Santa Clara County and its partners celebrated the grand opening Tuesday of a 176-unit affordable housing development in Sunnyvale, built within walking distance of the Lawrence Caltrain Station. The community, called Ira D. Hall Square, sits on a 1.26-acre site at 1178 Sonora Court and was developed by MidPen Housing and built by Cahill Contractors.
According to the County of Santa Clara
, the project pairs public financing with nonprofit development muscle to bring new housing stock directly onto a parcel near rail transit. Of the 176 total apartments, 174 are income-restricted rentals for households earning between 30% and 70% of Area Median Income, while two units are set aside for on-site property managers, according to the
Santa Clara County News Center
. The complex spans studio through three-bedroom floor plans.
Dozens of Units Target Homelessness Directly
Forty-five of the apartments are reserved as permanent supportive housing for formerly unhoused residents referred through the county's Coordinated Entry System, while 75 apartments are filled through referral processes, the county's news center reports.
Monthly rents vary widely depending on the applicable AMI tier. Per figures published by MidPen Housing, studios run from $936 to $2,185, one-bedrooms from $1,003 to $2,342, two-bedrooms from $1,204 to $2,810, and three-bedrooms from $1,391 to $3,247.
Public Dollars Behind the Project
The county contributed toward construction with support from California's No Place Like Home Program and the county's 2016 voter-approved $950 million Measure A Affordable Housing Bond, the county's news center notes. The bond's original goal was 4,800 affordable homes; an earlier progress update put the total at 1,437 homes, per the same county account.
Housing Near Lawrence Station
Ira D. Hall Square is located near Lawrence Station. The building's name honors Ira D. Hall, a founding member and first executive leader of MidPen Housing who was a lifelong advocate for social justice and racial equity, according to MidPen Housing.
The opening comes amid California's regional housing goals for the 2023–2031 cycle. MidPen Housing is already advancing two more affordable developments in Sunnyvale, at 1171 Sonora Court and 295 South Mathilda Avenue, per SV@Home's reporting.
The project follows other recent MidPen-managed investments in Sunnyvale's affordable housing stock, including AC upgrades at Carroll Inn. It also reflects county and state investment in affordable housing, alongside Measure A's broader housing and homelessness goals.
