February 2026 | Monterey Attainable Housing Sprint Update
March 19 Webinar & Meet the Implementation Sprint Teams
Join us on Thursday, March 19 for the Monterey Attainable Housing Sprint Update webinar >>
The strong alignment and momentum generated at November’s Attainable Housing Forum has continued through the work of three cross-sector sprint teams. Now, 30 days into our 90-day Sprint, these teams are ready to share an update on where they are concentrating their efforts and the specific types of expertise or connections that would meaningfully strengthen the work at this stage. Below is a brief introduction to each team and the work they are driving forward.
The Land Collective is designing strategies to identify feasible land options for attainable (missing middle) housing in Monterey County. Their work focuses on two areas: identifying land parcels appropriate for middle-income housing, and addressing the early-stage feasibility barriers that prevent landowners from moving sites into a real development pipeline. The team is testing the hypothesis that there are landowners ready to act, and with the right support, they may be willing to pave the way for others.
Members include Diane Coward of REVision West, Philip Anderson of City of Pacific Grove, Robin Bral of Hanson Bridgett LLP, and Kevin Dayton of Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce
The Capital Strategy Team is analyzing the financial barriers that exist to build attainable homes for Monterey County's workforce. Their work goes beyond financing individual projects, rather it is about using capital to strengthen the housing ecosystem and expand the community's long-term capacity to produce homes. Housing is treated as a foundation for economic vitality. By identifying intentional and innovative financing approaches, this team sees an opportunity to increase economic mobility, stabilize essential institutions like education and healthcare, and build a regional system that grows more adaptive and resilient with each development cycle.
Members include Gabe Sanders of Opportunity Housing Trust, Jake Ifshin of Horizon Sustainable Financial Services, Chris Fiori of Heartland LLC, and James Cutler of Front Hill Partners
The Streamlined Approval Team is investigating how the time and cost of obtaining entitlements for workforce housing could be substantially reduced through three targeted areas: 1) fast-tracking planning approvals by adopting standards that reduce approval timelines, 2) formalizing a self-certification process to accelerate building permits, and 3) investigating opportunities to reduce fees for workforce housing development.
Members include Katy Reynolds of Shibusa Systems, Bill Hayward of Hayward Lumber and Hayward Institute for Healthier Homes and Sustainable Futures, and Brendan Connolly of ReVision West
These three efforts are beginning to converge into one clear strategy. When approval pathways are predictable, uncertainty and cost drop. When land stewards have clear feasibility and the right financing partners, capital flows to projects that strengthen community, ecology, and local economies both now and over time. In that alignment, impact-driven leaders can move viable sites from vision to funding to permits together.
In the next phase, these teams will be reaching out to the broader community network to test and strengthen their strategies. This is a meaningful moment to get involved. Whether you can offer examples of what’s worked elsewhere, expertise, connections, or other resources, your contribution will directly support efforts that have the potential to reshape how our region grows by making it more affordable, more equitable, and more resilient for the workforce that keeps our community thriving.
To learn more about the work thus far, please register to join our webinar on Thursday, March 19 at 2pm. To get involved, please email housing@regenerativecalifornia.org.