San Mateo County boosts affordable housing push with $41 million for nine developments

San Mateo County, California – San Mateo County is making another big move to fix its housing affordability problem by putting more than $41 million into new affordable housing projects throughout the county. The Board of Supervisors approved the money at its meeting on October 7, 2025. This was one of the biggest amounts ever given out by the County’s Affordable Housing Fund program.

The Affordable Housing Fund 13.0 (AHF) will give out $41,146,469.75 to help build nine developments. This will create 636 new affordable homes in eight communities, including Belmont, Daly City, Half Moon Bay, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, South San Francisco, Moss Beach, and North Fair Oaks. The developments will help a lot of various types of people, like low-income families, retirees, farmworkers, first-time homebuyers, persons with impairments, and people who are homeless.

The Department of Housing’s Notice of Funding Availability from June 2025 started a competitive selection process for each project. Ray Hodges, the head of the Department of Housing, said that the increased financing is a big step forward in the County’s continued endeavor to make housing available to everyone.

“These funds will help get shovels in the ground and directly result in new homes for low-income families, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and residents experiencing homelessness,” Hodges said.

The Affordable Housing Fund, which was set up in 2013, has been a key part of San Mateo County’s housing plan. The County has given out more than $305 million over twelve prior funding rounds to develop or fix up almost 4,939 affordable dwellings. Of those, 2,875 homes are already completed and occupied, 899 are under construction, and another 1,165 are in predevelopment stages.

This year’s allotment is notable not just for its size but also for the wide range of effects it will have across the region. David Canepa, the president of the board, said that the investment was a promise to the county’s long-term stability and openness.

“This is a vital investment in the future of San Mateo County and reinforces our commitment that everyone should have access to safe, stable and affordable housing,” Canepa said.

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Measure K, a half-cent sales tax that voters passed, is the main source of funding for these initiatives. It helps meet basic requirements in the community. The state, the Mental Health Services Act, and the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention program will add to the $37 million from Measure K. According to county authorities, every dollar of Measure K funding brings in around $16.60 in extra affordable housing resources from local, state, federal, and private sources.

With this round of financing, San Mateo County is continuing to be a leader in finding housing solutions for the whole region. The goal is to make sure that more people, regardless of their economic level, can live and flourish in the communities they call home.

For more information, visit www.smcgov.org/housing.

The Board agenda packet and meeting video are here.