CalHome is the ONLY source of state funding for the production and preservation of affordable ownership homes.

And it’s been eliminated.

The Governor’s 2025-26 budget defunded the CalHome program,
leaving no state resources for affordable homeownership supply, despite the proven benefits to families and entire communities.

Unique + Proven

The state’s ONLY program that builds affordable homes for purchase, CalHome gives hardworking Californians the chance to buy a first home.

Habitat affiliates across the state have built and preserved hundreds of homes with this funding, transforming lives and strengthening local communities. Each home represents more than a roof and walls - it’s a foundation for generational asset-building, neighborhood stability, and civic engagement.

Building Supply, Easing Shortage

CalHome creates affordable, entry-level homes for purchase in your community - the key to fixing California’s supply and demand imbalance. When families can afford to buy a home where they work, our entire community benefits.

Without CalHome, many working families are shut out of the housing market entirely. Restoring this critical program means more teachers, healthcare workers, and essential employees can afford to live in the communities they serve.

Dollars That Do More

CalHome is a wise choice of investment for public dollars. It funds affordable homeownership now, and again when loans are repaid, making first-time homeownership accessible for more families.

A common approach to funding affordable homeownership is through downpayment assistance programs, which only drive up market prices, cost more per family, and don’t ensure enduring affordability.

Families who own a home become less dependent on ongoing government subsidy. A recent survey of Habitat homeowners served by the Greater Sacramento Habitat for Humanity affiliate revealed that 100% of those families no longer needed support from public programs they had previously depended on.

Creating a Balanced Home & Community

With CalHome, hardworking Californians can afford a home of their own without sacrificing other essentials like healthcare, transportation, or food. Families aren’t forced to make impossible choices between paying the mortgage and putting dinner on the table.

CalHome makes the dream of homeownership attainable by ensuring that housing costs remain within reach. This stability allows parents to invest in their children’s education, contribute to their local economy, and become long-term members of their communities.

When families can meet all of their basic needs and still afford a safe, decent home, everyone benefits - schools, employers, neighborhoods, and local governments alike.

Equity in Action

Funding CalHome expands housing stability and asset-building opportunities, especially for families of color who have been historically and systematically excluded from homeownership.

For generations, discriminatory policies and practices have prevented many Californians from building wealth through homeownership. CalHome helps reverse that legacy by creating affordable, entry-level homes for purchase and helping families put down roots in the communities they help sustain.

By investing in CalHome, state and local leaders can take meaningful action toward closing California’s racial wealth gap, advancing economic mobility, and ensuring that every family — regardless of background — has a fair chance at the stability and opportunity that homeownership provides.

Ready to Build

In 2023, CalHome was oversubscribed by $134 million, leaving hundreds of affordable homes - and the families who would have lived in them - waiting. Each unfunded project represents lost opportunities for stability, economic independence, and community growth.

Across California, Habitat for Humanity affiliates and other affordable homeownership developers have had to pause their building pipelines because the resources simply aren’t there. Meanwhile, hardworking families continue to face soaring rents and shrinking chances to buy a first home.

This unmet demand shows both the urgent need for CalHome funding and the proven readiness of local partners to put that funding to work. With renewed investment, these projects can move forward, creating homes, jobs, and hope in communities across the state.