Oak Gardens project breaks ground on affordable housing development

Published on March 03, 2025

The Oak Gardens project, a 62-unit affordable housing development located on the Veterans Affairs campus at 795 Willow Road in Menlo Park, officially broke ground on Feb. 26. The project, led by non-profit developer MidPen Housing, will include 55 rental units targeted toward veteran households at-risk of or experiencing homelessness who have incomes between 30% and 50% of the San Mateo County Area Median Income (AMI).

Representatives from MidPen were joined at the event by project funders and local leaders. Menlo Park Mayor Drew Combs, who lives a few blocks away from Oak Gardens, said, “My hope is that this project can serve as a testament that affordable housing should go everywhere in our community.”

Other speakers, including San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, noted the role that collaboration at the federal, state and local levels played in making this project a reality.

In support of the project, the City of Menlo Park provided funding from its Below Market Rate Housing Special Revenue Fund toward construction. In addition to housing units, the project will provide supportive services to residents, including case management, employment training, and financial literacy education. Other funders include the County of San Mateo, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, National Equity Fund, Inc., California Department of Housing and Community Development, First Citizens Bank, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.

Learn more about Oak Gardens.

Photo credit to MidPen Housing.