San Mateo County supervisors have approved more than $41 million to help build nine affordable housing developments across eight cities, aiming to ease the region’s housing affordability crisis.
The funding, announced last week, will support at least 636 new affordable units in Belmont, Daly City, Half Moon Bay, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, South San Francisco, Moss Beach and North Fair Oaks. The projects will serve low-income families, older adults, people experiencing homelessness, farmworkers, first-time homeowners and individuals with disabilities, the county said.
Most of the money — about $37 million — comes from Measure K, a voter-approved half-cent sales tax. Additional funding will come from the state, with money from the Mental Health Services Act and Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention grant funds.
“This is a major step forward in our work to ensure that San Mateo County remains a place where all people — regardless of income — can live, work and thrive,” said Department of Housing Director Ray Hodges.
Since its inception, the county’s Affordable Housing Fund has awarded more than $305 million across 12 funding rounds, according to the county. This latest round of housing allocations comes as local governments face growing budget pressures amid reduced state and federal funding.
In September, supervisors approved a revised $5.5 billion county budget with a major focus on affordable housing and homelessness programs.
Board President David Canepa called the funding “a vital investment in the future of San Mateo County” that reinforces the county’s commitment to “safe, stable and affordable housing for all.”
The county expects to approve 2,833 new housing units in areas under its jurisdiction by 2031 to meet state-mandated housing goals, including 811 units for very low-income households.
San Mateo County — one of the most expensive places to live in the nation, where an individual earning below $109,000 a year is considered low-income — is among several Bay Area jurisdictions facing increased scrutiny from state housing regulators. Cities and counties that fail to meet their state-approved housing plans, known as housing elements, risk losing funding or triggering the “builder’s remedy,” which allows developers to bypass local zoning laws if their projects include enough affordable units.