Meet Helen, a Resident of Arroyo Green

Helen shares what a safe, permanent, affordable home means to her: “It’s stability. I don’t have to think about, ‘where will I be next year?’ anymore. I feel like I can take care of myself now and be independent. This is such a blessing.”

Take a closer look at MidPen Housing’s newest building: Arroyo Green Apartments.

Designed to support the goal of healthy living, Arroyo Green brings 117 affordable homes for low-income seniors to amenity-rich downtown Redwood City.

Help Us Spread the Word about Rent Relief

In January of this year, the California legislature passed SB 91, a bill that provides funds for landlords whose tenants have fallen behind on rent. For San Mateo County alone, $75 million in rent relief funding is available. 

The outlines of the program are simple: 

1.       If landlords agree to forgive 20 percent of the rent that went unpaid for the period from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, the State will pay them the other 80 percent.

2.       Assuming the landlord takes the State up on its offer, the tenant is then permanently relieved of the full amount of the accumulated debt.

However, almost five months after the State allocated this money, only 1% of the available funds have been distributed. For people who are precariously housed, this money is the only thing preventing them from homelessness.

Are you a small landlord yourself?  Do you know of landlords in your congregations, workplaces or service clubs?  Do you have neighbors who are landlords?  If so, please encourage them to investigate this novel program of relief.  

Are you a community leader or an elected official? Please help us spread the word about this program. Tell your friends, neighbors and networks! If you’re an elected official, please ask your city to send out a mailer with the information about this program, as Redwood City recently has done.

Most importantly, we call upon San Mateo County to use its considerable resources to get the word out about SB 91.  Pull out the stops! An aggressive outreach effort will help to prevent a tsunami of homelessness that easily could overcome our community in the near future.

For more information on this program, please visit https://housingiskey.com.

Our Letter to Governor Newsom

We join our partners in commending the Governor’s California Comeback plan’s bold investments in affordable housing and homelessness prevention. The plan’s over $12 billion for homelessness prevention and over $9 billion for affordable homes are a major positive step in realizing our vision for inclusive, equitable, and healthy communities for everyone. Our partners in the affordable housing community are ready to get to work making this funding carry real positive impacts for the most vulnerable people in our communities.

That being said, we do believe the funding proposed in the plan must be expanded to fully match the scale of the housing crisis. The current funding backlog for affordable projects that are ready to go except for the funding piece is more than $3 billion. While the currently proposed $1.75 billion is significant, we hope it will be increased to a full $3 billion.

Since the elimination of redevelopment agencies in 2011, the state has cut investment in affordable homes by $2 billion a year for 10 years (assuming property values would not have risen in that time. This cut coincided with cuts in federal funding and the dramatic and visible increase in homelessness. We need substantial and consistent funding to make gains on this issue. Please join us and our partners in support for AB 71 (Luz Rivas) and continue to push for meaningful investments and policy reforms.

Thank you for your leadership so far and we are looking forward to working together to ensure a future with stable homes for all Californians.

Featured Artists: Jane Oh and Rachel Cronin

We’d like to feature two winning entries from our Growing Home event.

“The Uniqueness of Homes and Inhabitants” by Jane Oh, Grade 10 

This art piece is done in pastel and watercolor. I was inspired to create a piece that would reflect the diversity of the Bay Area, hence the seemingly infinite, unique faces that peacefully exist together in different colors. One of the greatest strengths of the Bay Area is its diversity in culture, ideas, and people who shape how others live around them—and this was a jumping off point for picking out a very vivid color palette to capture the positive, energetic mood of the people living here. The hands, done in pastel, are vivid and hold up funky-shaped buildings, which were inspired by the colorful Victorian homes in San Francisco and the mind-bending, forward-thinking architecture we see in cities that accommodate our environmental and future sustainability needs. To be at home is also to have your basic survival needs met, but also to ultimately feel welcome wherever you live. To have a comforting home gives one the jumping off point to be creative, grow ideas, and discover a deeper fulfillment with life.

All That Matters by Rachel, Grade 5

Check out all the students' poems, artwork, and song/compositions on our website.

And That's a Wrap on Affordable Housing Month!

We want to thank YOU for supporting and attending our various Affordable Housing Month events. If you missed any of our events or would like to check out our highlights of Affordable Housing Month, click here to see the re-caps!

What's New in Housing: An Update on Funding & Planning for Homes in San Mateo County

Thank you to our 2021 sponsors!  HLC is grateful to have their support during these times and for your dedication to affordable housing.

HEART's ADU Program

HEART of San Mateo County recently announced the launch of their flagship Green and Livable Accessory Dwelling Unit Resource (GLADUR) program, which will democratize Accessory Dwelling Unit construction in San Mateo County and beyond. Partnering with OpenScope Studio Architects and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, HEART developed four sets of ADU plans that give builders the options of constructing a studio unit, two unique one-bedroom options, or even a larger two-bedroom unit. These blueprints also incorporate a variety of architectural styles, including craftsman, modern, or post-war, so that a home’s character is kept.

Renderings of a Studio (left) and Two Bedroom (right) ADU generated by GLADUR

These shortcuts will streamline efficiency and cost-savings by eliminating tens of thousands of dollars in design expenses and lengthy timelines. Additionally, savings from these designs can be reinvested into sustainable features and installations that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower utility costs. Cities are also prioritizing these projects through their approval pipelines with South San Francisco, Redwood City, East Palo Alto, Daly City, and Belmont having already pre-reviewed GLADUR plans for homeowner use. “We are very excited to make building green ADUs easier and more affordable by removing these major early obstacles,” said Boris Vatkin, HEART’s ADU Program Manager. HLC shares Boris’ excitement for these inclusive and affordable solutions!

E-bikes for All!

Peninsula Clean Energy is offering up to $800 off the purchase price of an electric bike for income-qualified residents in San Mateo County! Why buy an electric bike? People buy electric bikes because they are healthy, clean, easy-to-use and low-cost. Find out if you qualify and apply before it’s too late! https://www.pencleanenergy.com/ebikes/ 

Participant eligibility includes residency in affordable housing and Section 8 participation, among others.

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