Business

CalHFA Announces More Mortgage Relief for California Families

Earlier this month, the California Housing Financing Agency (CalHFA) and the Sacramento branch of NeighborWorks held a press conference at the state Capitol to announce the expansion of California’s mortgage relief program. “Over the past year, the California Mortgage Relief program has been helping Californians that are most vulnerable to overcome the financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tiena Johnson Hall, executive director of the California Housing Finance Agency.

Published

3 years ago

March 2, 2023

Oakland Post

Tiena Johnson Hall. Courtesy photo.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles
California Black Media

“Over the past year, the California Mortgage Relief program has been helping Californians that are most vulnerable to overcome the financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tiena Johnson Hall, executive director of the California Housing Finance Agency.

One of the major new changes to eligibility, CalHFA officials say, applies to those who own residences with up to four units. Those homeowners can now apply for assistance. Relief through the program has also extended to those with partial-claim second mortgages or loan deferrals from the beginning of 2020.

Additionally, for homeowners who have missed at least two mortgage payments or one property payment before March 1 of this year, the delinquency date for payments has been reset.

Previous beneficiaries of the program are now eligible for additional funds that could add up to $80,000 in total aid. Officials say the program is meant for those who have had trouble keeping up with housing payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funding for the California Mortgage relief program comes from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act’s Homeowners Assistance Fund implemented in 2021, which allocated $1 billion for eligible homeowners across the country.

According to Hall, the program has distributed federal grants and funds to over 10,000 California homeowners.

Not only is applying to the program free, but she also says, homeowners do not have to worry about paying back the relief funds.

The program is provided to homeowners through the CalHFA Homeowner Relief Corporation.

During the press conference held in the first week of Black History Month, Hall made a point to mention that those who tend to struggle with homeownership in California and the nation at large are Black.

“Black communities have been shut out of homeownership by a variety of factors including discriminatory housing practices which equates to less generational wealth,” said Hall.

Homeownership is an incredibly important tool in building generational wealth, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Volma Volcy, founder and executive director of the Ring of Democracy, said it is important to secure the prosperity of neighborhoods where residents are at risk for foreclosure.

“When a family is displaced, a whole community is destroyed,” said Volcy.

Volcy also said that the California Mortgage Relief Program has been successful so far in providing aid for those in fear of losing their homes due to pandemic-related financial hardships.

Visit the California Mortgage Relief website to assess your eligibility and apply for the program.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

California Black Media Political Briefs

Don't Miss

OPINION: Black, Unhoused and Mentally Challenged: The Case for Housing and Health Care

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.