Location Efficient, Workforce Housing Developments in the Bay Area

College Vista provides affordable housing to faculty and staff of the San Mateo County Community College District. High housing costs contributed to high employee turnover in the College District. In 2003, a survey of the District’s employees revealed that 18% of employees planned to leave within three years; of those planning to leave, 57% cited unaffordable housing as the reason.

Built on an overflow parking lot behind the District’s administrative building, the 1.9 acre site integrates local Craftsman-style architecture. Motor courts optimize direct access units and enhance the separation of the development from the campus.

Casa del Maestro, Phase II, is a 30 unit final phase of a 70 unit rental development which provides apartments that are affordable to the teachers of the Santa Clara Unified School District. Recognizing that a high rate of teacher turnover was directly due to the area’s high housing costs, the school district partnered with the developer to construct employer assisted housing on 3.5 acres of school district owned land.

Using certificates of participation, the school district was able to finance the development, and still retains ownership through a foundation. Since its completion, Casa del Maestro has remained fully leased and has maintained a long waiting list. Apartments are available only to school district teachers who have been in the district fewer than three years. In order to encourage turnover and home-ownership, teachers can live at Casa del Maestro for up to 5 years, at which time they can access the school district’s mortgage assistance program.

South City Lights is located in South San Francisco, a major employment center anchored by United Airlines, Genetech, and over 80 other biotech firms. Due to the steep topography and unusual shape, the 13 acre infill site had been passed over by developers for many years, despite its location. The developer designed a cost-effective solution to provide the necessary retaining walls and a phased plan of six 4-story buildings, resulting in 280 stacked condominiums.

Despite the site’s topographical challenges, the developer and CityView saw an opportunity to create infill workforce housing provided the allowed density was increased. Working with the City of South San Francisco, the developer secured entitlements for a density of 20 units per acre in exchange for restricting the sale of 70 units to families earning between 80% – 120% AMI.