Officials break ground on first affordable housing project in the city since 2013

“On our 50th anniversary, we are so thrilled to be building this new affordable housing project in the City of Palo Alto, our organization’s hometown.”

— Randy Tsuda, Alta Housing’s President and CEO

PALO ALTO >> The first affordable housing development in nearly a decade broke ground in Palo Alto on Monday after years of planning and a $10 million contribution from the city council.

The 100% affordable rental community at 3705 El Camino Real in Palo Alto’s Ventura neighborhood is the first project that Alta Housing has gotten approved in the city since 2013. It will include 59 units of affordable housing for mostly single and two-person households including 56 studios and three onebedroom apartments in a four-story complex.

The last time the council approved an affordable housing project was in 2013, when council members gave the go-ahead for a 60-unit affordable housing development on Maybell Avenue for low-income seniors and 12 single-family homes. But that development was struck down after a referendum organized by voters.

With prohibitively expensive land prices and a council and community hostile to building housing, the non- profit changed its name last year from Palo Alto Housing to Alta Housing after it began making more headway building in other communities.

Wilton Court is the one project that hasn’t received any pushback from residents or the city council since it was first proposed in April 2018. Two years ago the council approved a zoning change to decrease parking requirements, relax building heights and provide density bonuses.

In January 2020, the council approved the development, which is mainly reserved for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Financing costs were about $46.3 million from various sources. Most notably, the city of Palo Alto in June approved chipping in $10 million for the project.

“On our 50th anniversary, we are so thrilled to be building this new affordable housing project in the City of Palo Alto, our organization’s hometown,” said Randy Tsuda, Alta Housing’s president and CEO.