After 5 years of hard work, today, the 91-year old Buena Vista Mobile Home Park has an assured future, and the land saved for below market rate housing.
The Santa Clara County Housing Authority (SCCHA) and the owner of the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park in Palo Alto, Calif., have reached an agreement that will ensure the preservation and upgrade of the mobile home park and allow its 400 low-income residents to remain in their homes. Pending a formal vote by the housing authority’s board of commissioners at its May 23 meeting, the housing authority will acquire and own the property for $40,375,000.
A press release was issued this afternoon by Kathy Espinoza-Howard, chair of the Santa Clara County Housing Authority’s board of commissioners.
We are really happy the housing authority could join the community-wide effort to ensure the permanent availability of this important affordable housing resource in Palo Alto.
Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who has championed the county’s efforts to preserve the mobile home park since January 2015, issued a statement:
From the beginning of this effort we’ve had three goals: to preserve over 100 units of desperately needed affordable housing; to prevent the eviction of 400 low-income residents, folks who truly have nowhere else to go; and, to ensure that the current property owner receives full and fair market value for the property. With today’s announcement we can celebrate the realization of all three goals. All of this happened because so many good folks had the grit, the determination, and the decency to make it happen.
You had a great deal to do with making this improbable achievement possible. Thank you Katherine Harasz of the Housing Authority. Supervisor Simitian sums up nicely the various folks and groups that were so essential to do what many thought impossible. Thank you one an all.
I often signed off on my emails to you with, “We can do this, together”. Everyone now take a bow – you are splendid! [applause].
This is a day and weekend to lift a glass, to do a happy dance, to hug your children, to twirl around and be grateful that you live in a town that shows through its actions that we care for each other. Palo Alto values are alive and well. May Buena Vista residents live long and prosper.
Together, we did this.
Winter Dellenbach
Friends of Buena Vista