(KRON) – On Tuesday, community leaders, stakeholders, and residents came together to celebrate the grand opening of Meridian Apartments, an affordable housing development in Sunnyvale aimed at serving low-income communities.
The 1.44-acre 89-home project includes a mix of apartments— from studios to three bedrooms— and seven townhouses located within walking distance of the city’s downtown and Caltrain station.
Rents range from $1,515 to $1,827 a month for a studio and up to $2,227 to $3,619 for a three-bedroom apartment.
“Meridian is more than just a housing development. It’s the answer to a question that many families in our community have asked—where can folks live safely and independently, regardless of their circumstances?” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian.
In 2018, Simitian urged the Board of Supervisors to commit $40 million to help create affordable housing specifically for people of modest means with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Planners said 25% of Meridian’s units are set aside for tenants with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“Our Sunnyvale City Council had the vision to set aside this city-owned property for affordable housing back in 2014,” said City of Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein. “It took the collaboration of numerous partners dedicated to expanding affordable housing in our community to get us to today’s milestone.”
Planning for the development began in 2016 when the City of Sunnyvale selected the development team of Related California.
The extensive list of public and private funding partners also includes the County of Santa Clara, Santa Clara Housing Authority, San Andreas Regional Center (SARC), California Department of Developmental Services (DDS), Wells Fargo, Citibank, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, and Google.
“Every new development that opens its doors means we are getting more community members into a unit, and for some, this is the first home they have had in a long time,” said Consuelo Hernandez, Director of the County’s Office of Supportive Housing. “We’re continuing to partner with other housing leaders to make sure the work doesn’t stop here.”
Meridian’s onsite amenities include a community room with a kitchen, a learning center, a “teen lounge,” a bicycle tuning room, an underground parking lot with storage lockers, and a laundry room.
Source: kron4.com
