RFQ: Affordable Housing Developers

The City of San Diego is seeking qualified real estate developers interested in providing multifamily affordable housing developments within the City of San Diego. 

Bridge to Home Program 

The City periodically makes funding available for affordable housing development through its Bridge to Home program. Funding may include proceeds associated with former Redevelopment Agency housing assets deposited into the City’s Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund (LMIHAF), as well as other local and state housing funds.

Bridge to Home funding is generally intended to finance a portion of a project’s local funding gap, leverage additional public and private resources, and support the development and preservation of multifamily rental housing with long-term affordability, typically for at least 55 years. The City seeks to maximize the number of affordable homes produced with available funding and may prioritize projects requesting less City funding per unit.

LMIHAF may support housing affordable to households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI), subject to applicable statutory requirements. LMIHAF funding is also subject to Senate Bill 341 and applicable provisions of California Health and Safety Code section 34176.1, which govern the use of former redevelopment housing assets for affordable housing. Other City funding sources may have different eligible uses, income targeting, and expenditure requirements.

Individual Bridge to Home NOFA rounds identify the specific funding sources, eligible uses, affordability and income requirements, funding amounts, evaluation criteria, and any project or per-unit funding limits applicable to that round.

RFQ and NOFA Process

The City uses a two-step process for Bridge to Home funding opportunities. Developers must first qualify through the City’s Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process before applying for a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), unless otherwise specified in a particular funding round. 

The RFQ is intended to identify qualified development teams with the experience and financial capacity to develop affordable multifamily housing using a variety of public and private funding sources. The RFQ is particularly intended for developers with current or anticipated pipeline projects so that the City can efficiently solicit projects when funding becomes available. 

Developers that successfully complete the RFQ process are placed on the City’s Pre-Qualified Developer List and are eligible to apply for future Bridge to home NOFA rounds, subject to the requirements of each NOFA. 

Bridge to Home NOFAs are issued periodically as funding becomes available. Each NOFA identifies the specific funding sources, eligible uses, affordability and income requirements, funding amounts, evaluation criteria, and other requirements applicable to that round.

Small and Emerging Developers

The RFQ also provides opportunities for small and emerging developers, including minority-owned and women-owned development firms, to identify their interest in partnering with more experienced development teams. 

The City maintains a Small and Emerging Developer List of firms that have expressed interest in partnering on future affordable housing development opportunities. 

Small and emerging developers that are not independently pre-qualified must partner with a developer on the City’s Pre-Qualified Development List to submit a Bridge to Home NOFA application.

Request for Qualifications for Affordable Housing Developers

Required Submittal Forms

• Exhibit 1 Financial Relationships, Litigations and Bankruptcy (Word document)
• Exhibit 2 Disclosure Statement (Word document)
• Exhibit 3 Equal Opportunity - Workforce Report (Fillable PDF)
• Exhibit 4 Project Financing History (Excel spreadsheet)
• Exhibit 5 Project Pipeline (Excel spreadsheet)
• Exhibit 6 Partnering and Teaming Election Form (Word document)

First Addendum and Attachments

• First Addendum to RFQ for Affordable Housing Developers and Bridge to Home NOFA Application Deadlines with Attachments
• RFQ Questions Submitted 8.13.2024
• Pre-Qualified Developer List (Updated March 2026)
• Small & Emerging Developer List  (Updated July 2026)

Round Eight RFQ Deadline

Developers that are not already pre-qualified and intend to apply for Bridge to Home NOFA Round Eight must submit complete RFQ qualification materials by: October 5, 2026, at 5.pm. PDT.

This deadline allows sufficient time for the City to review RFQ submissions before the Round Eight NOFA application deadline of October 19, 2026. Developers must be determined qualified before submitting a Round Eight NOFA application.

Submit RFQ responses electronically:

Kristian Castro
Community Development Specialist III
Economic Development Department
Email: KCastro@sandiego.gov