California Housing Accelerator Program Tier 2 NOFA
🏛 Department of Housing and Community Development (California)
Can you apply?
This grant is for California nonprofit and for-profit developers with active, previous HCD multifamily housing awards. Applicants must have received HCD funding on or after January 1, 2018, from specified multifamily programs but failed to secure 4% low-income tax credits or tax-exempt bonds.
Funded projects must demonstrate they will have complete permanent financing and all entitlements to start construction within 180 days of award. Assistance is provided as a 20-year forgivable loan at zero percent interest with no payment requirements.
This program specifically addresses shovel-ready projects stuck in the pipeline due to inability to access tax credit allocations. Projects must fill permanent financing gaps only—not gaps from other sources.
This grant is for California nonprofit and for-profit developers with active, previous HCD multifamily housing awards. Applicants must have received HCD funding on or after January 1, 2018, from specified multifamily programs but failed to secure 4% low-income tax credits or tax-exempt bonds.
Funded projects must demonstrate they will have complete permanent financing and all entitlements to start construction within 180 days of award. Assistance is provided as a 20-year forgivable loan at zero percent interest with no payment requirements.
This program specifically addresses shovel-ready projects stuck in the pipeline due to inability to access tax credit allocations. Projects must fill permanent financing gaps only—not gaps from other sources.
Program description
The intent of this program is to reduce the backlog of projects “stuck” in the funding pipeline to accelerate the development of housing for those most in need. These funds will be used to fill funding gaps in shovel-ready projects that have received funding under other HCD programs and have been unable to access low-income housing tax credits. Project sponsors who have been awarded HCD funding for an affordable housing project but were unable to secure tax credits are eligible for this program. The second tier is open to projects with a previous HCD award which listed tax-exempt bonds and 4% low-income tax credits as development sources in their HCD application but have not received allocations of these resources. California Housing Accelerator funding will be used to fill the permanent financing funding gap left by the inability to obtain tax credits/bonds for projects with active HCD funding awards.Eligible projects must demonstrate the following: an award, issued on or after January 1, 2018, from at least one of the specified HCD multifamily housing programs,evidence that, with a California Housing Accelerator award, the project will have complete financing and all entitlement approvals necessary to start construction within 180 days of award. Assistance for eligible projects will be provided in the form of a forgivable loan, with terms of zero percent interest for 20 years with no residual receipts or periodic payment requirements during the life of the California Housing Accelerator loan, and will be used to fill the permanent financing gap that remains due to the project’s inability to obtain tax credits/bonds in a more competitive 4% tax credit setting.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- Individuals
- Nonprofits
- Public Authority
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Tribal Nation
Demographic focus
Details
This grant is for California nonprofit and for-profit developers with active, previous HCD multifamily housing awards. Applicants must have received HCD funding on or after January 1, 2018, from specified multifamily programs but failed to secure 4% low-income tax credits or tax-exempt bonds.
Funded projects must demonstrate they will have complete permanent financing and all entitlements to start construction within 180 days of award. Assistance is provided as a 20-year forgivable loan at zero percent interest with no payment requirements.
This program specifically addresses shovel-ready projects stuck in the pipeline due to inability to access tax credit allocations. Projects must fill permanent financing gaps only—not gaps from other sources.
How to apply
Application links
Program contact
- 📧 accelerator@hcd.ca.gov
- 📞 1-916-263-2771
Funding track record
Past applications & awards under this program (California Grants Portal) — how competitive it is.
By fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Applications | Awarded | Award rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 31 | — | 0% |
Source: California Grants Portal
Similar grants
- OPEN 27-0343-10 FFY27 Local Agency General Non-Enforcement — Illinois Department of Transportation
- ROLLING Annual Agency Threshold Application Applicants for Funding Start Here — Texas City of Austin - Austin Public Health
- CLOSED Virginia’s Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Grant – FY26 — Virginia The Virginia Department of Historic Resources
- ROLLING RTAP Grant Program (Rolling) — Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
- ROLLING Rail Industrial Access Grant (RIA) — Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation