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CHC supporting member HKIT Architects have developed Giant Road Family Apartments, a $27 million project which provides quality affordable rental housing and innovative resident services to lowincome families and individuals. The units are targeted for households with initial incomes between 30% and 60% of Contra Costa County Area Median Income (AMI).
The property was surplus property acquired through the City of San Pablo, and is located in a light industrial area at the border of a residential community. On its three acres, the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation built 86 units of affordable housing. As Dana Perrigan of the San Francisco Chronicle noted, EBALDC “removed 6,800 tons of contaminated soil, dug up and removed underground storage tanks and demolished six buildings. To help finance the affordable housing development, it sold 4 of its 7 acres to Pulte Homes for development of 74 units of market-rate condominiums.”
The eighty-six units, both flats and townhouses, all have private entries. The townhouses feature large bedrooms, full baths, and private parking, some buildings with tuck-under parking in individual garages. Shared amenities include a childcare center, multipurpose room, youth technology center, laundry facility, and management offices. HKIT coordinated its design of Giant Road with Pulte's Devon Square to create a mix of market-rate and affordable housing. To help create a sense of community, the EBALDC incorporated a 2,000-square-foot outdoor playground, a 1,400-square-foot child care center and a community room into its plans.
Twelve of the eighty-six units are reserved for homeless households with at least one disabled member and at least one minor. Supportive services are provided to these residents both on- and off-site through a partnership with Rubicon Programs of Richmond, CA. Resident services for all households are provided through a partnership with LifeSTEPS.
The project was financed through Tax Credit Equity by NEF, and construction and a portion of the permanent loan was provided by US Bank. Other permanent loan and predevelopment sources include the City of San Pablo, Contra Costa County, Contra Costa County Housing Authority, and Federal Home Loan Bank.
