Repairs and renovations are under way at the Mosaic Garden apartments in Redwood City. This will ensure safe and modern housing for 55 families with low incomes, including veterans.
The nonprofit MidPen Housing purchased the property in 2016 on Rolison Road with the help of loans approved by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors from Measure K, a countywide, voter-approved half-cent sales tax extension. At a time of soaring rents – San Mateo County is among the most expensive places to live in the nation – Mosaic Garden is now protected as affordable housing for the long term.
An Opportunity:
Originally named Atherton Court, the complex was built in the early 1960s and consists of studio and one-bedroom apartments.
MidPen Housing in early 2016 learned of pending offers on the property in which the proposed buyers were seeking to purchase the property fully vacant, which would result in the displacement of 100 percent of the existing tenants. The County's Department of Housing then worked quickly with MidPen to secure the property.
The Board of Supervisors in November 2016 provided MidPen with a $5.8 million loan, which MidPen used along with additional funding sources to purchase the complex. The Board approved a second loan in the amount of $2.5 million in June 2017 towards renovations.
Funding came from the County's Affordable Rental Acquisition and Prevention Program, which was created to acquire and preserve existing multi-family rental properties that are rented at below-market rates. The Board of Supervisors created the program in June 2016 with $10 million in funds from Measure K, a countywide, voter-approved half-cent sales tax for local needs.
What else is the County doing to preserve and build housing that is affordable for all? Learn more.
Note: page updated August 2018.
Crews hard at work on renovations and upgrades.
Upgrades include new windows. The complex will be new inside and out.
Exterior before renovations began. The complex is now known as Mosaic Garden.