Mixed-Income, Intergenerational Affordable Housing Opens in the Heart of Livermore

Grand Opening of Chestnut Square Senior Apartments, a Development of MidPen Housing
February 27, 2020

On Thursday February 27th, Livermore Mayor John Marchand joined other city and county leaders to celebrate the Grand Opening of Chestnut Square Senior Apartments, an affordable rental apartment community developed by MidPen Housing.

Chestnut Square Senior Housing represents the completion of the first phase of a longtime vision to transform a previously underutilized site into a vibrant intergenerational community where people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds will live with easy access to public transportation and many community amenities, both onsite and nearby.

“This is an incredibly exciting day!” said John Marchand, Mayor of the City of Livermore. “We get to celebrate the transformation of this site that is now home to more than 70 senior households who can breathe easy knowing that they’ll be able to stay in the community where they’ve raised their families and built their lives. And we get to see the progress being made on soon-to-be homes for many of our city’s working families. Still, we know there is more to do to ensure that all of our residents have a quality home they can afford.”

Chestnut Square Senior Apartments provides 71 rental apartment homes affordable to low-income seniors, including five apartments set aside for formerly homeless households. As evidence of the immense need for affordable housing among Livermore’s senior population, MidPen received nearly 650 applications over 2 weeks during the two week application period. Today there are more than 500 on the waitlist.

On an adjacent site, Chestnut Square Family Housing, also being developed by MidPen, is currently under construction and will provide 42 affordable workforce apartment homes for families. Shared open spaces, including a courtyard and BBQ area, will help connect the two communities and be enjoyed by residents from both. The mixed-income 4.31 acre community will also include 44 for-sale market rate townhomes currently being built by Taylor Morrison.

“We’re honored to partner with the City on their vision to incorporate affordable housing as an integral part of their town center,” said Matthew O. Franklin, President and CEO of MidPen Housing. “This is a tremendous model for infill development and shows what can be accomplished through visionary city leadership.”

Chestnut Square Senior Housing provides 69 one-bedroom and 2 studio apartments for seniors age 62 and over who earn up to 60% of Area Media Income which is $43, 860 for a single person household. Residents enjoy many onsite amenities including a community room, computer lab, fitness studio, crafts room, bike storage and an outdoor rooftop patio. There is also a manager’s unit onsite.

Through a network of third-party providers. MidPen Services, an affiliate of MidPen Housing, coordinates a broad array of onsite programs designed to enhance wellness, promote mobility, and keep the senior residents connected and engaged in their community. These include health fairs, nutrition workshops, financial capabilities courses, cognitive stimulation, social activities, lifelong learning opportunities, as well as connection to community resources.

MidPen Property Management provides onsite professional property management.

Financing for Chestnut Square Senior Housing was provided by the City of Livermore, the Housing Authority of the City of Livermore, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, the California Community Reinvestment Corporation, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco AHP Program, and Wells Fargo.