The first 147 units at Midway Village, a major affordable housing redevelopment near the historic Cow Palace arena in Daly City, officially opened last week for low-income families and young adults transitioning out of foster care.
The project is part of a four-phase plan to replace 555 aging apartments, originally built in the 1970s, with modern units. Once completed, it will be the largest affordable housing development in San Mateo County.
Of the newly opened units, 27 are reserved for local educators and 12 for young adults exiting foster care. To qualify, residents must fall within low- or extremely low-income categories. In San Mateo County, an individual earning $109,700 annually is considered low income, while $41,150 qualifies as extremely low income.
“This is a neighborhood near the Cow Palace that has really struggled for decades but is starting to show new signs of life,” said San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David Canepa during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday. “This is a transformative project that took a very old and outdated affordable housing complex with 150 units to what will be a modern complex with more than 500 units for individuals often on the brink of being homeless.”
Phase I includes studios and one- to three-bedroom apartments, along with 190 parking spaces.
According to MidPen Housing’s website, the project’s developer, studio units in Phase I are priced at $1,649 per month. Original Midway Village residents will receive housing priority, according to the county.
Debbie McIntyre, executive director of the San Mateo County Housing Authority, said the project highlights the county’s commitment to tackling the housing affordability crisis.
“From dedicating this property for new affordable homes to providing project-based vouchers and capital, the Housing Authority partners closely with the county to create places like this where diverse communities can thrive,” she said.
On the same day Phase I officially opened, county officials broke ground on Phase II. Among several funding sources, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved a $14 million loan last year to support construction of the second phase.
Phase II, expected to open by 2027, will include at least 113 two- to four-bedroom apartments with full kitchens, electric stoves, in-unit laundry, and shared amenities such as a community room, a learning center with outdoor play space, secure bicycle storage, and public art. The phase will also include a 15,000-square-foot child care center operated by San Mateo-based nonprofit Peninsula Family Service, which will serve up to 109 children, including those from low-income families.
Twenty-nine of the units in Phase II will be reserved for people with supportive housing needs, including those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
San Mateo County, one of the most expensive places to live in the nation, is among several Bay Area jurisdictions facing increased scrutiny from state housing regulators. Counties and cities that fail to meet their state-approved housing plans, known as the housing element, risk losing funding or triggering the “builder’s remedy,” a measure that allows developers to bypass local zoning laws if their projects include enough affordable units.
MidPen Housing, the Foster City-based developer leading the project, has built more than 9,000 affordable homes across over 130 communities mostly in Northern California since 1970. The organization focuses on providing housing for low-income families, seniors, and individuals with special needs.