As the Co-Chair of San Mateo County Home for All Initiative and Supervisor of District 4, I had the honor to speak at the grand opening of the Sequoia Belle Haven Senior Living in Menlo Park. With 90 units of housing, this $43 million development was no small feat! It entailed a partnership between the public and private sectors, and a method of financing crucial to growing our housing stock. I am proud to say that the County of San Mateo contributed over $1.6 million and helped secure Section 8 and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers to this project.
Our seniors are a vital part of this community and our numbers are growing. I can remember a time when generations of family members lived in the same community – and this provided comfort. In my own family, my wife’s aunt helped us raise our two young sons while we worked full time. You know the phrase “It takes a village” – well that was then. Unfortunately, today, in our County, too often families are being split up as the cost of living here continues to rise – and our seniors lose touch with their family members who are forced by economic conditions to move far away.
Providing high quality housing that seniors can afford is critical. And, just like it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a community to create housing. That’s why I’m excited to be a part of Sequoia Belle Haven, and among a community of leaders, residents and businesses that partner to create beautiful, new affordable housing which 90 of our valued senior residents now call home.