HOUSING TRUST FUND OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY INC

THE HOUSING TRUST FUND'S (HTF) PRIMARY ACTIVITY IS A $7.4 MILLION REVOLVING LOAN FUND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT PROVIDES LOW-COST LOANS TO QUALIFIED SPONSORS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS THAT SERVE LOW-TO-MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. HTF PROVIDES DIRECT LOANS FOR SITE ACQUISITION, PREDEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS, AND PERMANENT FINANCING FOR RENTAL AND HOMEOWNERSHIP PROJECTS THAT CREATE, MAINTAIN, PRESERVE, EXPAND OR PRESERVE THE COUNTY'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK. HTF ALSO PROVIDES FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO: 1) HELP GROUPS DETERMINE IF THEY HAVE A FEASIBLE PROJECT, 2)CONNECT THEM TO DEVELOPMENT EXPERTISE, AND 3) ASSIST THEM IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR LOANS. HTF SUPPORTS THE INITIATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS BY COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE NOT PROCEED, FACILITATES PROJECTS SPONSORED BY EXPERIENCED DEVELOPERS, AND HELPS REDUCE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT COSTS. TO DATE, 100% OF LOAN FUND ACTIVITY HAS BEEN DIRECTED TO PROJECTS THAT SERVE LOWER INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY EARNING BETWEEN 0-80% OF AREA MEDIAN INCOME. SINCE 2012 HTF HAS ALSO OPERATED A $5.3 MILLION WORKFORCE HOMEBUYER PROGRAM USING GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT CAPITAL THAT HELPS FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS WHO HAVE BEEN SHUT OUT OF THE EXPENSIVE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY HOUSING MARKET PURCHASE AN ENTRY-LEVEL HOME IN THE COMMUNITY. HTF CURRENTLY PROVIDES DOWN PAYMENT LOANS TO LOW, MODERATE AND MIDDLE-INCOME HOUSEHOLDERS EARNING BETWEEN 30% TO 210% OF AREA MEDIAN INCOME. HTF DOWN PAYMENT LOANS ARE STRUCTURED TO MATCH THE REQUIREMENTS OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING PROGRAMS AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT SOURCES THAT PROVIDE CAPITAL FOR HTF DOWN PAYMENT LOANS. DEPENDING ON THE COST OF HOMES WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE COUNTY HOUSING SUB-MARKET AND THE RESULTANT AFFORDABILITY GAP TO LOCAL FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS, HTF CURRENTLY OFFERS A 30-YEAR DEFERRED SIMPLE INTEREST LOAN (AT 3% INTEREST) OR A 10-15 YEAR LOW-COST INTEREST-ONLY LOAN. IN THE PAST, HTF PROVIDED A 30-YEAR DEFERRED SHARED APPRECIATION LOAN, HOWEVER THIS LOAN IS ONLY CURRENTLY OFFERED UNDER A PROGRAM THE AGENCY MANAGES FOR THE CITY OF CARPINTERIA. THE MAXIMUM DOWN PAYMENT LOAN IS UP TO 16.5% OR 20% OF THE HOME PURCHASE PRICE, BASED ON HOMEBUYER NEED AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CAPITAL FUNDING SOURCES. THE HTF DOWN PAYMENT LOAN IS TAILORED TO BRIDGE THE HOMEOWNERSHIP AFFORDABILITY GAP AND MAKE HOUSING PAYMENTS AFFORDABLE TO FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS. HTF DOWN PAYMENT LOANS CAN BE USED TO PURCHASE BOTH MARKET RATE AND RESALE CONTROLLED AFFORDABLE HOMES. THE HTF WORKFORCE HOMEBUYER PROGRAM WORKS TO EXPAND AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIPS OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW TO MIDDLE INCOME RESIDENTS OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. IN 2024 SANTA BARBARA COUNTY WAS THE 4TH LEAST AFFORDABLE SMALL METROPOLITAN HOUSING MARKET IN THE NATION (NAHB/WELLS FARGO HOUSING OPPORTUNITY INDEX). OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY'S RELATIVELY LOW WAGES AND MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, COMPARED TO OTHER CALIFORNIA HIGH COST AND COASTAL AREAS, COMBINED WITH SOME OF THE HIGHEST HOUSING COSTS IN THE NATION HAVE CREATED A LARGE AND GROWING CHARITABLE CLASS OF PEOPLE WHO SIMPLY CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO RENT OR PURCHASE HOUSING IN THE PRIVATE MARKET AND EXPERIENCE HOUSING-RELATED POVERTY AND ECONOMIC DISTRESS RELATIVE TO THE COST OF HOUSING WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES. REGARDING HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, HOUSING MARKET INFLATION HAS ERODED THE ABILITY OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF WORKING FAMILITIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO PURCHASE A HOME AND PUT DOWN ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY. IN RESPONSE TO THE SEVERITY OF OUR COUNTYWIDE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY GAP, HTF SEEKS TO INCREASE THE INCOME LIMIT FOR ITS WORKFORCE HOMEBUYER PROGRAM UP TO 250% OF THE COUNTY AREA MEDIAN INCOME IN ORDER TO SERVE A BROADER RANGE OF CHARITABLE CLASSES OF PERSONS WHO ARE DISADVANTAGED AND ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED RELATIVE TO SECURING AN AFFORDABLE HOME IN THE HIGH COST SANTA BARBARA COUNTY HOUSING MARKET.