To: Board of Supervisors
From: Internal Operations Committee
Report Title: APPOINTMENT TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE COMMITTEE
☐Recommendation of the County Administrator ☒ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
REAPPOINT Willie Robinson to the County West Subregion seat on the Affordable Housing Finance Committee to a new three-year term that will expire on June 30, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact.
BACKGROUND:
The Affordable Housing Finance Committee (AHFC) advises the Board of Supervisors on the annual allocation of HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Measure X Housing, and Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funds for affordable housing development in Contra Costa County. It typically convenes once annually in the spring to review staff’s recommendations for project funding of applications received through a competitive public request for proposals process.
The AHFC consists of seven seats, including:
• Three city representative seats (one from each sub-region of the County, currently residing in an incorporated city); and
• Three County representative seats (one from each sub-region of the County, currently residing in an unincorporated area of the County); and
• One Community/At-Large representative seat (currently residing in the County, either incorporated or unincorporated).
Nominations for AHFC representatives are solicited by the Department of Conservation and Development, reviewed by the Internal Operations Committee (IOC), and referred to the Board of Supervisors for approval. AHFC terms are for three years. Per the bylaws adopted in 2021, all members are required to have professional experience in the field of affordable housing finance, design, development, or property management. Members may be retired or active affordable housing professionals.
The Department of Conservation and Development recruited for the open/vacant positions beginning on January 23, 2025, with applications due on February 18, 2025 (flyer attached). Eight applications were received to fill three current vacancies:
• West sub-region City Representative - vacant as of June 30, 2024
• West sub-region Unincorporated Representative - vacant as of June 30, 2024
• East sub-region Unincorporated Representative - vacant as of June 30, 2023
Of the eight applications received, one, incumbent Willie Robinson, has professional affordable housing experience and is currently eligible as he resides in the west sub-region of unincorporated Contra Costa County. Mr. Robinson is a retired architectural engineer and construction project manager. He has actively served on the Affordable Housing Finance Advisory Committee since 2005. He also serves on the Measure X Community Advisory Board.
No qualifying applications were received for either the vacant West County City Representative seat or for the East County Unincorporated Representative seat.
The remaining seven applicants who applied for the current vacancies either reside in a region of the County where a representative seat is not currently vacant and/or have not demonstrated professional affordable housing finance, design, and/or property management experience. These seven applicants will be thanked for their application and interest in serving and encouraged to consider other County commissions and committees.
All applicants were invited to attend the March 24, 2025 IOC meeting as their schedule permitted to be available for any questions the Committee may have. Applicant Chirag Kathrani attended the meeting and suggested that information be provided regarding reasons why applicants were deemed not qualified.
In addition, the Central sub-region City Representative seat and the Community/At-Large Representative seat will become vacant on June 30, 2025. DCD Staff will conduct additional recruitment in Summer 2025 to fill remaining current vacancies and these additional vacancies.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Should the Board not approve the recommendation, west unincorporated county would not be represented on the AHFC and the AHFC may have difficulty achieving a meeting quorum.