HavenCORE Expands Into Northern California With Alameda Housing Authority Partnership

HavenCORE, the property management division of National CORE, is entering Northern California through a new contract with the Housing Authority of the County of Alameda, the organization announced July 24. The agreement positions HavenCORE to manage more than 300 apartment homes — roughly half of HACA's affordable housing portfolio — with management set to begin in September.

Competitive Selection Process

HACA selected HavenCORE following a competitive proposal and interview process that included multiple nationally recognized property management firms. The win adds a fourth public housing authority to HavenCORE's client roster, joining the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, the Palm Desert Housing Authority, and the City of Rancho Mirage Housing Authority.

"We are honored to have been selected by HACA and look forward to building a strong, collaborative partnership," said Courtney Richard, HavenCORE's Senior Vice President. "As we continue expanding our presence throughout California, we remain committed to delivering exceptional property management services that preserve affordable housing, enhance resident experiences and support thriving communities."

Platform Scale and Growth

With the addition of HACA's portfolio, HavenCORE now manages more than 15,000 apartment homes at over 200 properties throughout the United States, including nearly 10,000 developed by National CORE. The Northern California expansion comes just over a year after HavenCORE sharpened its focus on third-party property management, a period during which the division has grown its housing authority partnerships.

The firm attributes its growth to operational excellence, regulatory expertise, resident-centered management, and the use of analytics and artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and day-to-day operations. The emphasis on AI-assisted operations reflects a broader industry shift, as owners across the commercial real estate sector seek technology-enabled efficiency in a higher-cost operating environment.

Market Context: Affordable Housing Complexity Driving Outsourcing

The HACA contract reflects a pattern emerging among public and nonprofit affordable housing owners: increasingly, these organizations are turning to third-party operators with deep compliance capabilities to manage portfolios that carry heavier regulatory requirements than conventional multifamily properties. Affordable and supportive housing programs require specialized tracking, resident services, and regulatory reporting that favor experienced operators.

The broader multifamily market has been working through a period of elevated vacancy pressure and higher operating costs, conditions that have pushed owners across property types to prioritize operational discipline. At the same time, commercial real estate investment activity is showing signs of recovery, with CBRE projecting CRE investment to rise 16% in 2026 to $562 billion as leasing and capital markets continue to stabilize.

For housing authorities specifically, the decision to outsource management of complex affordable portfolios allows agencies to concentrate resources on asset preservation, long-term affordability compliance, and resident outcomes — areas where specialized third-party operators can provide scale and expertise that may be difficult to replicate internally.

Outlook

HavenCORE is scheduled to begin managing the HACA communities in September. The Alameda partnership extends National CORE's property management footprint into a new region of California and signals continued demand among public housing agencies for third-party operators with experience navigating the regulatory and operational complexity of affordable housing portfolios.