Advancing California’s Supply of Affordable Housing

Challenge

Nowhere is the effort to provide access to safe and affordable housing more urgent than in California. In 2022, a staggering one-third of all individuals experiencing homelessness in the U.S. lived in the state. Based in Oakland, the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley provides research and analysis to support policy and innovation that will help increase the accessibility of affordable housing throughout California and the country.

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As part of this effort, the Terner Center has worked to shed light on the often misunderstood decisions and financing behind the housing development process. Grounding policymakers, advocates, and the public in the complexities of development finance can help demonstrate why well-intentioned policy ideas sometimes result in less housing being built, not more. But translating these nuances to those less familiar with housing finance concepts and terminology can be a daunting task.

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Impact

To introduce the Terner Center’s research on financing to a wider audience, we created a self-guided simulation that allows users to try their hand at housing development financing. Navigating through interactive visuals and graphs, users are guided through the steps necessary to identify a potential project, obtain financing, and determine rents. The web app offers a fun, educational experience to help showcase tangible lessons from the Terner Center’s research. Its reach is just getting started - over 3,000 individuals accessed the tool within the first week!