About

About the
San Bernardino Housing Trust

The San Bernardino Regional Housing Trust (SBRHT) is a public agency established pursuant to a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement under California Government Code Section 6500 et seq. and Section 6539.1. SBRHT is made up of participating cities and the County within San Bernardino County that have chosen to jointly exercise their authority to address regional housing needs through coordinated planning, financing, and program implementation.

SBRHT is a legally independent governmental entity governed by a Board of Directors composed of locally elected officials from member jurisdictions and housing and homelessness policy experts, consistent with state law. The Trust operates separately from its member agencies while remaining accountable through its adopted bylaws, public meetings, and required financial and programmatic reporting.

SBRHT’s role is limited to housing-related activities and financing. The Trust does not exercise land use, zoning, or permitting authority, which remain the sole responsibility of each member jurisdiction. Rather, SBRHT aims to leverage funding to make gap financing available to eligible affordable housing projects.

Purpose

The purpose of SBRHT is to support the development, preservation, and long-term affordability of housing serving extremely low-, very low-, low-, and moderate-income households, including the workforce and individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

SBRHT may carry out its purpose through activities that include, but are not limited to:

  • Administering housing programs and funding initiatives
  • Coordinating regional housing finance strategies
  • Applying for and administering public and private funding
  • Providing financial assistance to housing projects approved by the Board
  • Supporting research, planning, and data analysis related to housing needs

All actions of the Trust are subject to applicable state and federal law and to the policies adopted by the Board of Directors.

Member Agencies

  • City of Adelanto
  • City of Chino
  • City of Chino Hills
  • City of Fontana
  • City of Montclair
  • City of Needles
  • City of Ontario
  • City of Rancho Cucamonga
  • City of Redlands
  • City of Rialto
  • City of San Bernardino
  • City of Twentynine Palms
  • City of Upland
  • The Town of Yucca Valley
  • County of San Bernardino (Unincorporated)

History and Background

SBRHT was developed through a collaborative, multi‑year process led by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) and the San Bernardino Council of Governments (SBCOG) in response to shared housing challenges identified by jurisdictions across the region. While housing conditions and needs vary among cities, towns, and unincorporated communities in San Bernardino County, member agencies consistently expressed interest in exploring regional tools that could supplement, rather than replace, local housing efforts.

Beginning in 2021, SBCTA and SBCOG initiated conversations with member jurisdictions to assess whether a regional housing trust could provide added value by improving access to funding, reducing administrative burden, and strengthening the region’s ability to compete for state and federal housing resources. This work was informed by prior experience with regional collaboration, as well as by feedback from cities and the County regarding the practical limitations of addressing housing finance challenges independently, particularly following the loss of redevelopment funding.

The release of the San Bernardino Regional Housing Trust White Paper in April 2022 marked a key milestone in this exploratory phase. The White Paper evaluated potential governance structures and funding strategies, reviewed case studies from peer regions, and identified a Joint Powers Authority–based model as a flexible option that would allow jurisdictions to participate voluntarily while retaining local land use authority. Importantly, the White Paper did not presume unanimous participation, but instead recognized that jurisdictions face different housing markets, fiscal conditions, and policy environments.

From 2022 through 2023, SBCTA and SBCOG continued outreach with elected officials, city/county managers, planning directors, the development community, local non-profits, and other interested parties to refine the concept of the Trust. These discussions emphasized that SBRHT would function as a supportive regional resource, focused on housing finance and program administration to leverage funding and attract more development to the region. Jurisdictions engaged to help shape the Trust’s structure, governance, and eligible activities to ensure that it complemented existing local programs and respected local decision‑making.

This collaborative process ultimately led to the formal establishment of the San Bernardino Regional Housing Trust as a separate public agency. The Trust was designed to provide participating jurisdictions with an additional, optional mechanism to advance housing goals that are difficult to achieve individually, while recognizing that each member agency remains best positioned to determine how housing policies are implemented within its own community.