Vivalon working to secure affordable senior housing

As reported by the Marin Independent Journal, the San Rafael City Council made the decision not to waive building permit fees for the planned Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus (“San Rafael to collect permit fees for downtown senior housing,” July 22).

City funding is important for our project, not only because of increased costs, but because multiple sources of government revenue help our partner Eden Housing secure more favorable financing for the 100% affordable Section 8 senior housing portion of the project.

Although the City Council didn’t approve the request from Eden Housing, which received $800,000 in 2020 from San Rafael for area enhancements adjacent to the project, it indicated support for applying again when the Affordable Housing Trust Fund notice of funds available is released soon. We expect to apply then.

Not only will those funds help reduce costs of the project, but it will also allocate the fund’s resources to an impactful project to benefit the community with 100% affordable senior housing, along with the vital integrated services of Vivalon to help people age with health, dignity and grace.

The Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus will provide 66 affordable and safe housing units for older adults in downtown San Rafael. The campus will also include a healthy aging center with an on-site integrated health clinic and a variety of programs and services that will be available to all older adults in Marin County.

Vivalon, and our partner Eden Housing, are grateful to San Rafael for supporting our vision for the creation of this landmark project. We look forward to working with Mayor Kate Colin and members of the City Council to identify and secure other means of funding that will help facilitate the immediate development of the Healthy Aging Campus.