Middlefield Junction opens new affordable homes where fire once threatened North Fair Oaks project
San Mateo County, California – Less than two years ago, smoke and flames tore through the Middlefield Junction construction site in North Fair Oaks, leaving behind the wreckage of what was supposed to become much-needed affordable housing. Today, the same place tells a very different story.
Nearly 180 affordable apartments are now opening there, bringing families into new homes at a time when staying on the Peninsula has become harder for many longtime residents. The change is visible in small, everyday moments: a black cat stretched in a sunny second-floor window, children being lifted from cars, and a family heading out together for soccer practice.
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County officials, housing advocates, the developer and residents gathered this month to mark the opening of Middlefield Junction, a project that has come to symbolize both the difficulty and the promise of building affordable housing in San Mateo County.
“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.”
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The opening comes during a wider push to create homes for people who are being priced out of one of the country’s most expensive housing markets. 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. That includes $223.7 million from Measure K, the local 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.”
Middlefield Junction was made possible through a mix of funding sources, including 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 partnership between Mercy Housing and the County helped move the project forward after the fire delayed construction for months.
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It is one part of a larger wave. Recent openings across San Mateo County have delivered 529 affordable homes, including Eucalyptus Grove in Burlingame, Colibrí Commons in East Palo Alto, Baden Station in South San Francisco, Stone Pine Cove in Half Moon Bay and Oak Gardens in Menlo Park.
More work lies ahead. Local jurisdictions must permit about 47,000 new housing units by 2031, with 40 percent aimed at low- and very-low-income households. But for families moving into Middlefield Junction now, the future has already begun — with a front door, a key and a place to stay.
