Santa Clara County Supervisors support affordable housing for adults with disabilities in neighboring San Mateo County
SAN JOSE – San Mateo County’s affordable housing stock is receiving a boost from neighboring Santa Clara County with a $1.5 million award from its Stanford Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF). The award will support a housing development in Portola Valley for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The inter-county support, stemming from a proposal introduced by Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, was authorized by a unanimous vote of the Board of Supervisors today.
“On complex regional issues like housing we should be thinking about regional solutions,” said Simitian. “Working across city and county lines can produce real results. Our Board’s action today helps bring to fruition an affordable housing development that will specifically benefit people with disabilities.”
The Board previously approved a proposal Simitian put forward in November 2022 to set aside $3 million from the SAHF to support the development of two other affordable housing developments in San Mateo County. The allocation of funds to the Portola Valley housing effort follows the Board’s January 2023 approval of funding for an affordable housing development on Weeks Street in East Palo Alto known as Colibri Commons, which broke ground in early February. County Administration is also poised to return to the Board later this year to support a third affordable housing project in San Mateo County (in Menlo Park) using Stanford housing funds.
The SAHF was established in 2000 as part of the Stanford General Use Permit process to help mitigate Stanford University’s housing impact on surrounding communities. In lieu of building affordable housing units on campus, Stanford can choose to pay a fee; those funds support the development of affordable housing within a six-mile radius of the Stanford University campus, including parts of southern San Mateo County.
Over the years, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has allocated nearly $40 million in Stanford affordable housing funds for affordable housing, largely within Santa Clara County until the recent allocations in San Mateo County.
“As I’ve said before, the housing crisis is a burden shared across our region, and one that individual counties can’t address alone,” Simitian said. “It’s both fair and sensible that our neighbors in San Mateo County have access to housing funds that can help address these challenges.”
The Town of Portola Valley requested financial assistance from Santa Clara County’s SAHF for the creation of 11 new affordable housing units and two units for support staff at 4388 Alpine Road, being developed in partnership with AbilityPath, a nonprofit specializing in services and housing for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families. AbilityPath will be responsible for coordinating and providing ongoing on-site supportive services for the residents of the 11 units in coordination with the Golden Gate Regional Center.
The project is being developed by Portola Valley residents who have spent years studying independent living housing in preparation for building housing for adults with disabilities. Commonly known as Willow Commons, the proposed development covers 1.23 acres and will consist of six two-story buildings, a main support building that includes a kitchen, dining and lounge area, and a multipurpose room. The total project is estimated to cost $18.2 million.