SAN MATEO — An affordable one housing project in San Mateo County was destroyed due to a fire that broke out on Monday morning, halting the development of much-needed housing in the area.
“It’s tragic what happened today,” said San Mateo County District 5 Supervisor David Canepa.
While Canepa expressed relief that no injuries were reported, he emphasized the broader implications of the incident, especially amid the province’s ongoing housing crisis.
“Our cost for a home in San Mateo County is one of the highest in the country at $2 million and we have a lot of people interested in affordable housing, and what this does is it delays what could have happened. faster,” Canepa noted.
The building, located on a vacant lot behind the Fair Oaks Health Center, would provide 179 new affordable apartments, a child care center and community open space. The project, which involved an investment of at least $155 million, was part of an extensive planning process aimed at addressing the province’s housing shortage.
“North Fair Oaks, like other places in the Bay Area and in San Mateo County, we’re talking about wait lists that are just astronomically high, so as a county we’re prioritizing affordable housing with hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure that the homes are filled,” Canepa explains.
A quick look at San Mateo Housing’s website reveals eight open listings, each with strict requirements and limited availability. The Department of Housing projects that housing supply will meet only a third to a half of San Mateo County’s housing demand by 2025, with the shortage hitting lower-income families and individuals the hardest.
“Now we will have to rebuild because we understand that people are desperate, and this puts us a bit behind. But ultimately the province will remain motivated to ensure that we build additional homes. Canepa confirmed.
As the province grapples with this setback, its commitment to affordable housing development remains steadfast despite the challenges ahead.
