MidPen Housing, one of the most trusted nonprofit developers, owners and managers of high-quality affordable housing in Northern California, has been awarded $17,863,794 by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for Cypress Point, a proposed affordable housing community in Moss Beach.
Cypress Point is a 71-unit development that will serve low-income families on San Mateo’s Coastside. MidPen has committed to reserving 18 units for farmworker households, who represent a major portion of the workforce in the area but too often face housing instability or sub-standard conditions. The community also includes a Coastside live-work preference in recognition of the severe shortage of housing and heightened need to serve local residents and workers.
“As we demand more housing to be built at the local level, it is incumbent upon the State to reimagine and modernize our own approval process,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “State applications that were once redundant and overly bureaucratic are now streamlined to ensure projects are not stalled in an endless bureaucracy that favored process over production.”
“California continues to advance our commitment to building 2.5 million homes — with one million affordable homes by 2030 — as outlined in our Statewide Housing Plan,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “Our simple approach to funding helps us accelerate much-needed construction and ensure the lowest-income Californians have access to quality homes near jobs, transit, schools, and other necessities that will make our communities more inclusive for decades to come.”
“The state funding is a critical milestone in developing this much-needed housing for farmworkers and families,” said Matthew O. Franklin, president and CEO of MidPen Housing. “We look forward to working closely with our County partners to complete the entitlements process and build 71 new affordable homes.”
The State Funding builds on the County of San Mateo’s financial pledge for this development. The County has pledged $5.5 million to assist development in a combination of federal grants and local Measure K sales tax funds. Boosting the county’s supply of affordable housing – through development as well as preservation and protection – is a prime goal set by the Board of Supervisors.
“We simply must have more affordable housing for everyone in our region to prosper,” said Dave Pine, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
“Without local affordable housing, there is a ripple effect that hurts not just the economy but our communities. People must commute from farther distances for work, costing them both time and money. And that means less time people can spend with their families, getting involved in schools and volunteer groups, and being active members of their community,” Pine said.
The project will also receive funding through two programs under the State’s “Super NOFA” – the Multifamily Housing Program (MHP) and Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant (FWHG) – which offered a streamlined application process for different State funding sources.