After years of planning, shovels are finally in the ground at 3001 El Camino Real, where a long-awaited affordable housing complex is set to rise in Palo Alto's Ventura neighborhood. The five-story project will bring about 130 apartments reserved for very low and low-income households, with a portion designated for rapid rehousing. County, city and nonprofit leaders gathered at the site this week to celebrate the start of what will be one of the largest fully affordable developments the city has seen in years.
According to an announcement from the County of Santa Clara, the county joined Charities Housing and the City of Palo Alto at the ceremonial groundbreaking and confirmed roughly $16 million in county funding for the project.
The County joined partners including Charities Housing and @cityofpaloalto this week for the groundbreaking of a 3001 El Camino Real Apartments, which will bring 130 units of affordable housing to Palo Alto, with the help of $16 million in County funding. pic.twitter.com/E2LcaoLoxW
— County of Santa Clara (@SCCgov) April 9, 2026
What Is Getting Built, And Who Will Live There
As outlined by Charities Housing, the development will include 130 units in a mix of studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments. The plans also call for a community room, child play area, on-site laundry, and bicycle storage. The nonprofit states that about 25% of the homes will be reserved as rapid rehousing units that the county's Office of Supportive Housing will fill with households exiting homelessness.
How The Deal Got Financed
The funding package for the site is stitched together from local dollars, tax credits and bond financing. Project filings reviewed by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee show that Charities Housing applied for federal and state low-income housing tax credits, as well as tax-exempt bond authority, to move the project forward. CTCAC materials describe the application, and local reporting notes that the county's commitment helped close remaining financing gaps. Palo Alto Online reported that the county's additional allocation brought its total support for the project to about $16 million.
Permits, Reviews And Timeline
The paperwork has been in motion for more than a year. Demolition permits for the former retail buildings on the site were submitted earlier, and the city's draft initial study lists the parcels as 3001 and 3017 El Camino Real. SF YIMBY covered the demolition permit activity, and the City of Palo Alto's project records show the property sits at the southeast corner of El Camino Real and Olive Avenue. City of Palo Alto documents indicate the development has already cleared key local environmental and planning reviews.
Why This Project Stands Out In Palo Alto
Fully affordable projects remain unusual in Palo Alto, where high land costs and organized neighborhood pushback often make new housing a tough sell. City and county officials say the combination of Measure A funds and other local resources was essential to getting this particular site financed. Palo Alto Online has reported that the county's Measure A housing bond and follow-on allocations are backing several nearby developments and are helping prioritize units for residents experiencing homelessness.
Charities Housing will oversee construction and later operate the building once residents move in. Project partners said at the groundbreaking that outreach to future tenants and on-site service providers will increase in the coming months. For more information and updates, the developer's project page and the city's project files remain publicly available and include application materials and contact details.
