Building affordable housing today in California is an economically challenging endeavor that requires true public-private partnerships to overcome market forces. The Department of Housing and Homeless Services partners with lenders, developers, nonprofits, and/or state and federal agencies to expand the supply of affordable housing opportunities by providing incentives, policies and direct financial assistance. Some of the tools used include:

• Inclusionary Housing
• Density Bonus
• AB 2162
• Housing Authority

Notice of Funding Availability – New Construction of Affordable Housing

The City of Chula Vista and Chula Vista Housing Authority are pleased to announce a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for a total of $4,000,000 for the new construction of multifamily affordable housing.

The timeline for the NOFA is as follows:

Submittals and questions regarding this NOFA are only accepted through the City’s procurement portal, PlanetBids. Information and a link to the Project within PlanetBids is shown below. A page with guidance on vendor setup through PlanetBids is attached for your convenience.

Project Title - City of Chula Vista New Construction of Affordable Housing

Invitation #RFP P22-2026

Bid Posting Date - 11/07/2025 7:36 AM (PST)

Project Stage - Bidding

Project Due Date - 01/15/2026 2:00 PM (PST)

Response Format - Electronic only

Link to Project - https://vendors.planetbids.com/portal/15381/bo/bo-detail/135551 

Inclusionary Housing

All new residential developments of 20 units or more must include 5% of the total units affordable to low-income households and 5% of the total units affordable to moderate-income households. The inclusionary housing requirement assists Chula Vista in producing affordable housing for residents and persons working within the City.

• Inclusionary Housing Ordinance
• Inclusionary Application

Density Bonus is a state law that allows for additional units to be built on a site above the maximum density, if a certain number of affordable units is included. The law also allows for breaks on parking and development standards.  

• State Density Bonus Law
• Density Bonus Ordinance
• Density Bonus Process
• Density Bonus Application
• Density Bonus Agreement

Residential For-Sale Affordable Unit Requirements

 This municipal code chapter explains the requirements for projects including for-sale affordable units.

• Residential For-Sale Affordable Unit Requirements Ordinance

Marketing, Application, Lottery, and Waitlist Requirements for Affordable Rental Housing Projects

This municipal code chapter explains the marketing, application, lottery, and waitlist requirements for projects including rental affordable units.

• Marketing, Application, Lottery, and Waitlist Requirements for Affordable Rental Housing Projects Ordinance

AB 2162 Supportive Housing

AB 2162 is a state law that allows for the ministerial approval of a project that is 100% affordable to lower income households and includes a certain number of supportive housing units amongst other requirements.

• AB 2162 State Law
• AB 2162 Application

Housing Authority

The Chula Vista Housing Authority coordinates and administers the City’s programs for promoting balanced housing for families of all income levels. The Housing Authority often serves as the financing vehicle for the issuance of bonds for acquiring development and rehabilitating of housing. The City Council serves as the five-member Board of Directors of the Housing Authority and the Housing Advisory Commission serves as an advisory body.

With the end of California Redevelopment, the Housing Authority was authorized all duties of the former Redevelopment Agency. As part of these duties, AB 987 required that the Agency publish a listing of assisted properties.  

Additional information on constructing ADUs in Chula Vista can be found on the City's ADU Webpage.

Multifamily Bond Program

The Multifamily Bond Program provides below-market financing for developers willing to set aside a portion of their rental units as affordable housing.  Housing staff reviews projects eligible for tax-exempt bond financing assistance and makes recommendations to the Chula Vista Housing Authority, which issues the bonds. For the Housing Authority's requirements, refer to the Authority's Multifamily Mortgage Revenue Bond Program policy.  The bonds require a minimum "A" rating, which typically is achieved by obtaining a credit enhancement offered by participating financial institutions that underwrite the project loans and guarantee the repayment of bonds. Housing bonds are attractive to investors because of their relative safety as compared to stocks and because they are exempt from some income tax.

Workforce Housing

On October 26, 2021, Council adopted a new policy to enable acceptance of applications by Joint Power Authorities and their associated project team to finance rental projects in Chula Vista for moderate income households to address the “missing middle” in housing stock.  The associated policy and application materials follow.

• Workforce Housing Policy
• Application Checklist

Rental Housing Compliance

The Housing Department’s Asset Management team ensures that the City of Chula Vista’s/Housing Authority's Affordable Housing Projects are compliant with the terms of the loan or grant that was provided by the City/Housing Authority to fund development. For additional information visit the Rental Housing Compliance page.

Interested in Developing Affordable Housing in our Community?

If you are interested in applying for financing with the City please contact:
Brian Warwick, Housing Manager
(619) 691-5047 | bwarwick@chulavistaca.gov 

Department of Housing & Homeless Services
276 Fourth Avenue
Chula Vista, CA 91910

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