Housing Programs
The City of Pleasanton Housing Division coordinates the development and maintenance of affordable rental and ownership housing in Pleasanton and administers a range of programs including:
First Time Home Buyer Programs
Pleasanton Down Payment Assistance Loan Program (PDALP)
In 2004, the City introduced the Pleasanton Down Payment Assistance Loan Program (PDALP). The program currently provides up to $100,000 in down payment assistance for potential first-time homebuyers whose household income does not exceed 120% of the Area Median Income. Assistance is in the form of a 30-year/0% interest loan with no required monthly payment as long as the homeowner occupies the home. The DPA loan is also structured as a “Shared Appreciation Loan” with the principal balance amount plus a share of the appreciation becomes due at the end of the 30-year term or when the homeowner sells or transfers the property.
Buyers are responsible for obtaining a first mortgage with a CalHFA-approved lender at a fixed interest rate with no negative amortization, balloon payment or adjustable rate features.
Bay Area Affordable Homeownership Alliance (BAAHA) is the City’s new DPA Program administrator. You can contact BAAHA at 800-480-9020.
To be notified of homeownership opportunities, please sign up to the City’s Housing Interest list.
Lottery Application Period is now closed.
AC Boost – Alameda County Down Payment Assistance Program
AC Boost, Alameda County’s Down Payment Assistance Program, offers shared appreciation loans of up to $210,000 to first-time homebuyers who live in, work in, or have been displaced from Alameda County. Limited preference for First Responders and Educators (including public school employees and childcare providers).
Of the $45 million available for direct loans to AC Boost homebuyers, the program has already originated over $9 million in loans helping over 70 households buy their first home in Alameda County with an affordable mortgage.
AC Boost is funded by Alameda County Measure A1 and administered by nonprofit organization Hello Housing.
Learn more at acboost.org or call (510) 500-8840.
Preparing for Homeownership
ECHO Housing offers first-time homebuyer education, home-seeking programs and financial counseling services. ECHO Housing also provides information regarding down payment assistance, budgeting, mortgages and homeownership incentives.
Pleasanton Housing Costs
Pleasanton is located in an area of high housing costs typical of the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay East Association of Realtors® maintains up-to-date information on sales prices for existing homes.
Homes at Below-Market Prices
In 1992, the City introduced the Pleasanton Home Ownership Assistance Program (PHAP) to assist first-time home buyers in overcoming the obstacle of high local housing costs to be able to purchase homes in Pleasanton. Working with local housing developers, over 120 below-market priced homes have been constructed to date.
The purchase of PHAP homes has generally been restricted to owner-occupant, first-time home buyers. To ensure continued affordability over time, PHAP homes include restrictions controlling the maximum sale price and maximum income of subsequent buyers when the homes are resold.
PHAP homes represent a variety of housing types which have been sold at several different affordability levels.
- PHAP Below Market Rate Home Inventory
- PHAP Program Guidelines for Eligibility and Participation
- PHAP Sample Restrictive Covenants with BMR Owners
- 2024 City Income/Rent limits for Affordable Housing Programs
- Contact BAAHA to be notified about future application processes.
- Contact ECHO Housing and/or to enroll in the required First-time Homebuyer Education Class and to get prepared for a BMR home purchase.
Housing Rehabilitation Program
The City of Pleasanton, in cooperation with Habitat for Humanity, provides a Housing Rehabilitation Program (HRP) that is available to low income homeowners in Pleasanton. An eligible household must live in and hold title to the home and the household income cannot exceed 80% of the median income for Alameda County. The HRP includes a variety of sub-programs which offer different types of services as summarized below:Home Repair Programs
Major Rehabilitation Loans: Repair work between $10,000 and $150,000 may qualify for a deferred City loan at 1% simple annualized interest. This loan requires no payments during the 30-year term, but is due and payable when the term ends or the home is sold or transferred, whichever is earlier.
Common uses: reroofing, sewer line replacement, windows, electrical.
Minor Home Repair Grants: Repairs for homeowners costing up to $10,000 can be funded by a city grant, so the repairs have no cost to the homeowner. Mobile homes are eligible.
Common uses: water heaters, door locks.
Accessibility Grants: Accessibility improvements costing up to $10,000 for renters (with landlord approval) or homeowners can be funded by a city grant, so the repairs have no cost to the homeowner. Mobile homes are eligible.
Common uses: wheelchair ramps, showers, grab bars.
For more information, contact Habitat for Humanity.
Call (510) 803-3388 to arrange accommodations, or dial (800) 735-2929 for TTY/TDD services.
