September 22, 2026
City Council
DATE: September 22, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: Vice Mayor Doria Robinson
Subject: Presentation on the Proposed Veterans Housing Project at 338 Carlson Boulevard
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact associated with receiving this presentation.
Any future request for City financial assistance,
affordable housing funds, grants, loans, bonds, fee
reductions, infrastructure commitments, or other public resources would return to the appropriate City body for consideration and approval.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
● June 23, 2026 - Contract Amendment No. 2 with Just
Cities, LLC for completion of the Housing Equity
Roadmap as specified in the Housing Element
● June 16, 2026 - Joint session between City Council
and Richmond Housing Authority to propose budget
for fiscal year 2026-2027, and Cost Allocation Plan
Approvals
● May 26, 2026 - General Plan and Zoning Text
Amendments Related to 6th Cycle Housing Element
Program Implementation
● Jan 24, 2023 - 6th Cycle Housing Element adopted
● Jan 9, 2023 - 6th Cycle Housing Element
implemented (2023-2031)
● May 2015 - Housing Element adopted, covered the
5th Cycle planning period (2015-2023)
AGENDA
REPORT
September 22, 2026
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Richmond's Housing Element establishes an important
commitment to increasing housing production and
expanding the availability of housing affordable to
residents across income levels. Meeting those goals will require the City to actively understand and evaluate
significant housing proposals and identify opportunities to support projects that can help address Richmond's
housing needs.
The proposed Veterans Housing Project at 338 Carlson
Boulevard could add 268 new homes while creating
housing opportunities for veterans and incorporating
commercial, workforce-development, and communityserving uses in South Richmond.
A public presentation will allow the City Council and
Richmond community to better understand the project's
affordability, veteran-serving components, financing,
community benefits, current status, and development
timeline, as well as how the project could contribute
toward implementation of the City's Housing Element and Richmond's broader affordable housing goals.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: RECEIVE a presentation from the Veterans Resource Program (VRP) regarding the proposed Veterans
Housing Project at 338 Carlson Boulevard in South
Richmond, including the project's proposed housing,
affordability, veteran eligibility and services, commercial and workforce-development components, community
benefits, financing, community engagement, entitlement
and permitting status, and anticipated development
timeline - Vice Mayor Doria Robinson (510-620-6568).
DISCUSSION:
The Veterans Resource Program (VRP), in partnership with Eagle Environmental Construction Development (EECD), is proposing a significant mixed-use housing development on an approximately 2.3-acre property at 338 Carlson Boulevard in South Richmond.
VRP acquired the Carlson Boulevard property in 2018. The site is located near public transportation, freeway access, commercial businesses, and other community amenities. The project team describes the site as zoned for commercial mixed-use development, allowing for both residential and commercial uses.
The proposed development represents a potentially significant opportunity to create new housing in Richmond, including housing intended to serve veterans, while also
September 22, 2026
bringing new commercial activity, workforce-development opportunities, and community-serving uses to South Richmond.
The project is being spearheaded by the Veterans Resource Program, a Richmondbased nonprofit organization founded in 2011. VRP's stated mission includes providing veterans with housing and a continuum of services and resources tailored to their individual needs.
PROPOSED PROJECT
Based on currently available information, the proposed development is anticipated to include:
● 226 residential apartments, including:
● 162 one-bedroom units of approximately 500 square feet; ● 36 two-bedroom units of approximately 700 square feet; and ● 18 three-bedroom units of approximately 1,000 square feet. ● 10 studio units
● Three four-story residential buildings constructed over a concrete podium. ● Approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial and retail space. ● Approximately 200 parking spaces.
● An entrepreneurial training and job-development component intended to provide economic and workforce opportunities for veterans.
● Community-serving and mixed-use elements intended to create a development that combines housing with economic opportunity, employment, and access to services.
RICHMOND HOUSING ELEMENT AND NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING The City of Richmond's adopted Housing Element establishes the City's framework for meeting the housing needs of Richmond residents and accommodating the City's share of regional housing needs. A central objective of the Housing Element is to facilitate the production and preservation of housing at a range of affordability levels, with particular attention to the needs of lower-income households and populations that face barriers to obtaining stable housing.
Like communities throughout the Bay Area, Richmond continues to face significant housing affordability challenges. Rising housing costs place pressure on working families, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and residents with low and moderate incomes. Increasing the supply of affordable housing is therefore critical to maintaining Richmond as a diverse and inclusive community and preventing the displacement of existing residents.
Richmond's Housing Element identifies the need for substantial new housing production during the current planning period, including housing affordable to very-low-, low-, and moderate-income households. Meeting these goals will require the City to support and
September 22, 2026
facilitate housing development at a variety of scales and to identify opportunities to transform appropriately located and underutilized properties into housing.
The proposed development at 338 Carlson Boulevard could contribute toward these broader housing goals by adding 268 new residential units on a mixed-use site with access to transportation and existing community amenities.
The project's focus on veterans is also significant. Veterans can face unique challenges in securing and maintaining stable housing, particularly veterans living on fixed or limited incomes, veterans with disabilities, and veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Developing affordable housing connected to supportive services, employment opportunities, and community resources can help address these needs while advancing Richmond's broader housing objectives.
A presentation will allow the City Council to better understand the project's proposed affordability structure and determine how the development could contribute toward the City's Housing Element goals and affordable housing needs.
Receiving a presentation from the Veterans Resource Program (VRP) regarding the proposed Veterans Housing Project at 338 Carlson Boulevard in South Richmond, including the project's proposed housing, affordability, veteran eligibility and services, commercial and workforce-development components, community benefits, financing, community engagement, entitlement and permitting status, and anticipated development timeline; will allow the Council to better understand the project's proposed affordability structure and determine how the development could contribute toward the City's Housing Element goals and affordable housing needs.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 — Veterans Housing Project Presentation