California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office revealed on Friday that nearly $790 million will be allocated to 20 communities throughout the state to enhance sustainable housing and infrastructure.
Among the selected areas are several Bay Area cities, including Berkeley, El Cerrito, Healdsburg, San Francisco, San Jose, and Walnut Creek. Other communities receiving funding include Hemet, Inglewood, King City, Livingston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oceanside, Oxnard, Red Bluff, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Los Angeles County.
This funding will support 24 different projects through grant awards from the Affordable Housing and Sustainability Communities program. In addition to housing developments, the initiative will fund new zero-emission transit vehicles, bus shelters, bikeways, and sidewalk repairs.
Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of this funding, stating, “We cannot solve the homelessness crisis without creating new affordable homes. By creating livable communities with sustainable transportation options, we can meet both our state’s climate targets and our goal of providing affordable housing for every Californian.”
The 24 projects will lead to the construction of 2,483 new, rent-restricted homes, with over two-thirds of these homes designated for lower-income communities. This marks the eighth round of grant distribution for the AHSC program, increasing the total investment to $3.8 billion.