FRESNO AND TULARE COUNTIES – Cities in Fresno and Tulare counties scored big in Round 2 of funding through the California Department of Housing and Community Development 2024 Homeownership Super Notice of Funding Availability.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Dec. 8 nearly $181 million in grant funding for programs that increase homeownership opportunities and build housing for agricultural workers. Among these awards were 74 grants from the CalHome Program, which provides funds to local governments and nonprofits to use for first-time homebuyer assistance, and six projects in the Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Program.
“The Homeownership Super NOFA provides a powerful investment for Californians,” HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez said in a press release. “This funding makes homeownership possible for lower-income households, creating generational change that not only preserves but revitalizes communities throughout the state.”
Activities eligible for funding under the CalHome Program include first-time homebuyer mortgage assistance, homeownership development project loans, owner-occupied rehabilitation assistance, accessory dwelling unit programs, acquisition of manufactured housing and technical assistance for both self-help housing projects and share housing programs.
In Tulare County, community development organization Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) received more than $3.5 million for a mortgage assistance program that will serve the entire county. Tulare County as a government entity also received $1 million for countrywide owner-occupied rehabilitation assistance projects.
Individual cities in Tulare County also received funding, including Dinuba, Farmersville, Woodlake and Tulare. Dinuba, Tulare and Woodlake all received $500,000 each for mortgage assistance and another $500,000 for owner-occupied rehabilitation assistance. Farmersville received $500,000 for mortgage assistance and $1 million for owner-occupied rehabilitation assistance.
In Fresno County, the city of Orange Cove received $500,000 for mortgage assistance and $500,000 for owner-occupied rehabilitation assistance. The city of Clovis also received $1.5 million for owner-occupied rehabilitation assistance.
Grant funding awarded to projects in both counties totaled $11.5 million. Although Fresno and Tulare County did not see any farmworker housing projects awarded in this round, SHE, which is based in Visalia, received $1.4 million for mortgage assistance in Stanislaus County.
