What Housing and Community Development does

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is a California state government department, established in 1965 and headquartered in Sacramento, that administers federal and state housing and community development programs on behalf of the State of California. HCD distributes grants, low-interest deferred-payment loans, and forgivable loans through Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) processes to local governments, tribal entities, nonprofit and for-profit housing developers, Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), and public agencies. Over the past three decades, the department has administered more than $3 billion in housing funding and, since 2019, has financed over 66,000 rental homes projected to house up to 1.17 million Californians over a 55-year affordability window.

HCD's core technology stack is a government grants management system comprising online application portals (ServiceNow-based HCD Connect, Cognito Forms, Neighborly Software) used to intake, evaluate, and award competitive funding. The recently launched California Housing Management System (CAHMS), developed jointly with CalHFA and CTCAC under AB 2006, centralizes compliance reporting for affordable housing sponsors across multiple state agencies. Supporting platforms include the Housing Open Data Tools (Housing Accountability Dashboard, HHAP Dashboard, ERF Dashboard) and a multilingual Community Needs Assessment infrastructure. HCD maintains five California offices — Sacramento headquarters, a Sacramento Codes and Standards office, and district offices in El Cajon, Riverside, and San Luis Obispo — to provide in-person program support.

HCD does not generate revenue in the commercial sense; it is funded by annual state budget appropriations and federal pass-throughs (HUD-administered CDBG, ESG, HOME, NHTF), and it re-deploys bond proceeds (e.g., Proposition 1, ARPA) into housing programs. The department sits under the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency umbrella, with a new California Housing and Homelessness Agency now being stood up separately. Customer segments include vulnerable populations (veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, farmworkers, individuals experiencing homelessness), institutional recipients (cities, counties, tribes, continuums of care), and housing developers. HCD operates on a sales-led, NOFA-driven go-to-market with self-serve application portals and regional field offices.

Name

Housing and Community Development

Legal name

California Department of Housing and Community Development

Website

https://hcd.ca.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

California state government department administering over $3 billion in federal and state affordable housing grants and loans, funding rental, homeownership, homelessness, disaster recovery, and tribal housing programs for veterans, low-income households, tribes, and developers statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Housing Programs Administration

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

State & Local Housing Finance Agencies (HFAs) (FSALAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Rental & Multifamily Housing Finance Programs (LIHTC/Tax Credits/Subsidized Loans) (FSALAKAF), Down Payment Assistance (DPA) & Homebuyer Subsidy Programs (FSALAKAE), Fair Housing, Compliance & Housing Program Oversight (FSALAKAN), Rural, Tribal & Special-Population Housing Programs (FSALAKAL)

Keywords

• Affordable housing programs
• Housing grants administration
• Community development funding
• Homelessness prevention services
• Multifamily housing loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Federal and State Housing Funding Administration: HCD administers over $3 billion in federal and state housing programs including grants and loans for affordable housing development, homelessness prevention, and community development. Funding comes from federal sources (HUD, Treasury) and state sources (bond proceeds, state budget appropriations).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) administers over $3 billion in federal and state housing grants and loans for affordable rental housing, homeownership, homelessness prevention, and community development across California. It distributes funding to local governments, tribal entities, nonprofit and for-profit developers, and CHDOs through Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) processes, Super NOFAs, and over-the-counter applications, and provides regulatory oversight of building standards, manufactured housing, and mobilehome registration.

