San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund

What San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund does

San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund (HTF) is a private nonprofit corporation founded in 2003 and headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California. It operates as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), certified by both the US Department of the Treasury and the California Department of Insurance, and holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Its mission is to increase the supply of affordable housing in San Luis Obispo County for extremely low to moderate income residents and households of people with disabilities.

Rather than build or operate housing directly, HTF runs a revolving loan fund that provides financing and technical assistance to three customer segments: private developers, nonprofit housing corporations, and government housing agencies. Loan origination follows a four-step process (inquiry, application, staff underwriting, and Board of Directors approval), and deployment is concentrated in LIHTC-financed and grant-supported projects such as Templeton Place II (36 units), Pismo Terrace (50 units), and River Walk Terrace (80 units). Since inception, HTF has closed 70 loans worth over $44 million, creating or preserving more than 1,700 affordable housing units; in 2024 it closed $5.9 million in new loans with $20 million outstanding and $2.5 million in commitments.

The business model is funded through two principal revenue streams: interest and fee income on the loan portfolio, and grants from the federal CDFI Fund, California's Local Housing Trust Fund program, philanthropic foundations, and mission-aligned loan fund investors (USDA IRP, Adrian Dominican Sisters, Common Spirit, community banks). Revenue covered all general operating expenses in 2024. The organization is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors and operates with a lean staff of three named executives (CEO Jeff Eckles, Deputy Director/Loan Portfolio Manager Kathy McClenathen, and Operations Manager Kasem Cornelius). It does not use proprietary technology; differentiation rests on CDFI standing, two decades of deal track record, and dense partnerships with local housing authorities, community banks, and regional nonprofits.

Name

San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund

Legal name

The Housing Trust Fund of San Luis Obispo County

Website

https://slochtf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit CDFI operating a revolving loan fund that finances affordable housing developers, nonprofits, and government agencies in San Luis Obispo County, having deployed over $44 million across 70 loans since 2003.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Financing

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development & Affordable Housing Funds (FSANAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Down Payment Assistance (DPA) & Homebuyer Subsidy Programs (FSALAKAE), Construction & Development (C&D) Lending — Commercial/Multifamily (FSALADAH)

Keywords

• Affordable housing financing
• Community development lending
• Nonprofit housing loans
• CDFI lending services
• Revolving loan fund

Headquarters

HQ city

San Luis Obispo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Interest and Fee Earnings: Interest income from loans and fees charged for loan services. In 2024, revenue covered all general operating expenses.
2. Grants: Operating revenue from grants. HTF has received grants from CDFI Fund of the US Treasury, California Local HTF Program, and other grantmaking organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Housing Trust Fund of San Luis Obispo County operates a revolving loan fund that provides financing and technical assistance to private developers, nonprofit corporations, and government agencies for the development, rehabilitation, preservation, or acquisition of affordable housing. The organization does not build or operate housing directly nor provide direct assistance to individual home buyers; rather, it enables affordable housing production through favorable lending rates and technical support across San Luis Obispo County.

Product overview

San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund (HTF) is a private nonprofit CDFI that does not offer a software product or technology platform. Instead, it operates as a revolving loan fund providing financing and technical assistance to private developers, nonprofit corporations, and government agencies for the development, rehabilitation, preservation, or acquisition of affordable housing. The organization facilitates loans through programs such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) loan program and Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF) program. The organization does not provide direct assistance to individual homeowners or home buyers, but rather serves as an intermediary lender in the affordable housing ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable Housing Revolving Loan Fund
• Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Loan Program
• Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF) Loan Program
• Affordable Housing Technical Assistance

Quantifiable outcome

• 70 loans worth over $44 million creating or preserving 1,700+ affordable housing units since 2003
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Housing Authority of San Luis ObispocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2023Partner on Templeton Place II and other developments. SLO County HTF provided financing; HASLO provides housing authority services.
• Central Coast Community EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean energy partner for Pismo Terrace development.
• Paso Robles Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of River Walk Terrace senior residential community with 80 units in Paso Robles.
• Affordable Housing Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of River Walk Terrace senior residential community.
• People's Self-Help HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for Templeton Place II (36 units for seniors/veterans) and other affordable housing projects.

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• California Community Reinvestment Corporation (CCRC): California-focused CDFI providing multifamily affordable-housing financing across the state. Strongly comparable in geography and product, but operates state-wide rather than at the single-county level.
• National Housing Trust: National nonprofit CDFI that preserves and develops affordable housing through lending and direct ownership. Highly comparable as a mission-aligned affordable-housing lender with revolving-fund mechanics.
• Housing Trust Silicon Valley: County-level CDFI housing trust fund providing acquisition, predevelopment, construction, and permanent financing for affordable housing in Santa Clara County. Closest direct analog in mission, structure, and California operating environment.
• Self-Help Enterprises / People's Self-Help Housing (parent network): California-based nonprofit developer of affordable housing for low-income residents and a direct customer of HTF. Comparable mission and target population; operates as developer rather than lender.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Housing: National nonprofit affordable-housing developer and CDFI lender. Comparable as a builder/financer of affordable housing for low-income households across the U.S., with broader service offerings and balance sheet than HTF.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National CDFI providing loans, grants, and equity for affordable housing and community development. Similar revolving-loan-fund model and CDFI status; much larger and operates nationally.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National CDFI and affordable housing developer/financier offering loans, equity, and development services across the U.S. Comparable as a CDFI lender, but operates at vastly greater scale and as a broad incumbent rather than a single-county nonprofit.
• Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco: FHLB district bank providing Affordable Housing Program (AHP) subsidies and liquidity to member CDFIs. Acts as a wholesale funder of HTF's loans; broader scale and statutory mission make it an incumbent counterparty rather than direct competitor.

Others

• NeighborWorks America: National network of community-based affordable-housing nonprofits; already a core funding partner of HTF. Comparable mission and customer base (local nonprofits), but operates as a national umbrella rather than a direct lender.

Regional players

• Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles / HACLA: Major California public housing authority that partners with nonprofits and developers to finance affordable developments. Comparable as a counterparty and co-developer with HTF, but serves a different geography and is government-administered.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/housingtrustfund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-luis-obispo-county-housing-trust-fund

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund