Alameda County
How to Apply
Thank you for your interest in applying to Alameda County's HelloADU program services! We are now accepting applications on a rolling basis for homeowners living in the Unincorporated Areas of the County who are interested in adding an ADU or a JADU to their single-family-home properties. All eligible rolling applicants will be added to an active waitlist in the order that the application is received. We will draw from the HelloADU Waitlist and notify the waitlist applicant of the opportunity to move forward in the selection process throughout the year. We currently have openings in the program so Apply Now!
Please note that at this time, this offering is only available to homeowners who live in the Unincorporated Areas of the County. These areas include:
Ashland, Cherryland, Castro Valley, Castlewood, Fairview, Happy Valley, Hillcrest Knolls, Sunol and San Lorenzo as well as the unincorporated areas of Hayward, South Livermore and East Pleasanton.
STEP 1. Online Application
Submit an online application which will (1) determine your initial eligibility (2) provide Hello Housing with some basic information about your ADU/JAUD vision and your readiness and (3) ask you to affirm your understanding of what Bright in Your Own Backyard can and can’t do for you.
STEP 2. Remote Assessment & Phone Interview
A Remote Assessment involves (1) a review of remotely-available information specific to your address and (2) a phone interview with your household’s decision-maker(s). If our Remote Assessment concludes that your project is a good potential candidate for HelloADU's program services, and you are still interested in the program, we will invite you to submit documentation that shows your financial capacity to construct an ADU/JADU.
STEP 3. Financial Document Submittal
Financial documentation can include, for example, a pre-approval letter for a home equity loan, a bank statement, and/or a gift letter. (At this time, Alameda County's HelloADU program does not have financing available for the development of your ADU/JAUD, however we can refer you to lenders who do.) Once we have determined your financial documentation is sufficient, we will schedule an in-person Site Visit.
STEP 4. Site Visit
Site Visits will be scheduled during a weekday between 9AM and 5PM. It is our expectation that all decision-makers in your household participate, which will serve all of us well in the long run! At the Site Visit, we will walk your property together, learn more about your vision, review any sketches or drawings to date (if available), take measurements, locate utility connections, identify site conditions that may impact feasibility and construction cost, and discuss the pros and cons of alternative approaches.
STEP 5. Participant Package Submittal
If, following the Site Visit, you and Hello Housing mutually agree to move forward, you will be invited to submit a Participation Package which will include a Homeowner’s Participation Agreement, proof of property ownership, and any other documents identified at the Site Visit that are needed for Hello Housing to make a final selection.
STEP 6. Participant Selections!
We still have available positions in the program and are actively working with everyone on the waitlists to set up remote sessions. Once you submit an application, please keep an eye out for email communications from Hello Housing. If you have not received a response, please check your spam or junk folders. We pride ourselves on being responsive and once you submit an application, you will hear from us.