On January 28th, the California Council for Affordable Housing (CCAH) convened 28 affordable housing developers from across the state for a focused and forward‑leaning Developers Roundtable in San Diego. The session brought together leaders from every corner of California’s affordable housing ecosystem—most notably the full executive team from the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), including newly appointed Executive Director Tony Sertich.
The goal of the day was to create a space for meaningful, solutions‑driven dialogue about financing, production challenges, and emerging programs that will shape the state’s affordable housing future. The result was robust conversation, candid feedback, and a set of actionable ideas to help inform CalHFA’s work in 2026 and beyond. Throughout the roundtable, developers engaged directly with CalHFA leadership to discuss how the HDFC will integrate into the state’s broader housing finance landscape and how CalHFA can best support projects in an increasingly challenging cost environment.
Executive Director Anthony Sertich emphasized how valuable this dialogue is for the agency as it refines priorities and programs. “CCAH has a unique ability to bring the right people together at the right time,” said Tony Sertich, Executive Director of CalHFA. “The conversations we had today were honest, productive, and very relevant to what we’re trying to accomplish. Hearing directly from developers helps us sharpen our programs and increase our effectiveness and we are grateful to CCAH for organizing such a purposeful day.”
The roundtable format centered on real‑time problem solving. Developers shared feedback on CalHFA processes, pipeline needs, capital stack dynamics, and the opportunities presented by the reorganization of the state’s housing agency. CalHFA leaders outlined current priorities, upcoming changes, and areas where they are seeking deeper industry partnership. The level of engagement underscored the urgency and optimism around production in 2026.
CalHFA plays a central role in California’s affordable housing finance system, offering loan programs, bond financing, and innovative funding structures that help developers bring much‑needed homes to communities statewide. This year marks a significant evolution in the agency’s role with the split and reorganization of Business Consumer Services and Housing into the California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) which will contain housing, homelessness, and civil rights functions, and Business and Consumer Services Agency (BCSA) which will contain consumer protection and business regulation. Early intel seems to indicate that CalHFA will take a lead role in administering funding through a structure similar to the one TCAC and CDLAC employs, thereby creating a more open and transparent process for our industry.
“What made this roundtable so powerful was the clarity of purpose in the room,” said Jenna Abbott, Executive Director of CCAH. “Developers came ready with ideas, CalHFA came ready to listen, and everyone left with concrete next steps. This is exactly the kind of collaboration California needs to accelerate affordable housing development.”
Given the success of the San Diego event, CCAH is already planning the next Developers Roundtable, to he held in the spring, with the location to be announced soon—likely in either the North State or the Central Valley to ensure broad geographic access. CCAH will release additional details and registration in the coming weeks, and developers across the state are encouraged to attend.