Six story building to bring 86 affordable apartments to Middlefield Road site
San Mateo County, California – Recently, community leaders and housing advocates in North Fair Oaks got together to celebrate the start of a long-awaited project. The Monarch at Redwood, a six-story apartment building, will be built on a property that was long unoccupied near Middlefield Road. It will provide 86 additional affordable housing units to the area.
The property will offer studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units that are meant to help families and people who have had trouble finding secure home in a high-cost area. There are 39 apartments set aside for those who have physical or mental health problems. San Mateo County Health and partner groups will organize supportive services for these homes to make sure they stay stable over the long term. The other 46 units will be open to families with low incomes, while one apartment will be set aside for the manager who lives on site.
The name of the project, Monarch, was chosen to stand for change, strength, and the hope that housing may provide. As they turned the first shovels of dirt, local leaders stressed the meaning behind it.
“In a region where affordability is becoming increasingly rare,” San Mateo County Supervisor Lisa Gauthier said. “This project shows what’s possible when the County, community and development partners come together with shared values and purpose.”
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Monarch gets money from both the state and the municipal government, totaling $70.4 million. The County has promised about $21 million in home loans from its Affordable home Fund. These loans will come from the Measure K half-cent sales tax, money for pandemic recovery, and other state programs. The San Mateo County Housing Authority is also giving out 24 project-based vouchers, which make sure that rental aid stays linked to certain homes even when tenants move out.
Building will do more than just make more homes. There will be a parking garage, a communal area, bike storage, laundry facilities, and a manicured courtyard in the structure. It will be totally electric, with some of its electricity coming from solar panels on the roof. It will also be built to satisfy GreenPoint Rated Platinum requirements.
“Our goal with Monarch is to strengthen North Fair Oaks by providing housing and support that allow residents to stay close to friends, schools, and the local businesses, keeping the heart of the community vibrant and inclusive,” said Jimmy Silverwood, president at Affirmed Housing. “This project will create homes where people can truly put down roots. We’re grateful to all our partners who share this vision and help make it possible.”
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Four to six months before the building is finished, rental applications should be available. The building is set to be finished in April 2027. For a lot of people in the community, the groundbreaking is more than just a new structure. It’s a chance to bring back stability, make new opportunities, and keep the area open to everyone for years to come.
