Eligible Properties Map Guide
A guidebook for contractors and stakeholders to navigate the SOMAH Eligible Properties Map.

Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing

Effective September 2024

About the SOMAH Eligible Properties Map

The map and associated charts provide information on likely SOMAH- eligible multifamily properties and incentivized solar potential in California (CA). Maps display relevant and available property data
by disadvantaged community status, electric utility service territory, federal and state legislative districts, and lead generation.
The database of multifamily affordable households used for this map was compiled by the California Housing Partnership’s Preservation Clearinghouse. The Partnership’s  Preservation  Clearinghouse database includes HUD subsidized properties, USDA Section 515 rural properties and properties financed with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, as well as local funding sources.
The SOMAH Eligible Properties Map does not guarantee property eligibility for the SOMAH Program and is a non-exhaustive list of properties. To further verify eligibility or to check a property that is not included on the map, participants can take advantage of the Affordability Prescreen Request service by submitting a copy of the property’s restriction or regulatory agreement. Please contact the SOMAH Program Administrator (SOMAH PA) at contact@calsomah.org for additional questions regarding property eligibility or about the SOMAH Eligible Properties Map.

Table of Contents

About the SOMAH Eligible Properties Map                                      2 I  Map Criteria                                                                                      4 II  Interactive Features                                                                             5 III  Filter Definitions                                                                                6 IV   Data Tab Details and Definitions                                                     7 V   Downloadable Dataset                                                                     11 VI  Next Steps for Contractors                                                     12 VII  Property Eligibility Requirements                                           13 VIII  Frequently Asked Questions                                                  14 IX Additional Resources 15

Map Criteria

Properties on this map meet at least one of the following criteria, in alignment with the SOMAH Program Handbook:
66% of units are at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI).
Located in a disadvantaged community (DAC) as defined by CalEnviroScreen.
Owned by a tribe or tribal housing entity.
Owned by a local public housing authority or a public housing agency.
The map also includes manufactured and mobile home properties. Details on tabs and available filters are included subsequent sections of this guide.

Interactive Features

Use your mouse or the panel on the
left-hand side to zoom in and out, select specific areas and properties  or  reset your view. Select or hover over a property to display relevant property data. To customize the map area view, please use the Filter Panel, which is defined on page 6, to specify which options are relevant.
Use “undo,” “redo” or “reset” by clicking on the arrows below the map, as shown to the right. Additional options include
downloading the map via Image,	1
PDF or PowerPoint; full screen view;

2

or sharing the map.

3

The map is updated quarterly  to  reflect the most relevant information. Refer to the gray box below the map, as indicated to the right to confirm the effective date of the latest refresh.

Filter Definitions

Filters can be applied to refine your search throughout the map. To filter, click the drop-down menu for the desired filter and select “Apply.” To undo all filters, click on the “Reset” button at the top left.

Active SOMAH Property: Indicates if the property has an active SOMAH application (either pending or confirmed reservation approval) or a completed SOMAH application. Filter does not include properties with inactive applications (cancelled or withdrawn).
County: CA county where the property is located.
City: CA city where the property is located.
ZIP Code: ZIP code where the property is located.
Street Address: Street address of the property with the street number omitted.
Total Units at Property: Total number of housing units on the property.
CA Senate District: CA Senate district where the property is located.
CA Assembly District: CA Assembly district where the property is located.
In a DAC: Indicates whether a property is in a disadvantaged community (DAC).1

Income Qualifying: Property that meets affordable housing criteria of at least 66% of property residents having incomes at or below 80% of the area
median income.
Tribal Owned: Property eligibility is met if owned by   a California Native American tribe.  Pursuant  to  Senate Bill (SB) 355, “tribe” means a California Native American tribe, as defined in Section 21073 of the Public Resources Code. “California Native American tribe” means a
Native American tribe located in California that is on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission for the purposes of Chapter 905 of the Statutes of 2004.
PHA Owned: Property eligibility is met if owned
by a public housing authority or public housing agency. The rental housing property must be owned by either a public housing authority created pursuant to the Housing Authorities Law (Chapter 1 [commencing with Section 34200] of Part 2 of Division 24 of the Health and Safety Code) or a public housing agency, as defined in Section 1437a of Title 42 of the United States Code.

