City of Alameda 2026 BMR
Ownership Waitlist Application

Income Limits

Applicants to the BMR Program qualify based upon the most recently published Housing and Community Development (HCD) income limits per household size. Please refer to the chart below to see if your household qualifies. The income limits listed are annual gross income before taxes are taken out.

In summary, gross household income is the sum of all income for every adult, 18 years or older. Sources of income include all wages or salaries, overtime, bonuses, pensions, and any other sources of income.

The waitlist is split into three income categories: 50% AMI, also known as Very Low-Income; 80% AMI, also known as Low-Income; and 120% AMI, also known as Moderate-Income. Sales prices are calculated accordingly. Exact sales prices will be available when a unit or development becomes available for resale. There are currently no units for sale.

Effective June 1, 2026. AMI refers to Area Median Income.

Asset Test

Assets are the combined assets of all household members including, but not limited to, checking and savings accounts, stocks, mutual funds, profit sharing accounts, CDs, and money market accounts.

Assets will be included in the eligibility review for the City of Alameda BMR Ownership Program. A percentage of a household’s assets may be added to the household’s gross annual income for program eligibility purposes.

The percentage used to calculate asset income, and any applicable asset calculation thresholds, will be based on the program guidelines which will be shared with households prior to being invited to submit a full application.

Excluded from assets are all non-accessible funds or any assets that generate a penalty when withdrawn, such as 401K, CALPERS, STRS, and other pension plans.

Household Size

There is a minimum household size of 1 person per bedroom. For example, in order to be eligible for a 2-bedroom unit, the household size will need to include 2 or more persons.

Household size is the total number of individuals who will be living in the unit, including children. Children must reside in the household at least 50% of the time to be considered part of the household.

Down Payment Requirement

Households are required to have readily available assets of a minimum of 3% of the purchase price to cover down payment and closing costs to purchase. Pricing will vary based on income limits and bedroom counts.

Owning Property

All applicants who will be on property title must be first-time homebuyers. Applicants shall be considered first-time homebuyers if they have not owned any residential real estate for at least three years. This definition applies to property owned in foreign countries as well as in the United States.

An exception will be made for people who were homeowners prior to a divorce or legal separation.

The 2026 City of Alameda BMR Ownership Waitlist is open year-round; however, an initial lottery will take place 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.

There are three separate waitlists available:

If you believe your household qualifies for all three income brackets, please submit a separate application for each income bracket. Households who apply after the initial lottery will be placed at the end of their respective income and preference category.

Three application buttons are available below, each directing you to the application page for the stated waitlist.

There are three lottery applications for the waitlist, each having its own preference point criteria and income restriction. If you believe that your household qualifies for more than one income bracket, please submit a separate application for each income bracket.

All preference points will be verified at the time of application. Please note that you must qualify for the stated preference point at the time of application and at the time you are invited to submit a full application for a BMR home that becomes available.

Very Low-Income and Low-Income Waitlists

Applicants applying for the Very Low and Low-Income waitlist can receive a maximum of 1 preference point based on the criteria below:

Moderate-Income Waitlist

Applicants applying for the Moderate-Income waitlist can receive up to a maximum of 2 preference points based on the criteria below:

Rise Housing Solutions will conduct a lottery for all eligible applicants to establish a random waitlist ranking order within each preference point category. New applicants will be added to the bottom of the list of the preference point category for which they are eligible after the initial lottery, which will take place 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.

All applicants will be emailed or mailed the results of their application specifying if they have been approved or denied and, if approved, their applicant number on the waitlist.

False or Inaccurate Information

Please note that all information provided on the Waitlist Application will be verified by Rise Housing Solutions before any applicant can receive final approval for a BMR unit. Any information found to be false or inaccurate will immediately void participation in the program.

Candidates must keep Rise Housing Solutions updated throughout the year of any changes in information supplied.

Households may only submit one application for each waitlist: BMR Very Low-Income Ownership Waitlist, Low-Income Ownership Waitlist, and/or BMR Moderate-Income Ownership Waitlist. Applicants who submit multiple applications to one waitlist or whose names appear in multiple households for one waitlist will be automatically disqualified from the program.

Are any BMR homes for sale?

As homes become available, Rise Housing Solutions will inform those on the waitlist in ranking order.

Are new units or homes currently being built?

Should any new homes become available, Rise Housing Solutions will reach out to the waitlist in ranking order.

How much do BMR homes cost?

The price of homes will be determined based on the year the home was built, size of the home, the income category assigned to the unit, and the resale formula specific to the home.

The resale formula is tied to the percentage change in either the Area Median Income (AMI) index, depending on the restriction recorded on the home. Typically, homes sell in the range of $115,000 to $600,000.

Can I use all cash to buy a BMR home?

No, assets will be reviewed as part of the eligibility determination for the City of Alameda BMR Ownership Program. For complete guidelines around assets, please see Section 2.F in the City of Alameda Inclusionary Housing Homeownership Guidelines.

Why do I need to complete a homeowner monitoring recertification?

Rise Housing Solutions is charged with stewarding the BMR program for the City of Alameda, which requires yearly owner occupancy certification. A major tenet of the City’s program is owner occupancy.

How long do I have to live in the home before I can sell?

There is no set amount of time you must live in the home before selling it.