Product overview

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) operates as a state government agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of grant and loan programs organized under federal and state categories. The agency's offerings span housing development, homelessness prevention, disaster recovery, and community development. Core programs include the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships, and National Housing Trust Fund at the federal level; and at the state level, major programs include the Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), Homekey/Homekey+, CalHOME, Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention (VHHP), No Place Like Home, and the Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant. HCD has streamlined delivery through Super NOFA mechanisms that combine multiple programs (Multifamily Finance Super NOFA, Homeownership Super NOFA, Tribal Multifamily Finance Super NOFA) into single application processes. Specialized initiatives address tribal housing, transitional age youth, encampment resolution, and disaster recovery (ReCoverCA, DR-MHP). The agency also operates the Housing Open Data Tools platform and the Statewide Housing Plan for transparency and planning. Since 2019, HCD has funded more than 66,000 rental homes housing up to 1.17 million Californians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) Federal grant program partnering with rural cities and counties to improve living conditions for low- and moderate-income residents through community and economic development.
• Emergency Solutions Grants Program (ESG) Federal grant funding to local governments and nonprofits for engaging homeless individuals, rapid re-housing, emergency shelter operations, and homelessness prevention.
• HOME American Rescue Plan Program (HOME-ARP) $131 million allocation supporting developers and nonprofits in addressing homelessness through affordable housing development and supportive services for vulnerable populations including reentry housing.
• HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) Flexible federal funding for cities, counties, developers, Native American entities, and nonprofits to create and preserve affordable housing through first-time homebuyer assistance, owner rehabilitation, and tenant-based rental assistance.
• National Housing Trust Fund Program (NHTF) Federal program providing deferred or forgivable loans to increase and preserve affordable rental housing for extremely low-income households through 55-year regulatory agreements.
• Multifamily Housing Program (MHP) Low-interest, long-term deferred-payment loans for new construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of permanent and transitional rental housing for lower-income households with 55-year terms.
• Homekey Grants for state and local public entities to acquire or rehabilitate hotels, motels, hostels, apartments, and other buildings for permanent or interim housing for homeless populations.
• Homekey+ $2.2 billion expansion of Homekey from Proposition 1 funding for permanent supportive housing for veterans and individuals experiencing homelessness with mental health or substance use challenges.
• Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program (VHHP) Long-term loans for acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable multifamily housing for veterans and families, with at least 50% serving extremely low-income veteran households.
• No Place Like Home Program Up to $2 billion in bond proceeds funding permanent supportive housing for persons needing mental health services who are homeless, chronically homeless, or at risk of chronic homelessness.
• Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program (FWHG) Funding for new construction, rehabilitation, and acquisition of housing for agricultural workers, with deferred-payment loans for multifamily rental and grants for single-family or owner-occupied rehabilitation.
• Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Grant Program Flexible grant allocations to cities, counties, and continuums of care to prevent and end homelessness in their regions.
• Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Program Competitive grant program assisting local jurisdictions to provide services and supports to people experiencing homelessness in encampments, resulting in pathways to stable housing.
• California Housing Accelerator $1.75 billion program using ARPA funds to enable shovel-ready affordable housing projects with prior HCD awards to proceed by filling funding gaps caused by inability to access tax-exempt bonds or low-income housing tax credits.
• Multifamily Finance Super NOFA Coordinated single application and award process combining Multifamily Housing Program, Infill Infrastructure Grant, Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention, and Farmworker Housing Grant programs.
• Homeownership Super NOFA (HOSN) Streamlined application process combining CalHome and Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant programs for coordinated homeownership project funding.
• ReCoverCA Single-family rehabilitation and reconstruction program helping homeowners repair or rebuild homes damaged by 2023 and January 2024 severe storms in specified California counties.
• Disaster Recovery Multifamily Housing Program (DR-MHP) CDBG-DR funded multifamily housing development in areas impacted by 2023 and 2024 federally-declared disasters, with approximately $137.8 million available for specified counties.
• Housing Open Data Tools Interactive platform providing housing and homelessness data tools including the Housing Accountability Dashboard, HHAP Dashboard, ERF Dashboard, and program outcome reporting.
• Prohousing Incentive Program Grant awards to local governments with Prohousing Designation to accelerate affordable housing production and preservation, funded from the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund.
• Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Grants of 2021 $540 million flexible program integrating housing and climate goals, funding planning and implementation to accelerate infill development, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and increase housing supply.
