$3 million federal grant to support affordable housing in San Bernardino County

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., announced this week that he secured $3 million in federal funding to support the next phase of an affordable housing redevelopment project in San Bernardino.

The funding will go to the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino’s Arrowhead Grove Affordable Housing Phase V project, which aims to add 132 new low-cost, energy-efficient housing units for low-income residents.

Once completed, the broader Arrowhead Grove redevelopment will transform the aging Waterman Gardens public housing site into a modern community featuring 534 affordable housing units, along with a community resource center, after-school programs and other supportive services.

“In Congress, one of my top priorities is to lower the cost of housing so that people who want to live, work and raise a family here in the Inland Empire can do so,” Aguilar said in a statement. “That is why I am proud to deliver $3 million in funding for the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino to expand affordable housing in our region.”

Aguilar said the project will provide “an affordable place to call home” for hundreds of residents while improving quality of life in the surrounding community.

San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran said the funding will help advance a project that has been years in the making.

“Arrowhead Grove is a great example of how new housing developments can be affordable, attractive, energy efficient, and successful,” Tran said. “We are grateful to Congressman Aguilar for securing $3 million for phase five of this development.”

County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., who represents the Fifth District, said the investment reflects broader efforts to strengthen communities through housing.

“Projects like Arrowhead Grove are about more than building homes—they’re about creating stable, supportive environments where families can thrive, children can succeed, and neighborhoods can grow stronger,” Baca said.

Housing Authority Executive Director Maria Razo said the funding brings the agency closer to completing the next phase of the project, which she said will serve local families for generations.

“This $3 million investment brings us one step closer to delivering the next phase of high-quality, energy-efficient homes,” Razo said.

Michael Ruane, president of National CORE, a development partner on the project, said the redevelopment reflects more than a decade of planning to replace a 1940s-era public housing site with a modern neighborhood focused on opportunity and services.

The $3 million allocation is part of community project funding in the fiscal year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. Since 2022, Aguilar has secured a total of $8.6 million for the Arrowhead Grove project across multiple funding cycles.

In total, Aguilar said he secured $10.2 million for six projects in California’s 33rd Congressional District in the fiscal year 2026 spending package.