County ups affordable housing investment in Mountain View
SAN JOSE – As part of its continued effort to increase affordable housing opportunities in Santa Clara County, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to invest up to $18 million in the Montecito, an 85-unit affordable housing development located at 1265 Montecito Avenue in Mountain View.
“We’ve heard time and again that to help people secure housing, we need affordable units for them to move into,” said County Supervisor Joe Simitian, whose District includes Mountain View. “Investing in affordable housing helps residents in Mountain View and throughout the county who are struggling to make ends meet continue to call this place home. This investment means more families and community members have a safe and stable place in our county.”
The Montecito, being developed by Charities Housing, consists of one five-story residential building. Forty-two units will be for households earning up to 50% of Area Median Income, an additional 42 units will be for formerly unhoused individuals and families, and one unit will be for an onsite manager. The building will include a ground level parking garage, a secured bike storage room with 85 racks, a front and rear courtyard, and amenities space.
The County’s capital investment of up to $18,000,000 would be drawn from the $950 million Measure A Affordable Housing Bond voters approved in 2016. Last year, the County signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Mountain View to bring more of this funding to projects in Mountain View, including the Montecito.
“This is a terrific project that addresses several affordable housing needs, including many larger units for families and units for the unhoused,” said Mountain View Mayor Alison Hicks. “This project traces its roots to 2017 when the City of Mountain View adopted its first five-year affordable housing strategy, which identified a goal of 200 rapid rehousing/permanent supportive housing units. Our efforts also paved the way for the MOU partnership with the County and pipeline projects, including Montecito.”
The City of Mountain View approved land use entitlements for Montecito in December 2022 and committed $16 million in funding, in addition to impact fee waivers. The addition of County funding enables the project to apply for state tax credits with the hope of beginning construction in early 2024.
“I have to say, when we first entered into a formal collaboration with Mountain View through the MOU, I didn’t fully appreciate the magnitude of the commitment. But Montecito is now the fourth project we’ve moved forward under the MOU framework,” Simitian said. “I’m pleased to see these dollars being put to good use in the north part of our county to provide affordable housing for our most vulnerable community members. We can do so much more when we partner together this way.”