ALAMEDA COUNTY IS ROLLING OUT a pilot program to cut red tape from the affordable housing permit process and is seeking a qualified architectural firm to help make it happen.
County officials announced last week that they are sending out a request for proposals for firms that are interested in being a part of the new the “Scalable Housing Investment Funding Toolkit” initiative.
The SHIFT initiative is being hailed by county officials as “a first-of-its-kind pilot program” intended to boost production of affordable housing using pre-permitted designs and streamlined approvals.
The goal is to build homes for families that make between 60 percent and 80 percent of the Area Median Income while cutting development costs and delays that make such projects unattractive to builders.
Alameda County’s AMI is currently $159,800 for a family of four, according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
“By pre-permitting standardized designs, reducing regulatory barriers, and supporting complements to tax-credit development, we will create quality housing below the traditional cost and overcome barriers that have historically slowed production,” said Alameda County’s deputy housing director Jennifer Pearce.
SHIFT projects are intended for “small, irregular, or undervalued parcels that are currently uneconomical for traditional development,” county officials said.
The architect selected will create designs for projects that can range from four to 16 units per property and that cost no more than $600,000 per unit to build.
The designs will be open-source and freely available to other counties and cities that want to adopt a similar program, according to county officials.
The SHIFT program will also take advantage of state rules that require approval of projects that split lots originally intended for one single-family home into two residential lots or that build a second unit on a single-family lot.
The program is also intended to help religious institutions and certain colleges build affordable housing on their properties under state rules that streamline approvals for such projects.
“We’re looking for partners who understand that true innovation in affordable housing means designing beautiful, livable spaces that can be built efficiently and repeatedly,” said Alameda County’s programs and policies manager Dylan Sweeney. “This is about creating a new toolkit for the entire region.”
While the SHIFT program is being formed at the county level, it’s ultimately intended to work within city boundaries, as well, which means that the pre-approved design elements will have to conform to both county and individual cities’ guidelines.
An online informational meeting about the RFP is scheduled for Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
For more information, people can contact the county’s Housing and Community Development Department by emailing HCDRFP@acgov.org or calling (510) 670-5245.
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