The Affordable Housing Finance Committee (AHFC) advises the Board of Supervisors on the annual allocation of approximately $3.1 million in HOME Investment Partnership Act (HOME), $2.1 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and $650,000 in Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) funds for affordable housing development in Contra Costa County. These funds are allocated annually to the County on a formula basis through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The AHFC typically convenes once annually in the spring to review staff’s recommendations for project funding of applications received through a public request for proposals process. Occasionally there is a second special meeting midway through the fiscal year to reallocate funds.
The AHFC replaced the 6-member HOME Technical Review Committee in 1995. The City and County representatives categories were carried over from the old HOME Technical Review Committee, and three additional community representatives were added to the committee membership roster. The AHFC currently consists of nine seats:
• three city representatives (one each from East, Central and West County)
• three county representatives (live in or serve unincorporated County); and
• three community representatives (live in the County, incorporated or unincorporated).
The subregions have traditionally been defined:
West Cities: El Cerrito, Hercules, Pinole, Richmond, San Pablo
Central Cities: Clayton, Concord, Danville, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, Walnut Creek
East Cities: Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Pittsburg
West Unincorporated: Crockett, El Sobrante, East Richmond Heights, Kensington, Montalvin Manor, N. Richmond, Port Costa, Rodeo
Central Unincorporated: Blackhawk, Contra Costa Centre, Diablo, Pacheco/Vine Hill, Saranap
East Unincorporated: Bay Point, Bethel Island, Byron, Clyde, Discovery Bay, Knightsen
By tradition, representatives on the AHFC must live or work in Contra Costa and City and County representatives must have expertise or an identified interest in affordable housing issues and the provision of additional housing for lower-income and special needs populations. The three Community representatives can be anyone who lives in the county and are not required to have experience in affordable housing development and financing.
Nominations for County and Community representatives are solicited by the Department of Conservation and Development and Clerk of the Board through the normal committee application process. All County and Community representative appointments to the AHFC are reviewed by the Internal Operations Committee (IOC) and referred to the Board of Supervisors for approval. However, the three City representatives are nominated by the city managers in each subregion of the county and approved by the Board of Supervisors. All the AHFC terms are for three years and terms are staggered.
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