MENLO PARK, CA, February 26, 2025—Elected officials and public- and private-sector partners gathered here today to celebrate the groundbreaking of Oak Gardens, a development of MidPen Housing.
Oak Gardens is located on an infill site on the VA Palo Alto Health Care System campus in Menlo Park, which is owned by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This 100% permanent supportive housing community will feature 62 homes (including two manager’s units) serving veterans and their families with incomes up to 30%-50% of Area Median Income; 35 HUD-VASH project-based vouchers will provide even deeper affordability. Fifty-five of the homes will have a preference for households experiencing homelessness, and six of the 55 will be set aside for chronically homeless households. Oak Gardens is MidPen’s sixth community in the City of Menlo Park.
At Oak Gardens, residents will enjoy amenities such as a multi-purpose community room with a kitchen, landscaped outdoor space, a secure bicycle room, and laundry facilities. MidPen Services will offer case management and a broad array of on-site resident services that support education, physical and mental health, and economic mobility, and residents will have direct access to VA services and programs. The site is conveniently located near public transportation, neighborhood-serving retail and markets, and recreational and open spaces.
“Through enhanced use leases, the VA leverages underutilized properties to serve veterans in powerful ways,” said Jean Gurga, Director of VA Palo Alto Health Care System. “Oak Gardens is a prime example of how these partnerships create vibrant communities, directly aligning with our mission to enhance the lives of veterans with essential housing and support services.”
“We’re honored to collaborate with the VA on Oak Gardens, a significant opportunity to provide affordable homes and comprehensive services to veterans in need,” said Matthew O. Franklin, President and CEO of MidPen Housing. “We applaud the City of Menlo Park, San Mateo County, and all of our partners for their commitment to permanent supportive housing, a proven solution to address homelessness.”
“My hope is that this project can serve as a testament that affordable housing should go everywhere in our community,” said Menlo Park Mayor Drew Combs, who lives a few blocks from Oak Gardens. “For the veterans who will live here, I will embrace the responsibility of being their councilmember, but most importantly, I will embrace and value all that comes with being their neighbor.”
“First Citizens Bank is committed to strengthening our communities and supporting those who have served our country, through our investment in quality, affordable housing that provides security and stability for veterans. We are proud to partner with MidPen Housing on Oak Gardens,” said Fiona Hsu, Executive Director, First Citizens Bank.
Oak Gardens is made possible through the VA’s Enhanced Use Lease Program (EUL) which allows the VA to lease out underutilized VA land for the purpose of developing supportive housing for veterans. Financing for Oak Gardens is being provided through public and private sources including the City of Menlo Park, County of San Mateo, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, National Equity Fund, Inc. (NEF), California Department of Housing and Community Development, First Citizens Bank, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee. The architect is Van Meter Williams Pollack LLP and the general contractor is Guzman Construction Group.
Learn more about MidPen Housing at www.midpen-housing.org.