Sunnyvale notches another affordable housing project

A new 100% affordable housing project near the Lawrence Caltrain station in Sunnyvale is progressing, with plans to open next year. Nonprofit developer MidPen Housing recently celebrated the raising of the first wall for the 176-apartment building, Ira D. Hall Square, which began construction at 1178 Sonora Court in January. The project aims to start leasing by late 2025, with 45 units reserved for homeless individuals referred by the county’s coordinated entry system.

This marks MidPen’s 12th apartment complex in Sunnyvale, with two more in the planning stages. The nonprofit currently manages 869 homes and seeks to add 472 more. Ethan Levin, project manager, praised the city’s supportive partnership. “This work is really hard and it’s extremely helpful when we’re working with cities that know what they’re doing and have the political will,” Levin told San José Spotlight. “We’re excited to show everyone what the community looks like when the ribbon-cutting ceremony comes around.”

The building is named in honor of Ira Hall, a founder of MidPen who passed away last year. Levin noted that Hall’s vision for community-focused development continues through the nonprofit’s work. At a July 26 event marking the start of construction, Hall’s family expressed how proud he would be of the ongoing support for those in need.

City officials are enthusiastic about the project. Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein highlighted the city’s $26.5 million contribution—split between construction and land acquisition—and emphasized the commitment to maintaining affordability. “We’re living in a housing crisis for so many in our community,” Klein told San José Spotlight. “I’m just overjoyed that we’re creating another 100% affordable housing development here in Sunnyvale.”

Sunnyvale is required to build 11,966 homes by 2031, including 6,709 below-market-rate units, according to state housing mandates. The city is focusing on projects near transit centers and has also been purchasing properties for redevelopment into affordable housing. Earlier this year, a development with 89 townhomes and apartments opened on city-owned land near downtown, and officials acquired another site at Mathilda and Mckinley avenues for similar purposes.

Looking ahead, Klein mentioned plans to enhance the area around Lawrence Station with more housing, retail, and office space. A recent development on the same street will include a public pedestrian access point to the Caltrain station.

Councilmember Richard Mehlinger, who represents the area, emphasized the importance of integrating housing and resources with transit to meet the city’s sustainability and housing goals. “This is a really critical area for our city to be developing, and I’m so happy with what we’re seeing,” Mehlinger told San José Spotlight.

Councilmember Murali Srinivasan added that increasing housing near transit is crucial for supporting residents and accommodating Caltrain’s upcoming electrification, which will improve service frequency. “We should have a society where everybody can live and make this their community,” Srinivasan said.

For more details about the project and local developments, contact B. Sakura Cannestra at sakura@sanjosespotlight.com or @SakuCannestra on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The post Sunnyvale Advances Another Affordable Housing Project appeared first on San José Spotlight.