Contact:
Devonna Almagro | Director of Communications
(619) 283-4663 x125
devonna.almagro@sandiegohabitat.org
Opinion
Don’t Abandon California’s Only Affordable Homeownership Program
By Kwofi Reed, President and CEO, San Diego Habitat for Humanity
June is National Homeownership Month—a time to recognize how home transforms lives, stabilizes communities, and builds generational wealth. But in California, the very dream we celebrate is slipping out of reach.
Governor Newsom’s proposed 2025–26 budget eliminates all funding for CalHome—the only state program dedicated to helping low-income Californians achieve homeownership. As CEO of San Diego Habitat for Humanity, I’ve seen firsthand how CalHome creates stability and opportunity for working families who would otherwise be shut out of the housing market.
Let me be clear: the housing crisis in California isn’t just a matter of affordability—it’s a matter of equity, opportunity, and long-term health for our communities. While we often hear about rental support, very few state resources go toward affordable homeownership. That’s what makes CalHome so unique—and so essential. CalHome helps nonprofits like Habitat build and rehabilitate affordable homes that low-income families can actually buy. Families contribute sweat equity, complete homeowner education, and commit to a mortgage they can afford. This is not a giveaway—it’s a partnership rooted in dignity and mutual investment.
The return on that investment is undeniable. With just one year of CalHome funding—$150 million—the state can support up to 1,500 new or rehabbed homes. That’s less than $100,000 per unit in CalHome dollars to make a home affordable and attainable for a working family. It’s also one of the only ways to directly expand the supply of affordable homes for ownership—relieving pressure in an overheated market.
In San Diego, we’ve seen demand skyrocket. More families are applying for homeownership than ever before—teachers, caregivers, veterans, essential workers. But without state support, thousands of shovel-ready homes may never be built, and those families will remain locked out of opportunity.
California cannot solve its housing crisis without building more homes people can own. CalHome is the one and only state program that does just that—forging a path to long-term affordability, community stability, and economic mobility.
Cutting CalHome may seem like a short-term budget fix. But the long-term cost is devastating—more displacement, deeper inequity, and lost opportunities for families who just need a chance to succeed.
We need a budget that reflects our values. That values home. That values the people working hard every day to build a better future.
In honor of National Homeownership Month, I urge our state leaders to remember the people behind the policy and to keep the dream of home alive in California.
About San Diego Habitat for Humanity
People in our community partner with San Diego Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners build their homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. With our help, Habitat homeowners achieve the strength, stability, and independence they need to build a better life for themselves and their families.
Habitat for Humanity exists through volunteer labor and contributions of money, land, and materials. For more information, visit www.sandiegohabitat.org or call 619-283-HOME (4663).
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