Cupertino’s long-debated Mary Avenue Villas project just took a concrete step forward, with building permits filed for a compact, 100-percent affordable housing complex that would tuck 40 apartments onto a slender, city-owned strip along Mary Avenue. The proposal would trade stretches of street parking and pieces of the public right of way for two low-rise residential buildings flanking a central surface parking lot. Charities Housing is listed as the applicant, and Palo Alto based Ko Architects is leading the design.
Permits and project basics
Newly submitted building permit applications describe two structures totaling roughly 32,250 square feet and 40 apartments: three studios, 22 one bedroom units, 14 two bedroom units and one three bedroom unit, along with 22 vehicle parking spaces and 16 bicycle stalls, according to SF YIMBY. Filings and draft illustrations show a mix of concrete, metal panels, wood siding and stucco on the exterior, materials chosen to visually break the buildings into smaller pieces rather than a single bulky block.
Where the project would sit
The City of Cupertino’s planning page confirms the proposal would occupy a 0.79 acre, city owned right of way identified as APN 326-27-053, and that a formal application was submitted in April 2025. The municipal record lists Charities Housing as the applicant and Ko Architects as the designer. The city notes that the application is currently under review and that full plan sets are available for public inspection through the planning division.
Timeline and funding
According to the project’s official website, the development team expects to secure financing by June 2026, start construction by November 2026 and potentially finish as early as 2028. Those dates are presented as targets that depend heavily on the timing of subsidies and tax credits that support 100 percent affordable projects, so the schedule could shift as funding packages are finalized, per the developer materials on the project site.
Neighbors raise parking and safety concerns
Some nearby residents are pushing back, arguing the project would wipe out dozens of street parking spaces and intrude into public right of way areas. A public petition opposing Mary Avenue Villas on Change.org has drawn hundreds of signatures, with opponents warning of tighter parking and a loss of neighborhood curb space.
Reporting by San José Spotlight details additional concerns about the site’s proximity to Highway 85 and broader safety impacts. That coverage notes city and developer outreach meetings aimed at addressing those issues, but also describes a core group of neighbors who remain unconvinced.
Why the city is moving forward
City planning documents and the project fact sheet emphasize that 19 apartments are reserved for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with the remaining units targeted to low income households. Officials present that mix as a way to fill a specific local service gap while adding badly needed below market homes.
Local reporting and business coverage have repeatedly flagged Cupertino’s slow track record on producing affordable housing, something city leaders now cite as a key reason for advancing smaller, city driven projects like Mary Avenue Villas. The development is framed as one piece of a broader effort to meet state housing goals and give vulnerable residents a foothold in an expensive market.
What happens next
The application is still under review, and the City Council will have to weigh in before any lease of the city parcel or changes to the right of way become final, according to media coverage of the proposal. In the meantime, Charities Housing must lock in its financing package and secure all remaining permit approvals. The freshly filed building permits mark a procedural milestone, but they do not guarantee that shovels hit the ground on the current timetable, as the project’s own public materials caution.
If Mary Avenue Villas proceeds on the schedule the developer outlines, it would become one of Cupertino’s first fully affordable complexes designed specifically for residents with disabilities and low incomes. Supporters call it a modest but meaningful step in a city that has struggled to grow its stock of below market homes, and how quickly that step becomes reality now hinges on funding deadlines and upcoming council decisions during the ongoing review.
