Affordable Workforce Housing Breaks Ground in the Heart of Sonoma Springs
Groundbreaking at Fetters Apartments, a Development of MidPen Housing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 18, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — County leaders and other supporters join MidPen in celebrating the groundbreaking of Fetters Apartments, 60 affordable apartments for families in Fetters Hot Springs, Sonoma.
On Friday August 14th, Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin joined other county leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of Fetters Apartments – an affordable, workforce rental apartment community being developed by MidPen Housing in the heart of Sonoma Springs.
Fetters Apartments is part of a master-planned, intergenerational community where people of all ages will live, work, go to school, and have easy access to public transportation, healthy food and lavish community amenities.
“After years of envisioning and planning, I am thrilled to finally see our vision become a reality,” said Susan Gorin, First District Supervisor for Sonoma County. “Fetters Apartments brings much needed affordable housing to our workforce in Sonoma. Moreover, this beautiful development will help transform a currently underutilized site into a vibrant community that will be an asset to our county for years to come.”
Expected to open in late 2016, Fetters will provide 60 homes affordable to working families. Phase 1 of the neighborhood development, which began in June, also provides many infrastructure improvements including: a playground which will be shared with the Sonoma Charter School; a public bike trail managed by County Regional Parks; frontage beautification along Highway 12; and a commercial center being developed by the Vailetti Trust. Phase 2, set to begin construction in 2017, will provide an additional 40 affordable rental homes for seniors and an extensive community garden.
“We are honored to partner with the County of Sonoma on their vision to integrate housing, employment, retail, open space, transit, education, and services,” said Scott Johnson, Director of Housing Development for MidPen Housing. “Fetters Apartments and the extended mixed-use neighborhood is a model for infill development at its best and a testimony to what can be accomplished when civic, non-profit and business leaders work together in innovative ways.”
Fetters will provide 19 one-bedroom, 22 two-bedroom, and 19 three-bedroom apartments serving individuals and families earning up to 60% of Area Media Income which is $53,580 for a five-person household. The development will also include a large community room with common kitchen, a computer lab, and an after school program classroom.
In partnership with a network of third-party service providers, MidPen Resident Services Corp. will coordinate and manage many onsite programs for Fetters Apartments residents including an educational-based After School Program for youth, financial literacy courses, vocational development, computer lab assistance; health and wellness programs and access to other community resources. MidPen Property Management Corp. will provide onsite professional property management.
Financing for the $27.5M development was provided by Sonoma County Community Development Commission; Sonoma County Housing Authority; California Tax Credit Allocation Committee; Federal Home Loan Bank Affordable Housing Program; Citi Community Capital; and Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment.
