Today San Mateo County Supervisor Don Horsley, Half Moon Bay Mayor Rick Kowalczyk and other City and County leaders will celebrate the groundbreaking of Half Moon Village, an affordable rental apartment community being developed by MidPen Housing Corporation. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. at 801 Arnold Way in Half Moon Bay.
Half Moon Village is a response to the tremendous need for affordable housing for seniors in San Mateo County which was ranked the most expensive rental housing market in the nation last year. Phase 1, which started construction this month, will provide 45 apartment homes. Phase 2, expected to begin construction in spring 2014, will provide an additional 115 new homes on an adjacent parcel which will replace the 60 units in the existing Half Moon Village community. The two parcels will eventually connect through a tree-lined pedestrian walkway and the community will include several common community gardens and a bocce ball court.
Half Moon Village is part the County of San Mateo’s longtime vision to create an innovative 10-acre Senior Campus where seniors will live, socialize and have easy access to services and community resources. The goal is to create a continuum of care to address the high cost of living and health care on the coast for seniors on a fixed income.
“This is an exciting day,” said Don Horsley, President of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. “Half Moon Village provides beautiful housing that seniors can afford in a community where they have easy access to the health care and social services which will help them live healthy, independent lives. Today we celebrate real progress towards fulfilling the vision we’ve long held for this Senior Campus and which we believe will become a model for housing our state’s fast growing population of seniors.”
The existing community of Half Moon Village, originally built in 1964, had been owned and operated by the San Mateo County Housing Authority. The County also owned the adjacent vacant parcels of land. As they considered what to do with this underutilized site and nearly 50 year old housing in need of repair, the vision for a Senior Campus was born.
The Senior Campus includes Half Moon Village – now owned and being developed by MidPen; Coastside Senior Housing – 40 affordable homes, the Coastside Adult Day Health Center, and a new senior center managed by Senior Coastsiders – being developed by Mercy Housing California and Lesley Senior Communities; and Lesley Gardens – 64 existing affordable rental homes developed by MidPen Housing in 2004 which is now owned and operated by Lesley Senior Communities.
"Half Moon Village is another reason for optimism regarding the health our community,” said Half Moon Bay Mayor Rick Kowalczyk. "After closely collaborating with the County, MidPen Housing and many other local non-profit and business leaders, I am thrilled that we are breaking ground on this long anticipated development. Half Moon Village brings much needed affordable housing to our city in a way that maintains the neighborly essence that our residents love about Half Moon Bay.”
“MidPen applauds the City of Half Moon Bay and the County of San Mateo for their vision to build an integrated, services-enriched, affordable housing campus for low-income seniors,” said Matthew O. Franklin, President of MidPen Housing. “This innovative plan is a testimony to what can be accomplished when civic and community leaders work together in highly creative and collaborative ways.”
Located just steps from downtown Half Moon Bay, Half Moon Village is in close proximity to many amenities and community services including a public library, supermarket, and pharmacy. With two samTrans bus lines within 1,500 feet of their apartments, senior residents will have easy access to downtown as well as many other parts of the Bay Area.
Half Moon Village residents will have access to the adjacent Coastside Adult Day Health Center and community center managed by Senior Coastsiders – both of which will provide a range of health care services and other supportive programs. MidPen Resident Services Corporation will offer additional onsite services. MidPen Property Management will provide professional onsite property management.
Half Moon Village Phase 1 is expected to open in early 2014 with 43 one-bedroom and 2 two-bedroom apartments for seniors earning up to 60% of Area Median Income. Current Half Moon Village residents will be given first priority for the units.
Financing for the $18M community was provided by San Mateo County Department of Housing, the Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee and Union Bank. Herman Coliver Locus Architecture is the architect and Segue Construction, Inc. is the contractor.
