A plan to add dozens of affordable homes for low-income seniors to the city’s housing stock got a boost this week when the City Council committed $2.24 million for the effort.
The money would be dispersed during various stages of the project to Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (SAHA) to build an 82-unit housing development.
According to city documents, 81 of the units would be reserved for seniors earning less than 60 percent of the area median income, and one unit would be for a property manager.
SAHA is partnering with Choice in Aging, an organization that provides health care services during the day to older adults and those with dementia or Alzheimer’s. The affordable housing complex is slated to be built on Choice in Aging’s four-acre parcel at 490 Golf Club Road, near Diablo Valley College. Choice in Aging also plans to rebuild its campus, which provides adult services and the preschool it opened in 2017.
“Intent for Choice in Aging is to provide wraparound services … a whole bigger project,” Vice Mayor Sue Noack said at the council meeting. “I am sure we will see the Choice in Aging project down the road, but this is the first piece, the housing.”
The city previously approved funding to Choice in Aging — formerly called Rehabilitation Services of Northern California — for the project in 2016, according to acting city planner Troy Fujimoto. Since then, Choice in Aging has partnered with SAHA, which will assume that $236,000 forgivable loan and put it toward the housing project.
The total $2.24 million would be dispersed in phases: two smaller amounts would be issued after SAHA gets certain approvals toward construction costs.
The funding, to come out of the city’s Low and Moderate Housing Asset Fund, will give the developer leverage to secure state and other financing, according to the resolution commitment approved by the Council.
But the project is not a done deal. Fujimoto confirmed for the council that promising the funds now does not oblige it to automatically approve the project or any official agreements.
It also will require a lot more funding, which SAHA is seeking from the state and other sources, Fujimoto said.
Still, the council expressed optimism for the future of the project, noting it should help the city meet its affordable housing goals.
While a developer has submitted plans for a 210-unit apartment building on Cleaveland Road, and there is ongoing planning for single-family homes to be built as part of the redevelopment of the Pleasant Hill library and surrounding parcels, there are typically not many proposals for affordable housing in the city, Councilman Ken Carlson noted during the meeting.
Habitat for Humanity recently acquired a parcel near downtown to build seven affordable townhouses.
“We are only given so many proposals,” Carlson said. “This is only one of a few proposals in my time on council. I think this is a great opportunity across the city to meet any low income housing needs. I don’t think we can afford to pass it up.”
Source: Eastbaytimes
