March 07, 2023
City Hall
400 Grand Ave.
South San Francisco, CA 94080
via email to [email protected]
Re: Support for Item 13: Amendment to Baden Station Apartments Loan Terms Dear Mayor Nicolas and City Council Members:
On behalf of Housing Choices, I urge your support for the staff recommendation to amend the loan terms for the planned Baden Station Apartments.
Housing Choices’ mission is to enhance the lives of people with developmental and other disabilities and their families by creating and supporting quality, affordable housing opportunities. We work to ensure that all people enjoy rewarding lives in affordable homes of their choosing, a mission which For the Future Housing has actively supported with the development of an inclusive housing development which opened in Santa Cruz in 2019 and three additional pending projects with units set-aside for individuals with developmental disabilities who will benefit from on-site supportive services from Housing Choices, including at Baden Station Apartments.
For the Future Housing’s proposal addresses a critical need for housing among the City of South San Francisco’s residents with developmental disabilities. The city is currently home to over 600 adults with developmental disabilities, less than 10% of whom have been able to transition into their own apartment with supportive services due to the lack of deeply affordable housing available in the city. By collaborating with Housing Choices to set-aside 18 of the planned 36 units at Baden Station Apartments for people with developmental and other disabilities, For the Future Housing’s proposal aligns with federal and state priorities to provide housing for people with developmental disabilities in typical community housing and addresses an unmet priority of the City’s Housing Element.
For the Future has worked diligently to tap every available affordable housing finance program, including county funding, to make the Baden Station Apartments project feasible, while targeting rental units at the proposed property to Extremely Low and Very Low Income Government Code Section
54957.5
SB 343 Agenda: 03/08/2023
Reg CC Item # 13
populations requiring on-site supportive services including individuals with developmental and other disabilities. Amending the loan terms for city funding as proposed by staff will allow the project to close on their construction loan and begin construction on these much needed supportive housing units by the end of this month. If the amendments are not approved tonight the project risks losing other funding sources which could delay development for several years if not make the project entirely infeasible due to rising costs. We strongly urge you not to let these much needed units be delayed!
Thank you for your leadership to make South San Francisco a community in which people of diverse incomes and abilities can continue to thrive.
Sincerely,
Dennise Jauregui
Executive Director
Housing Choices
p: 408-406-0551
e: [email protected]