CALRC 2026: Developer Perspectives Delivering Affordable Housing on Brownfield Sites

Transforming brownfields into affordable housing can deliver significant community benefits, but getting these projects from concept to completion requires navigating unique environmental, financial, and development challenges. This session brings together real estate development professionals with firsthand experience transforming contaminated and underutilized properties into affordable housing. Panelists will share practical perspectives on site acquisition and due diligence, managing environmental risk and cleanup, coordinating with public agencies, and integrating remediation into the development process. The discussion will also explore assembling the financing needed to make challenging brownfield projects feasible, including the strategic use of brownfields funding, affordable housing resources, tax credits, local and state programs, and other public and private capital. Attendees will leave with practical lessons for structuring, financing, and advancing brownfields-to-housing projects from site identification through redevelopment.