FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is Mercy Housing pursuing this development?
In keeping with its mission, Mercy Housing California has been committed to working in San Mateo County to develop high quality, affordable rental housing, including apartments serving senior farmworkers and their families. In Summer 2022, Mercy Housing, in partnership with local nonprofit ALAS, responded to a request for proposals for the 555 Kelly Avenue site. Mercy Housing was then selected by the City of Half Moon Bay as the developer for the site and entered into an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement for the 555 Kelly Avenue site, a critical step in making this development possible.
What is the planning process for this development?
All development approvals and entitlements will be administered through the City of Half Moon Bay planning department and will take approximately one year. The team submitted the planning permit application and entitlement package in October of 2023. In light of the tremendous need for affordable housing in the farmworker community, the city has committed to reviewing the package more quickly. We are hopeful this will enable this much-needed housing to be built and to begin serving residents significantly sooner than the traditional planning process allows.
Who are the architects working on this development?
The two architectural firms guiding this development are Van Meter Williams Pollack and Steinberg Hart.
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Van Meter Williams Pollack is an award-winning architecture and urban design firm based in San Francisco, Denver, and Minneapolis. VMWP specializes in affordable housing, mixed-use and market-rate housing, master planning, and land use and zoning standards that help communities accommodate change. VMWP takes a comprehensive and innovative design approach. VMWP integrates client needs into sustainable design solutions that address climate resilience, and social and economic equity, to create beautiful, inspiring communities and places for people to live and thrive. VMWP has served the Bay Area for over 30 years and has built over 3,000 affordable apartments. Recently completed housing developments in the Bay Area include:
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Colma Veterans Village, affordable veterans housing (a Mercy Housing property)
1680 Mission Road, Colma, CA 94103.
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Notre Dame Plaza (a Mercy Housing property).
Hana Gardens, affordable mixed-use senior housing with community services
10860 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530.
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Steinberg Hart is an award-winning firm with decades of proven experience working with housing developers to provide financially feasible innovative projects. Grounded in three core values of design, relationships, and change, they strive to create equitable, memorable, and impactful architecture. As a testament to their outstanding contributions to architecture, community, sustainability, diversity, equity, inclusion, and design excellence, AIA California recognized Steinberg Hart with the 2023 Firm Award, the highest honor the organization can bestow on an architecture firm. Recently completed affordable housing projects include:
Agrihood, the first combined agricultural and residential development in the Bay Area.
Meridian, a new gateway to downtown Sunnyvale, providing affordable and developmentally disabled housing options.
Steinberg Hart is proud of their work in and with the Latinx community, working with Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana (MACLA) Teen Tech Center in Downtown San José, as well as the School of Arts and Culture in East San José. Both organizations provide welcoming and creative spaces that empower diverse communities.
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What is 555 Kelly and whom will it serve?
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In partnership with ALAS, (Ayudando Latinos a Soñar), Mercy Housing California is proposing a high-quality apartment community for senior farmworkers. The ground floor will be home to the new Farmworker Resource Center (FRC) and will be operated by ALAS. This development will include 40 apartments consisting of 6 studios, 26 one-bedrooms, and 8 two-bedrooms. There will be beautiful patio and community space on the second floor to allow for residents to gather and build connections. There will be 18 on-site parking spaces for residents as well as 14 bike parking spaces. The development has received extensive community input through three community meetings attended by over 130 community members in 2023, as well as through meetings with potential future residents.
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What is the ALAS Farmworker Resource Center?
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The Farmworker Resource Center (FRC) will create an exciting center for building community and raising awareness about the farming and migrant community. In addition to a community kitchen and small gathering spaces for support services, the FRC will provide a centralized location for other resources such as San Mateo County and Stanford Medical Center health services. All programs and services will be available to residents of 555 Kelly as well as to members of the local community.
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How can I support 555 Kelly?
Ways that you can support 555 Kelly and the future of high-quality farmworker housing:
Spread the word.
Write a letter of support to the City of Half Moon Bay.
Stay tuned to this website for future information on how you can get involved.
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