To apply, complete a Request for Service form and mail or drop it off to: Habitat for Humanity, 2619 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
Renew AC – Alameda County Home Improvement Loan Assistance Program
Renew Alameda County provides low-income homeowners in Alameda County with 1% interest rate loans of $15,000 to $150,000 to complete home improvement projects ranging from correcting health and safety hazards to accessibility upgrades and structural rehabilitation – no monthly payments required. Renew AC is operated by Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley and is funded by Alameda County taxpayers who approved the Measure A1 Housing Bond in November 2016.
Learn more or apply at RenewAC.org or call Habitat for Humanity’s Home Repair Hotline at (510) 803-3388.
Check out the Renew AC flier!
Rental Assistance Programs
AC Housing Secure Closing Online Portal for Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)
For more information and FAQ’s click here or visit ac-housingsecure.org.
COVID-Related Eviction Moratorium & Tenant Protections
Tenants and landlords have both been affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Whether you are a renter whose housing has been affected or a landlord whose rental unit has been affected, you may contact ECHO Housing directly at (925) 449-7340 or (510) 581-9380. The City of Pleasanton contracts with ECHO Housing to provide housing counseling to Pleasanton renters and homeowners.
Rapid Re-Housing Program
The City of Pleasanton contracts with Abode Services to administer the City’s Rapid Re-Housing Program. This program provides short-term rental assistance and services with the goal of helping Pleasanton residents obtain housing quickly, increase self-sufficiency and stay housed.
Rental Assistance Program
The primary form of rental assistance throughout the nation is the “Section 8” program. Section 8 is a federally-funded program in which the government pays a portion of the monthly rent for households that meet certain eligibility requirements (e.g., income). Programs that offer direct financial assistance to households for the payment of monthly rental costs are highly competitive in the Bay Area and the amount of assistance available is limited.
In Pleasanton (and Dublin), the Section 8 program is administered by the Housing Authority of the County of Alameda (HACA) in Hayward. Persons seeking Section 8 assistance for Pleasanton must contact HACA directly (510) 538-8876.
ECHO Housing, a Bay Area nonprofit agency, also provides a limited Rental Assistance Program (RAP), which provides assistance with move-in costs or helps residents with delinquent rent due to a temporary financial setback. ECHO helps by arranging a guaranteed repayment contract between the tenant and the landlord. Financial assistance is subject to the availability of funds. Information can be obtained by contacting ECHO Housing at (925) 449-7340.
Rental Housing
Pleasanton is located in an area where the cost of rental housing has traditionally been high, similar to other Bay Area locations. The city does not build, own, or manage any rental housing directly.
Receive notifications of all affordable housing opportunities in Pleasanton by signing up for our:
Below-Market Rental Housing (BMR)
The City encourages the construction of affordable rental housing by allowing special consideration for projects that provide rental apartment units at below-market rent levels. Nearly 1,000 below-market rental (BMR) apartment units have been built in Pleasanton since the mid-1980’s. . See current apartments at below-market rents. The leasing process (inquiries, applications, etc.) is administered on-site at each complex. Since 2012, the City has approved several new apartment developments with approximately 1,750 total units. These new complexes include nearly 350 additional BMR apartment units.
Market-Rate Apartments
Pleasanton has a large stock of high-quality rental housing in existing apartment complexes located throughout the city. While many existing complexes do not offer BMR rents, home seekers may be able to find market-rate rental housing that meets their needs, particularly in older complexes where rents tend to be lower.
Rental Costs
- Rents for BMR apartments are based on a percentage of the Area Median Income (AMI) for the Alameda – Contra Costa County area as determined annually by the federal government.
- The maximum BMR rents for most participating properties are based on 80% of the AMI. Several properties offer lower rents based on 60% and 50% of the AMI.
- Actual rents charged under the BMR program may be less than the maximum amounts shown in the table. As shown in the most recent survey of rates in Pleasanton apartments, rents charged for BMR apartment units typically average twenty to thirty percent less than market rents in the same complex although the degree of difference varies over time depending upon the state of market rents. Maximum rates may vary by complex.
Qualifying
In order to qualify to rent a BMR apartment, the applicant’s income must generally not exceed 80% of the local median income level (several complexes also have apartments for households at 50% and 60% of median income).
The current maximum annual incomes (by household size) and corresponding maximum rents (by unit size) can be found here . Maximum income and rent levels are adjusted annually based on new information from the federal government.
Leasing is handled directly by the property manager for each apartment complex.
Future Developments
It generally takes one to two years to build a large apartment complex and the application process for BMR apartments does not start until a complex is close to completion.
Click Interest List to be notified of the City’s future affordable housing opportunities or contact the City of Pleasanton Housing Division, (925) 931-5011 200 Old Bernal Avenue, Pleasanton, CA 94566.
Note: It is illegal for any housing provider to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, physical handicap, marital status, sexual preference or religion. If you have been unlawfully discriminated against, or you have questions about your rights, contact ECHO Housing at (510) 581-9380 or (925) 449-7340.