1 The CA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) classifies DAC census tracts based on their population’s exposure and vulnerability to pollution Census tracts in the top 25th percentile are considered DACs This map uses CalEnviroScreen 4 0 to label census tracts 

Data Tab Details and Definitions

Please note that this map is updated regularly. The image above represents a snapshot at the time this document was created.

Disadvantaged Communities (DACs)
The CA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) classifies DAC census tracts based on their population’s exposure and vulnerability to pollution. Census tracts in the
top 25th percentile are considered DACs. This map uses CalEnviroScreen 4.0 to label census tracts. More information on CalEnviroScreen and disadvantaged community determination are available at SB 535 Disadvantaged Communities.
The Eligible Property Summary states the number of properties listed on the map based on the filters applied, along with the number and percentage of properties that are currently active SOMAH projects and properties that have completed a SOMAH project.
The Total Units by DAC Status shows the number of affordable housing units by disadvantaged community status. The	blue areas indicate if a property is not located in a disadvantaged community, while the	orange areas indicate a property is located within a disadvantaged community. Please note these numbers reflect the total number of units within the total number properties on the map.

IV. Data Tab Details and Definitions (cont.)

Please note that this map is updated regularly. The image above represents a snapshot at the time this document was created.

Electric Utilities
Five of California’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) are eligible for the SOMAH Program: Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E®), Southern California Edison (SCE®), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E®), PacifiCorp and Liberty Utilities. The California Energy Commission (CEC) manages a  representation  of electric utility service territories across the state.
The Eligible Property Summary states the number of properties listed on the map based on the filters applied, along with the number and percentage of properties that are currently
active SOMAH projects and properties that have completed a SOMAH project.
The Total Units by Electric Utility section shows the number of affordable housing units within each investor-owned utility
territory. Each color is associated with a utility territory and the numbers reflect the total number of units for all likely eligible properties in each territory.

IV. Data Tab Details and Definitions (cont.)

Please note that this map is updated regularly. The image above represents a snapshot at the time this document was created.

Legislative Districts
The California Senate and Assembly districts for this map are derived from the final certified maps developed by the California Department of Education for the California State Geoportal.
The 116th Congressional Districts for this map are defined by the U.S. 2020 Census Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171) Program.
Use your mouse to select a legislative district utilizing the list on the left-hand side of the map. View property locations by California Senate district, California Assembly district or
U.S. congressional district.

To find your CA Senate or Assembly district and representative, visit: https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/.
To find your U.S. Congressional district and representative, visit:
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative.

The Eligible Property Summary states the number of properties listed on the map based on the filters applied, along with the number and percentage of properties that are currently active SOMAH projects and properties  that  have  completed  a SOMAH project.
The Total Units by District section shows the number of affordable housing units by whichever legislative district is selected. Each  color is associated with a district. Please note these numbers  reflect the total  number of units within the total  number properties on the map.

Data Tab Details and Definitions (cont.)

Please note that this map is updated regularly. The image above represents a snapshot at the time this document was created.

Lead Generation County Map
This page displays the location and county of properties likely eligible for the SOMAH Program that do not have an existing active or completed SOMAH applications. County designation for each property is derived from street address information.
The Eligible Property Summary includes properties likely eligible for the SOMAH Program without an active or completed application.
The Total Units by County section shows the number of affordable housing units by the different CA counties. Each color  is associated with a county. Please note these numbers reflect  the total number of units within the total number properties on the map.

Downloadable Dataset

The Eligible Properties Map can also be downloaded as a CSV file. To download this dataset, scroll to the bottom of the map to
“Click this link to download the full database for this dashboard.”
Once downloaded, the data is filtered through the following the categories:

SOMAH Properties: Indicates if the property has an active SOMAH application (either pending or confirmed funding reservation approval) or a completed SOMAH application. This does not include previous SOMAH properties that have had applications canceled/withdrawn.
SOMAH Project Number: Properties that have submitted a SOMAH application are assigned a project number.
Universal ID: The public identifier for a property as provided in the Preservation Clearinghouse database.
Property Information: Includes property name, address, census tract and which investor-owned utility services the property.

