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California has 40,000 affordable housing units ready to break ground. One setback is holding them up
Nearly 40,000 affordable homes are fully approved and partially funded but stalled due to a $4.1 billion state funding gap, delaying construction across California.
This year, Enterprise Community Partners reported 39,880 affordable units across 461 shovel-ready developments in California stalled for lack of public funding, with many waiting over a year after applying in February.
After years of permitting reform, developers now clear local approvals but face financing bottlenecks from relying on two to six public funding sources with separate timelines.
The Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley reports that each additional funding source delays projects by four months and adds $20,460 per unit, with 1,198 units waiting on final funding, including the Modesto project on East Morris Avenue.
California Housing and Community Development says at least $1.8 billion should be available this year while lawmakers consider a $10 billion affordable housing bond for 2026.
The Newsom administration proposes funding, which could benefit 432 households, and plans a California Housing and Homelessness Agency to speed project delivery.