2026 Below Market Rate (BMR) Homeownership Waitlists in Alameda
Eligible pre-applications received by July 6, 2026, were accepted during the initial application period and were included in the lottery list ranking held on July 9, 2026. Eligible applications received after July 6, 2026, will be accepted and will be placed at the end of the household’s respective income and preference category’s ranked lottery list.
PLEASE NOTE: If you applied for the previous 2025 BMR waitlist, you must reapply for the 2026 BMR waitlist if you wish to be considered for any BMR homes that become available that will utilize the City's waitlists for buyer selection. Your 2025 waitlist lottery position will not be retained, and you will be reranked during the 2026 waitlist lottery held on July 9, 2026, so long as you submit your new pre-application by July 6, 2026.
Please refer to California's Department of Housing and Community Development's
maximum income limits for Alameda County below (effective June 23, 2026). "AMI" refers to Area Median Income, which is the midpoint of the annual incomes of residents in a given area.
| Household Size |
Income Limit at 50% AMI |
Income Limit at 80% AMI |
Income Limit at 120% AMI |
| 1 person |
$59,400 |
$95,050 |
$136,750 |
| 2 people |
$67,900 |
$108,600 |
$156,300 |
| 3 people |
$76,400 |
$122,200 |
$175,800 |
| 4 people |
$84,850 |
$135,750 |
$195,350 |
| 5 people |
$91,650 |
$146,650 |
$211,000 |
| 6 people |
$98,450 |
$157,500 |
$226,600 |
| 7 people |
$105,250 |
$168,350 |
$242,250 |
| 8 people |
$112,050 |
$179,200 |
$257,850 |
Home Buyer Assistance Programs
Down Payment Assistance Program
The Alameda County Housing & Community Development Department offers a Down Payment Assistance (DPA) program that is administered by Hello Housing. DPA funds are to help first-time homebuyers with the purchase of a home in Alameda County. Check out www.acboost.org or call (510) 500-8840 for more information about down payment assistance. Please sign up at Hello Housing to be notified when the next application period becomes available for this program.
Low Interest Rate Home Financing, Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance
The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) provides low interest rate home financing as well as down payment and closing cost assistance to low- to moderate-income homebuyers in California. CalHFA offers its loan products through a network of loan officers and mortgage brokers. For more information, please ask your loan officer or visit CalHFA's website.
Not Ready to Buy Yet?
Preparing for Homeownership
- Learn about the home-buying process through online education for first-time homebuyers, such as the First-Time Home Buyer Counseling, First-Time Homebuyer Education Workshop, CFPB's step-by-step guide, and MGIC's homebuyer education.
- Get pre-approved by a lender (bank, credit union, mortgage broker) to find out how much you can afford and if there are any steps that you should be taking now to prepare for homeownership in the future.
- Build savings! If you don't know where to start, there are financial literacy resources available from America Saves and MyMoney.gov.
- Pay your bills on time and reduce debt.
- Review your credit report for free each year through Annual Credit Report.
- Get to know the market/how much properties sell for by researching your options. Websites like Redfin, Zillow, and Fannie Mae can be a good place to start gathering information.
Affordable Homeownership Interest List
To obtain information about homes that are offered through the City of Alameda’s Inclusionary Housing Program in Alameda, please sign up for the City’s mailing list:
- Visit the City's newsletter page.
- Enter your email address at the top of the page.
- Scroll to "Housing & Human Services" and select “Affordable homeownership interest list”
- Review the data privacy policy and if you consent, check the box and click "Next."
Inclusionary Housing Homeownership Guidelines
The City of Alameda funds and oversees the Inclusionary Housing Program, often referred to as the Below Market Rate (BMR) Program.The Inclusionary Housing Homeownership Guidelines manual(PDF, 358KB) describes the program guidelines and processing procedures for the BMR program. These guidelines shall be updated from time to time and are subject to final interpretation by the City.