Assembly District: Identifies which California  assembly  district  a  property is located in. To find more information on locating  the  district,  please  go to page 9.
Senate District: Identifies which California Senate district a property is located in. To find more information on locating the district, please go to page 9.
Congressional District: Identifies which
U.S. Congressional district a property is located in. To find more information on locating the district, please go to page 9.
Affordable Units: Total number of units at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI).

Total Units: Total number of units the property consists of.
Eligibility Pathway - DAC: Indicates if a property is in a disadvantaged community, as defined on page 7.
Eligibility Pathway - Income: Indicates if a property meets SOMAH’s income restrictions as defined on page 6.
Eligibility Pathway - Tribal Ownership: Indicates if a property is under tribal ownership as defined on page 6.
Eligibility Pathway - Public Housing Authority: Indicates if a property is under public housing authority as defined on page 6

Next Steps for Contractors

Once a property is identified, the SOMAH PA recommends the following steps to support lead generation efforts:

Find Contact  Information Search online to locate the contact information of the property owner or management company. This could include their email, phone number or mailing address.
Reach Out
Contact the property owner or management company to express interest in participating in the SOMAH Program. Provide them with an overview of program  benefits  and your role in facilitating the process. For additional resources, please refer  to the Contractor Marketing Toolkit.

Collect Required Documents Work with the property owner or management company to gather deed restrictions and regulatory documents to verify eligibility. Verify with the owner or  manager  that the property has at least five units, units are separately metered and
it is a utility or community choice aggregator (CCA) customer (with VNEM) in the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), PacifiCorp or Liberty Utilities territories.

Submit a Prescreen Request Once the proper documentation is acquired, submit a free Affordability Prescreen Request. If you have questions while completing this form, please send an email to contact@ calsomah.org.

Property Eligibility Requirements

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A multifamily affordable housing property is eligible for SOMAH if it meets the following program requirements.
At least five (5) units
Deed-restricted low-income residential rental housing with at least
10 years remaining on the property’s affordability restrictions, including but not limited to manufactured and mobile home properties
Separately metered units (master metered properties are not eligible)
Existing housing property or undergoing retrofit
Satisfy one of the following:
66% of property residents have incomes at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI)
OR
Property is in a defined disadvantaged community (DAC that scores in the top 25% of census tracts statewide in the CalEnviroScreen including property that is located on tribal land and is federally recognized
OR
The property is owned by a California Native American tribe
OR
The property is rental housing property that is owned by a public housing authority or public housing agency

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Eligible Properties Map Guide 13

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I contact the property owner?
Due to confidentiality, SOMAH cannot share any property contact information. We recommend researching the property of interest through publicly available information and  contacting  them directly.
If a property is not listed, is it ineligible?
A property can still be eligible even though it is not on the SOMAH Eligible Properties Map. To confirm a property’s eligibility, you can submit a free Affordability Prescreen Request to be reviewed by the SOMAH PA.
If a property is listed, is it automatically eligible?
No, this compiled dataset does  not  guarantee  eligibility  for the SOMAH Program. Requirements such as 10 years remaining on compliance period for the deed restriction and individually metered units are also required to establish program eligibility.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Additional Resources

SOMAH’s Application Process and Documents Overview of the application process and documentation needed for each milestone.
Affordability Prescreen Request
Submit a request to see if a property is eligible for SOMAH.
Property Requirements
Overview of program requirements for a property to be eligible for SOMAH..

Technical Assistance and Support Services Learn about the support SOMAH’s Technical Assistance team provides.
Upcoming Events and Webinars
Discover upcoming webinars to learn more about SOMAH.
Contractor Marketing Toolkit
Toolkit contains various resources to help your company and others learn about SOMAH.

Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing	Eligible Properties Map Guide 15

 	    

Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing

Apply for a SOMAH incentive at
CalSOMAH.org/apply

858-244-1177 ext  5
contact@CalSOMAH.org 

© 2024 Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing Program (SOMAH)

Disclaimer: The Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing Program (SOMAH)® makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information. However, the content is presented “as is” without warranty of any kind. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the SOMAH Program.