• Tribal Homekey+ Funding for California Tribes and Tribal Entities to develop multifamily rental housing, including rehabilitation, new construction, and conversion of non-residential space for homeless populations with behavioral health challenges.
• Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Program Three programs (Housing Navigation, Transitional Housing, and THP Plus) preventing homelessness and securing housing for young adults aged 18-24, with priority for foster care and probation system youth.
• Manufactured Housing Opportunity & Revitalization Program (MORE) Financing for acquisition, conversion, rehabilitation, and replacement of mobilehome parks and individual mobilehomes to preserve affordable homeownership options.
• CalHOME Program Grants to local public agencies and nonprofits for first-time homebuyer assistance, housing rehabilitation, and homebuyer counseling enabling low- and very low-income households to become homeowners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 66,000+ rental homes funded since 2019 housing up to 1.17M Californians
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Collaborates with CTCAC on tax credit financing for affordable housing projects. HCD programs often pair with low-income housing tax credits and 4% tax credits administered by CTCAC.
• CalHFA (California Housing Finance Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partners with CalHFA on affordable housing financing. CalHFA co-administers veteran multifamily housing programs and developed the California Housing Management System (CAHMS) together.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024HCD administers federal ESG, CDBG, HOME, and NHTF programs passed through from HUD. Coordinates on homeless assistance programs and regulatory requirements.
• California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partners on veteran housing programs including VHHP. HCD collaborates with CalVet on veteran multifamily housing pursuant to AB 639.
• California Health and Human Services AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partners on implementing Proposition 1 behavioral health funding. Coordinates on supportive housing that addresses mental health and substance use challenges.
• Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborates on REAP 2.0 program administration along with Strategic Growth Council and California Air Resources Board for integrated housing and climate goals.
• Strategic Growth Council (SGC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-administers REAP 2.0 grants integrating housing and climate objectives. SGC provides oversight on greenhouse gas reduction programs like AHSC.
• California Air Resources Board (CARB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partners on REAP 2.0 for climate-focused housing programs that reduce vehicle miles traveled and support sustainable communities.
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024REAP 2.0 funds flow directly to 18 state MPOs who may suballocate to eligible cities, counties, and transit agencies in their regions.
• Business, Consumer Services, and Housing AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024HCD is under this agency umbrella and coordinates on implementing Proposition 1 housing and behavioral health funding.
• Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Works closely on Transit-Oriented Development program updates, developing guidance on VMT mitigation bank and location efficiency definitions.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CalHFA (California Housing Finance Agency): California's other primary state housing finance agency, co-administrating affordable housing programs with HCD (including VHHP and the joint CAHMS platform). Most direct functional peer given shared mandate over California affordable housing finance.
• California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC): Allocates federal and state low-income housing tax credits in California and partners with HCD through the Multifinance Super NOFA and CAHMS. Comparable as a state-level affordable housing finance conduit.
• New York State Homes and Community Renewal (NY HCR): State housing finance and development agency administering federal and state affordable housing programs in another large high-cost state. Functionally analogous to HCD at scale and program breadth.
• Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs: State housing agency administering HOME, CDBG, NHTF, and state affordable housing programs across Texas, with comparable portfolio of multifamily loans, homeowner assistance, and homelessness funding.
• Florida Housing Finance Corporation: State-level housing finance entity administering tax credits, multifamily mortgage revenue bonds, and affordable housing loans across Florida — structurally similar to HCD's California multifamily finance role.
• Washington State Housing Finance Commission: State housing finance entity issuing tax-exempt bonds and administering affordable housing and homeownership programs, sharing HCD's bond-financed and gap-financing model.
• New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency: State housing finance agency that administers federal HUD programs alongside state-specific affordable and supportive housing financing — comparable scope and program design to HCD.
• Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency: State housing finance agency administering federal pass-throughs (HOME, NHTF) and state-specific multifamily and homebuyer programs — comparable charter and program mix to HCD.

Broad incumbents

• Massachusetts Housing Partnership: Public nonprofit collaborating with the state of Massachusetts on affordable housing financing, homeownership, and community development — adjacent mission and partial functional overlap with HCD's regional approach.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Federal source of CDBG, ESG, HOME, and NHTF funding that HCD administers as a pass-through. Comparable as the upstream federal housing program authority, though at national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/californiahcd
• Xx.com/California_HCD
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaliforniaHCD

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments4 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Housing and Community Development