Plans for 15 homes for special needs housing for mentally disabled individuals

Funds are part of State of CA Prop 1C grant

HEART made a $700K loan to Mental Health Association (MHA) of San Mateo County for land acquisition in North Fair Oaks to construct 15 units of special needs housing for mentally disabled individuals. Part of the State of CA Prop 1C funds, the $700K will be combined with other sources to enable MHA to purchase the 18,000 sf site at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Waverly, a block off El Camino Real in North Fair Oaks (incorporated Redwood City) for $1.2M.

“MHA is grateful to have HEART’s support to secure a site which will eventually provide safe, decent and affordable housing for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. We appreciate the partnership and the HEART Board’s willingness to act quickly to make this happen,” said Executive Director Melissa Platte.

This project will be modeled after MHA’s last development, Cedar Street Apartments, in Redwood City which opened in May 2012. Cedar Street features 14 studio apartments for adults living with serious mental illness (plus one unit for the on-site manager). Each fully furnished, 450 square foot studio includes a kitchen with oven and refrigerator. Residents enjoy a community room with full kitchen, a landscaped courtyard, and laundry room. The federal subsidy provided through the HUD 811 program makes the units permanently affordable for people with mental illness whose incomes are well below the poverty line. On-site services include case management, wellness activities, nursing, occupational therapy, and medication assistance.