REDWOOD CITY — Less than two years after a massive eight-alarm fire gutted the Middlefield Junction construction site, the North Fair Oaks development has been reborn.
Now, nearly 180 affordable apartments are opening to families struggling to remain on the Peninsula.
Signs of life are everywhere at the complex: a black cat lounging in a second-floor window catching the sun, caregivers lifting small children out of cars and a family piling into a minivan on the way to soccer practice.
County officials, housing advocates and the developer joined residents this month to celebrate the opening of Middlefield Junction amid a broader wave of affordable housing construction in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets.
“Every day I hear from families who are fighting to stay here, families who have lived here for generations and families who came here seeking stability and opportunity,” Supervisor Lisa Gauthier said at Middlefield Junction’s dedication. “Housing is not just shelter. It is dignity. It is belonging. It is the difference between surviving and being able to dream.”
That vision is becoming reality for a growing number of San Mateo County residents. Since 2013, the Board of Supervisors has directed $364 million through the County’s Affordable Housing Fund to help create more than 5,100 affordable homes, with more on the way. That total includes $223.7 million from the local Measure K half-cent sales tax.
“San Mateo County as we know is losing community members due to a lack of affordable housing,” Board of Supervisors President Noelia Corzo said as the Board proclaimed May as Affordable Housing Month. “We know that there’s a need to focus on housing at all income levels, especially affordable housing, which is the number one challenge in our county.”
County Investments Spur Housing Production
Building affordable housing on the Peninsula often requires stitching together funding from local, state and federal sources in a complicated process made more challenging due to rising construction and insurance costs.
Middlefield Junction, for instance, relied on funding from the State’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, the Local Housing Trust Fund, federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, and support from the Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo.
The resilient relationship between nonprofit housing developer Mercy Housing and the County allowed the project to push forward and start to welcome residents into their homes 18 months after a devastating fire delayed the project for months.
The pressure from the state to build housing — and the need — is increasing.
Cities, towns and the County must permit approximately 47,000 new units of housing, with 40 percent of these units targeting low- and very-low-income households by 2031. Reaching these goals will require continued collaboration and innovative solutions to ensure San Mateo County communities remain vibrant and inclusive.
Middlefield Junction is part of a broader wave of affordable housing projects opening across San Mateo County in recent months, delivering 529 affordable homes on the Peninsula.
These include:
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Eucalyptus Grove (Burlingame): 69 units, including apartments reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness.
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Colibrí Commons (East Palo Alto): 136-unit family housing development, with eight apartments reserved for residents transitioning out of homelessness through the Mental Health Services Act program.
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Baden Station (South San Francisco): 36 affordable apartments, half of which are reserved for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Stone Pine Cove (Half Moon Bay): 47 affordable manufactured homes available for purchase by farmworkers.
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Oak Gardens (Menlo Park): 62 units, including 35 units set aside for veterans experiencing homelessness.
These projects add to a growing pipeline of affordable housing developments that have opened across the Peninsula in recent years.
The County and its partners have supported affordable housing developments serving veterans, seniors, working families and formerly homeless residents — including Kiku Crossing in San Mateo (225 units), Midway Village in Daly City, Willow Housing in Menlo Park (60 units), Ocean View Senior Apartments in Pacifica (100 units), Colma Veterans Village (66 units) and Rotary Terrace Senior Housing in South San Francisco (81 units).
Alongside projects now opening across the County, these developments represent years of planning, financing and construction that are now translating into hundreds of new homes for residents struggling to remain on the Peninsula.
For residents moving into Middlefield Junction, the impact is immediate.
‘A bright future’
“I have three kids and living in this area is very expensive, especially if you have a family,” said Ivan Rugerio, whose family recently moved into Middlefield Junction, which includes 179 apartments alongside a child care center under construction and shared community spaces at 2700 Middlefield Road in North Fair Oaks.
“The most important thing is to give your kids a better future. That’s why this place opens up big opportunities and gives us a chance to plan a bright future for our kids,” Rugerio said.
The definition of “low income” in San Mateo County reflects just how expensive the region has become.
Federal guidelines set eligibility based on Area Median Income (AMI). In this region, many “affordable” units serve households earning up to 80 percent of the AMI. That translates to roughly $154,700 for a four-person household. Under these programs, rents are typically capped at about 30 percent of a tenant’s gross income.
With developable land scarce, the County has increasingly looked to publicly owned sites to develop affordable housing. Middlefield Junction reflects that strategy.
“On 3.2 acres of County-owned land, we’re bringing together homes, on-site child care, a community garden shared with the San Mateo County Health clinic, a community center room and much more,” Gauthier said. “This is a place where families can plant roots, grow and truly thrive.”
Marshall Wilson
County Executive's Office
650-465-7289
mwilson@smcgov.org