East Bay Small Development Incubator

Overview

To address California’s housing affordability crisis, our state must build millions of new homes over the next several years. A large share of these homes will come from large housing developments producing dozens, hundreds, and in some cases even thousands of units. However, state policies, as well as many local plans and aspirations, recognize that the development and rehabilitation of small-scale residential projects (such as townhomes, small-plexes, and ADUs) within existing cities will be essential to mitigating the housing crisis. What’s more, these small-scale projects are capable of addressing climate change (by placing homes near transit, shops, and services) and contributing to the vitality of communities. The program fosters entrepreneurship and supports new small businesses, provides skill-building for a diverse workforce, and creates opportunities in the housing development field to many who have been unable to enter the field before. Small-scale development has a unique potential to nurture people, communities, and nature.

To realize this potential, a thriving small-scale development industry has to be created. The East Bay Small Development Incubator engages small, independent developers, government officials, and others from the residential development ecosystem (suppliers, financiers, etc.) to build the skills and relationships that will enable the industry to thrive and play its role in nurturing the kind of future which so many Californians strive.

Activities

In February and March of 2025, the program hosted two events – an introductory lecture on the potential of small-scale development and a workshop to introduce aspiring developers to the expertise and skills needed to be a successful small-scale developer. These events were carried out in collaboration with the Incremental Development Alliance (IncDev), a national organization that trains small developers, and StopWaste, a public agency that advances the responsible use of resources in Alameda County. Read our blog posts on these two events to find out more about what was shared and learned.

Over the course of the rest of 2025, BIG will host a series of additional events to connect small-scale developers with local government officials, suppliers, financiers, and others to allow for shared learning, connections, and making it possible to get projects down. Toward the end of the year, we hope to host a more intensive bootcamp for small-scale developers in conjunction with our IncDev partners.

For those in the Sacramento region, BIG can connect you to a similar program building the small-scale development industry in your part of the state.

For more information about the Small Development Incubator email: [email protected]

If you’d like to receive regular updates about the program, including dates and details about upcoming events, sign up by emailing [email protected].

Sacramento Small Development Incubator Program

There is a sister program in partnership with the

City of Sacramento.

Program Committee

This committee provides input on the training content and regional landscape, and is made up of folks actively working on building and development in East Bay.

AIA East Bay
BIG Oakland
Capital Impact Partners
Oakland Builders Alliance
East Bay Economic Development Alliance
Terner Labs
City of Hayward
City of Fremont
City of Oakland

For more information about the Program Committee, please contact Heather Larson at [email protected].

Partners & Sponsors