Kate Hartley joined the HAC Regulatory Committee to discuss the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority’s (BAHFA) projects, progress and future plans. Established in 2019, BAHFA is a regional authority governed by the Association of Bay Area Government’s (ABAG) executive board. Kate provided insights and status updates on BAHFA’s most well-known project: the Regional Housing Bond Ballot Measure, which will be on the November 2024 ballot. There is also a concurrent push for a constitutional amendment to lower the voter threshold for “obligations bonds” which include affordable housing bonds.
BAHFA is also collaborating with software engineers to create a regional housing portal which will centralize subsidized affordable housing listings and allow applicants to sort through openings throughout the entire Bay Area.
Following Kate’s presentation and Q&A, Kevin Dobson joined us to discuss the school he recently founded called Capital College Career Academy (CCCA).The school emphasizes hands-on-learning to promote traditional educational subjects as well as foundational skills in construction trades. Students spend three days of the school week on campus while the other two days are spent on the job site or on a college campus.
HAC’s committee was intrigued by CCCA’s innovative approach to education. With California needing to significantly increase housing production, it’s imperative that the construction industry also grows to meet the demand. Job training programs like CCCA could be part of this solution, and we are excited to monitor the school’s progress and status as its student body grows.
