After years of planning, construction has finally started on the affordable housing project in North Fair Oaks known as Middlefield Junction, 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 Fair Oaks County 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 by 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 mom-and-pop stores 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.
In addition, twenty apartments will be set aside for those experiencing homelessness and receiving care management and support services from the San Mateo County Health Department, while two units are for on-site managers.
Once completed, the Middlefield Junction project will transform a lot that was once home to a recycling facility and help fulfill a plan 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 that families can achieve when affordable housing and high-quality child care facilities 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 State of 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 Bailout Act, and $6.78 million from the Measure's half-cent sales tax. K, which provides local funds for needs.
Additional funding comes from state grants and private investment.
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