Estimated Outstanding Bond and Tax Credit Demand for HCD funded projects Information provided below is based on application data submitted to HCD for the following multifamily programs: AHSC, VHHP, HOME, NPLH (does not include APC Counties), MHP, Serna, IIG, TOD, HHC/NHTF 2018* HCD Funded Projects 2019* HCD Funded Projects 2020* HCD Funded Projects Total Outstanding Demand 2018-2020 4% Total projects awarded: 35 42 131 208 Outstanding Awarded Projects Seeking Allocation 10 10 89 109 Remaining Bond Allocation Need $92.

7 million $288. 6 million $2. 925 billion $3.

306 billion Remaining 4% Tax Equity Need $119. 6 million $174. 3 million $1.

710 billion $2. 003 billion 9% Total projects awarded: 13 14 34 61 Outstanding Projects Seeking 9% credits 8 11 18 37 Remaining 9% Tax Equity Need $133. 3 million $186.

0 billion $364. 7 billion $684. 0 billion * Represents first HCD funding received.

Projects may have received funding from an additional HCD funding source in a subsequent year Google™ Translate Disclaimer The California Housing and Community Development website uses Google™ Translate to provide automatic translation of its web pages. This translation application tool is provided for purposes of information and convenience only.

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