Housing Authority Lays Out Plan to Convert All 963 Public Housing Units as Federal Pressure Mounts

The Contra Costa County Housing Authority is preparing for the most sweeping transformation of its housing portfolio in decades — a phased exit from the federal public housing program that would convert all 963 units to Section 8-based financing, rehabilitate aging buildings from top to bottom, and potentially add hundreds of new affordable units across the county. The plan landed at a moment of unusual urgency: the authority simultaneously disclosed it received a zero score on its HUD financial assessment due to a missed deadline, with federal reviewers scheduled to arrive Aug. 25, and reported a $12 million shortfall in its voucher program that will likely push tenant rents higher this fall.

• Housing Authority unveils plan to convert all 963 public housing units to Section 8 financing, rehabilitating 12 properties in three phases while preserving 30%-of-income rent protections
• Authority receives zero HUD financial score after a missed email and staff cuts trigger a federal on-site review Aug. 25-26
• Voucher program faces $12 million shortfall; tenants could see rent increases starting in late 2026
• Commissioners call for aggressive community engagement, drawing on a 14-year repositioning experience in North Richmond
• $10 billion state bond on the November ballot could unlock major funding for redevelopment at multiple sites