Rep. Huffman Secures $6 Million for Equitable Housing in Northern California, Bay Area

June 25, 2024

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) announced that he secured $6 million in grant funding for two projects in his district through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) program. PRO Housing aims to identify and remove barriers to affordable housing production, preservation, and lower housing costs. This program, which was established by the FY23 Omnibus that Rep. Huffman voted for, is awarding its first-ever grants and it includes two winners in California’s Second Congressional district: $1 million to Arcata and $5 million to the Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

About the Projects

  1. $1 million to Arcata, CA: With a rapid influx in population due to nearby fires and increased university enrollment and geographic constraints that add lengthy environmental permitting procedures for new affordable housing, Arcata will use its awarded $1 million in PRO Housing grant funding to develop streamlined, ministerial permitting processes that will reduce costs for builders. The City will also develop an ordinance supporting the development of Accessory Dwelling Units and create a marketing campaign to encourage property owners to take advantage of the City’s loan program.
  1. $5 million to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) of the Bay Area: With some of the highest housing costs in the nation, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) of the Bay Area will use its awarded $5 million in PRO Housing grant funding to begin building and incentivizing the construction of new homes. The Bay Area has an estimated need for 1.4 million units to address the region’s chronic housing shortage over the next 25 years. The MTC will expand its regionwide technical assistance to remove barriers to site advancements and launch Priority Sites Catalyst Projects, which will be targeted investments in housing-supportive infrastructure.

About the Funding

PRO Housing provides grant funding to communities actively taking steps and demonstrating progress in addressing local housing barriers such as outdated local regulations and land use policies, inadequate infrastructure, lack of available financing for development, and risks associated with extreme weather and an aging housing stock. Winners of the PRO Housing competition will update state and local housing plans, revise land use policies, streamline the permitting process, and take other actions to create more housing-forward communities.