Nearly a decade after Alta Housing bought a parcel on Terra Bella Avenue in Mountain View, construction crews are finally at work there. The nonprofit developer broke ground on La Bella, a six-story, 108-unit affordable housing community at 1020 Terra Bella Avenue, with construction underway and occupancy anticipated in spring 2028.
The project traces back almost ten years, when Alta Housing purchased the site for development, according to Nibbi Brothers General Contractors. What finally unlocked the stalled plans was a land exchange with neighboring self-storage company Public Storage, which reconfigured both organizations' properties and added slightly more than half an acre to the site, per the same account. That added land allowed the residential project to expand from fewer than 70 planned units to the 108 now under construction, Nibbi's report notes.
Alta Housing Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Klein said Public Storage's willingness to exchange land enabled significantly more homes at La Bella, and that the partnership reflects public, private and nonprofit partners' commitment to addressing regional housing needs and supporting Mountain View residents' long-term well-being, according to reporting cited in Connect CRE. The 1.04-acre site sits in a former industrial area that is transitioning to high-density residential housing, according to the City of Mountain View.
Who Will Live at La Bella
The building will offer a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, according to Alta Housing. Twenty-seven homes will be designated as Rapid Rehousing units for people transitioning out of homelessness, and 23 homes will include Section 8 project-based vouchers, per the nonprofit's property page. Ten units will be set aside for individuals with developmental disabilities, the Mountain View Voice reports.
Income limits for the building are where accounts diverge slightly. San Francisco YIMBY reports the residences will be deed-restricted as affordable to households earning between 30% and 60% of the area's median income, while a City of Mountain View summary describes the project as serving tenants earning 30% to 80% of area median income. Construction began in September 2026 and is expected to be complete by the second quarter of 2028, Alta Housing says.
Funding and a Growing Portfolio
Mountain View contributed $13.5 million toward the development and Santa Clara County kicked in $10.5 million, the Voice's report notes, with the total project cost expected to exceed $100 million. La Bella marks the fourth Alta Housing project to get off the ground in Mountain View, according to the same outlet's reporting on the funding and scope of the development.
Parking figures also vary between sources. Alta Housing lists 96 car parking spaces and 108 bicycle parking spots, while San Francisco YIMBY's account of the groundbreaking cites parking for 92 cars and 110 bicycles. The land exchange with Public Storage contributed to the lengthy run-up to construction but also allowed the project to unlock more units, according to Nibbi Brothers.
A Second Alta Housing Project Nearby
La Bella isn't the only Alta Housing development rising in Mountain View. Corso, a 120-unit affordable housing community being built on a city-owned parking lot, is being developed jointly by Related California and Alta Housing, according to Housing Finance. That project will offer studio to three-bedroom homes for households earning between 30% and 60% of area median income, with 20 apartments reserved for households transitioning out of homelessness, 10 apartments for permanent supportive housing, and 15 apartments for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Corso is supported by a $23.5 million loan from the city of Mountain View and nearly $20 million in loans from Santa Clara County, alongside city-contributed land, Housing Finance reports. That project is slated for completion in early 2028, putting it on a similar timeline to La Bella as both developments aim to add badly needed affordable units to the city's housing stock.
