CalAssist Mortgage Fund announcement

On June 5, Chief Deputy Director Rebecca Franklin announced the CalAssist Mortgage Fund at a press event at the Altadena Library.

Following the successful administration of the COVID-related California Mortgage Relief Program, CalHFA was asked by Governor Newsom to administer a disaster-related program, which resulted in the CalAssist Mortgage Fund.

With $105 million available for mortgage relief, the program will provide three months of mortgage payments, up to $20,000, to eligible homeowners.

Low- to middle-income households may qualify if their home was destroyed or left uninhabitable as the result of a qualified disaster that occurred between January 2023 and January 2025, such as the Eaton Fire, Palisades Fire, Park Fire and San Diego floods. 

Other speakers joining Franklin at the event included BCSH Secretary Tomiquia Moss, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County President Lori Gay.

CalHFA-financed developments in the Bay Area

With one development opening its doors in San Mateo County and another starting construction in Berkeley, CalHFA representatives were on hand to celebrate a total of 325 units of affordable housing across the two sites.

Financed in part through CalHFA’s Mixed-Income Program (MIP), Kiku Crossing is a 225-unit affordable housing development in the city of San Mateo. CalHFA Board Member Preston Prince was one of the speakers as partners MidPen Housing, CDLAC and CTCAC, the City of San Mateo, the County of San Mateo, the Housing Authority County of San Mateo and HEART Local Housing Trust Fund came together for a Grand Opening event on June 26.

Then in July, CalHFA Director of Financing Erwin Tam spoke at an event celebrating the groundbreaking of BUSD Workforce Housing which is also financed in part by MIP.

The development includes 110 units restricted between 30% and 120% of AMI and is being built in the front parking lot of the Berkeley Adult School. When it opens, district educators will have priority for the units.

CalHFA’s national award-winning Mixed-Income Program launched in 2019 and since then has provided financing to help construct 11,367 units.

CalHFA’s has made its initial MIP awards for 2025 and is in the process of completing underwriting before making final commitments.

Honor roll: affordable housing and agency edition

It must be awards season because over the course of the summer, two developments that are financed in part by CalHFA have been honored at ceremonies in San Diego and Sacramento, and the Agency itself was recognized for its employment of persons with disabilities.

In May, the Sacramento Housing Alliance announced its 2025 Affordable Housing Awards, including recognition for the Monarch as the Affordable Housing Development of the Year (In Pipeline).

Monarch is 241-unit affordable housing community, where co-developers Mutual Housing California and the Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA) are partnering with CalHFA, HCD and the Department of General Services through the state’s Excess Sites Program. Using the MIP, CalHFA is helping to finance the development which is transforming a former state warehouse.

Then on June 5 at the San Diego Housing Federation’s 35^th annual Ruby Awards, Kimball Highland was honored as the Housing Project of the Year – New Construction.

The 145-unit development in National City is being developed by Community HousingWorks and financed in part through MIP. The development was honored because:

“This project impressed the jury across all its facets. The development boasts a rich array of amenities and demonstrates a thoughtful commitment to serving a vibrant, multi-generational community of residents. From a planning and development standpoint, the jury particularly noted the seamless integration of this project within a larger, intergenerational master plan, with affordable housing serving as a cornerstone of its design. This innovative approach is also proving to be a powerful mechanism for revitalizing a key part of downtown National City, setting a remarkable precedent for holistic community development."

Also in June, CalHFA won a 2024 Association of California State Employees with Disabilities (ACSED) ACES Award for Employer of the Year in the Medium Size State Departments category.

The award recognizes state agencies that have shown a strong commitment and made substantial progress in the employment of persons with disabilities.

CalHFA listening and learning

CalHFA has initiated a series of listening sessions with California’s Native American Tribes, with a goal to better understand their unique housing needs and explore opportunities where CalHFA programs and services can become accessible to Tribal Communities.

To date, CalHFA has met with Tribal leaders from the California Tribal Business Alliance and Southern California Tribal Chairman’s Association. CalHFA aims to build a strong foundation for continued relationship between the Agency and Tribes on how to better serve Tribal communities through open dialogues with key CalHFA leadership team members. We can then build on that foundation to inform the Agency on the best mutually beneficial path forward, whether by enhancing existing programs or coming up with future initiatives.

CalHFA will continue to conduct listening sessions with Tribal leaders in northern California to ensure that key geographical areas are covered because certain areas have different housing needs. We will then prepare a Tribal outreach plan to implement following these dialogues.

Legislative veteran Hardeman joins CalHFA Board of Directors

Following his May 22 appointment by Governor Newsom, CalHFA has welcomed Nicholas Hardeman as the newest member of the Agency’s Board of Directors.

Now the Principal at Hardeman Strategies and Consulting, CalHFA's newest Board Member was Chief of Staff for Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins from 2016 to 2024, providing counsel to one of the Senate's biggest housing champions through an incredible list of accomplishments.

"You would be hard pressed to find someone who has accomplished more as a legislative staffer and chief of staff in the past 20 years than Nicholas Hardeman," said CalHFA Chief Deputy Director Rebecca Franklin. "We look forward to working with Member Hardeman, who comes to us after having a hand in the passage of Senate Bill 2, the permanent source of funding for affordable housing that led to the creation of CalHFA's Mixed-Income Program, and helping to get California Dream For All into the state budget, among many other legislative achievements during his time working with Senator Atkins.”

Hardeman held several positions in the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2016, including Chief of Staff to Speaker Atkins, Special Assistant to Speaker John Pérez, and Chief of Staff to Speaker pro Tempore Fiona Ma. He is currently the Vice Chair of the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors.

"I am thrilled to join the Board of Directors at CalHFA, which I know to be an extremely important element in the state’s ongoing effort to addresses the housing issues that plague families all over California," Hardeman said, "I hope that my experience over the past two decades, both in policy and relationship-building, will be a valuable addition to the Agency.

ICYMI: Madsen named CalHFA’s Director of Enterprise Risk Management & Compliance

Earlier this year, Kelly Madsen became CalHFA’s new Director of Enterprise Risk Management & Compliance following Governor Newsom’s announcement of her appointment on February 7.

Madsen has served as the Deputy Director of Innovation and Special Initiatives at CalHFA since May of 2024. Prior to her work at CalHFA, she worked in the private sector in various capacities, and as Director of Scheduling for Governors Schwarzenegger and Newsom.

"Kelly's experience in both the private sector and the heart of California's Executive branch gives her a unique perspective on risk and how it applies to an agency like CalHFA, which must work closely with commercial interests while maintaining the public good as its highest priority," said CalHFA Deputy Director Rebecca Franklin. "I'm looking forward to working with her further to increase our ability to manage risks in both the single family and multifamily housing sectors."