After years of planning, the construction of the affordable housing project in North Fair Oaks known as Middlefield Junction has finally started, which seeks to help people in vulnerable situations to have a home.
Located at 2700 Middlefield Road on a vacant county-owned parcel behind the county’s Fair Oaks Health Center, the project consists of new one- to three-bedroom apartments, a child care center and community open space.
“This project addresses the most critical issue facing San Mateo County in providing quality new housing that is affordable,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Warren Slocum, whose District 4 includes North Fair Oaks.
"Here we have a new development that is creating jobs during construction and in the long term will create affordable housing that is close to many small family-owned shops and restaurants that will also benefit," he added.
All apartments will be reserved for households earning between 15 and 80 percent of the area median income.
Additionally, twenty apartments will be reserved for individuals experiencing homelessness and receiving support and care management services from the San Mateo County Health Department, while two units are for on-site managers.
Once complete, the Middlefield Junction project will transform a lot that was once home to a recycling facility and help fulfill a plan that has been years in the making.
The project is the result of a partnership between the County, nonprofit developer Mercy Housing California, the state and private investors.
“We have seen firsthand the inspiring results families can achieve when affordable housing and high-quality child care are located under the same roof,” said Doug Shoemaker, President of Mercy Housing California.
The total cost of the project is $155 million, of which $78 million is funded by the newly created California Housing Accelerator Fund, administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
This is the first project in the County funded by the Accelerator Fund.
The project is also funded by $30.5 million in loans from the County and the San Mateo County Housing Authority, nearly $13 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and $6.78 million from the Measure K half-cent sales tax, which provides local funding for needs.
Additional funding comes from state grants and private investments.
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