Housing and Community Development
About the Division
The Housing and Community Development Division enhances the Salinas community by assisting low and moderate income families, reducing slum and blight, and responding to emergencies through the administration of Housing and Urban Development grants and other housing resources and policies. Each year, the Division effectively manages three HUD grants: Community Development Block grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG). In addition, the Division actively fosters housing development by creating incentives (density bonus) and regulations (inclusionary housing), preserving existing affordable housing, providing rehabilitation assistance for lower income households, and funding the development of new affordable housing units.
Accomplishments
In 2015 the Division:
- Completed the City’s Consolidated Plan for FY 2015-2019 for the City’s federal HUD funding (CDBG, HOME, & ESG)
- Funded 20 public services agencies to provide critical programming to over 1,900 youth, seniors, and homeless
- Entered into an Exclusive Negotiating Rights Agreement with MidPen and provided a pre-development loan for $201,500 for the development of a mixed use, 90-unit affordable housing development
- Preserved 40 affordable housing units through investment in Vista de la Terraza and assisted in funding 41 units of affordable senior housing (Haciendas Seniors)
- Secured additional homeless funding for Monterey and San Benito Counties by administering the State ESG Grant
- Provided and continues to provide funding to the following non-profit organizations:
- Food Bank for Monterey County
- Girls Inc. of the Central Coast
- Partners for Peace
- Girl Scouts of California
- Alliance on Aging
- Community Human Services
- Franciscan Workers of Junipero Serra
- Legal Services for Seniors
- Family Service Agency of the Central Coast
- Sunrise House
- Meals on Wheels
What We're Working On
Advancement of our Economic Prosperity through the revitalization of Chinatown by:
- Initiating an update of the Chinatown Rebound Plan.
- Assisting in the coordination of homeless services that focus on rapid rehousing in Chinatown.
- Facilitation of housing production in Chinatown by assisting in financing and permitting of Haciendas 3 and Mid-Pen’s project at 21 Soledad.
Creation of a well-planned city with excellent infrastructure and high quality housing for all residents through:
- Adoption of a new Inclusionary Housing (or Housing Fee) Ordinance to support affordable housing.
- Continued implementation of a housing rehabilitation program with funding through CDBG.
- Identification of additional grant opportunities and incentives (i.e. expedited permitting) to expand housing production at a variety of income levels and for special needs populations (seniors, homeless, and disabled).
Development of a healthy, vibrant, sustainable, green community that meets the needs of its most vulnerable through:
- Educating the community on fair housing rights, and starting conversations between tenants and landlords. (KION Story)
- Continued collaboration with the County and social service providers to address the needs of the Homeless citywide and Chinatown.
- Cooperation with partners to maximize the potential for all forms of supportive housing.
- Partnership with Public Health to increase the availability of case management for homeless.
- Administration of new Emergency Solution Grant for San Benito and Monterey Counties to better address homelessness at a regional level.
Community Discussion on Housing Talks Rights

On March 29, 2018, the City of Salinas and Councilmember Tony Barrera hosted a public meeting called “Community Discussion on Housing”. The purpose of the meeting was to educate property owners, property managers, tenants, organizations and members of the public about information regarding fair housing and tenant-landlord rights. Approximately 100 individuals attended the public meeting. The presentations covering fair housing and tenant-landlord rights were performed by Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity (ECHO) Housing, followed by a question and answer panel with staff from ECHO Housing, California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), Housing Authority of Monterey...
City Celebrates Community Investments with CDBG Week

This year’s CDBG Celebration focused on Economic Development and the City’s Grow Salinas Fund (GSF) partnership with National Development Council (NDC). NDC’s work focuses on HOMES, JOBS and COMMUNITY. NDC has worked for over 50 years fulfilling its mission to increase the flow of capital for investment in low-income communities. NDC directs capital to support the development and preservation of affordable housing, job creation and small business lending to the advancement of livable communities through investment in social infrastructure.
This year’s CDBG Week honorees were presented the David G. Swanson Award. The Award recognizes...
City of Salinas Staff meets Fernando Torres Gil and Step Up

City of Salinas Planning Manager Anastacia Wyatt met with Fernando Torres Gil, Board Member and Tod Lipka, Executive Director, of Step Up on Second. Step Up's mission is to deliver compassionate support to people experiencing serious mental illness to help them recover, stabilize, and integrate into the community. Through dynamic partnerships, Step Up provides positive social and learning environments, vocational training, permanent supportive housing opportunities, and recovery services to empower individuals to cultivate lives of hope and dignity. Step Up exercises innovative leadership and advocacy to increase public understanding, support and acceptance of all people...
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City of Salinas - Action Plans
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Housing Division Notices