16 May Heritage Point: North Richmond’s Latest Effort to Offer Affordable Housing

RP Staff Report

New affordable housing is coming to North Richmond.

The $27 million project will be called Heritage Point. Currently a vacant lot, the planned four-story, 42-unit complex development is slated to be built in the 1500 block of Fred Jackson Way, across from the Community Heritage Senior Apartments and the Contra Costa Health Services’ North Richmond Center for Health.

County Supervisor John Gioia said he hopes the development will be a catalyst for more investment in the area.

“This is momentum to continue revitalization of North Richmond and this development will have a big impact on Fred Jackson Way,” he said.

The complex will feature 12, one-bedroom units, 17 two-bedroom units and 13 three-bedroom units. All units will be available to households earning at or below 30 to 45 percent of the median income in Contra Costa County and be supported by project-based Section 8 vouchers.

Amenities will include a computer lab, and a pedestrian and bicycle path that leads to a farm run by Richmond non-profit Urban Tilth. There will also be commercial and retail space available on the building’s ground floor.

The project, over 10 years in the making, is being led by North Richmond based non-profit Community Housing Development Corporation. CDHC worked with the county, the Housing Authority and private financers to secure funding for the development, which includes affordable housing tax credits available through the federal government.

“This project is an example of how to successfully build affordable housing,” Gioia said. “It’s a mix of public dollars, private financing and tax credits. You can’t do it with one source.”

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the complex on May 3, Maureen Toms, deputy director of the Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, spoke about the Bay Area’s housing crisis and the impact it has on many residents.

“It so bad that, a lot of time, our own family members can’t afford to stay in the communities where they grew up and where their families reside and where they work,” Toms said. “They get priced out of the area, which results in long commutes, less time that they can spend with their families and in their communities. Providing affordable housing starts to put a dent in that.”

The housing component of Heritage Point is scheduled to be completed by October 2019 with the retail spaces to come after. Future retail plans include a possible grocery store or deli.

“It’s going to take financing,” Don Gilmore, executive director of CDHC, said. “We are working with the county and other sources to help make that a reality.”

Gilmore said not only is the development important because it keeps keep affordable housing in the community, but it’s another step in creating a new vision for the area.

“This entire corridor is going to look completely different in a couple of years,” Gilmore said.