Belmont’s Firehouse Square is a fresh start for families

Belmont’s newest affordable housing development Firehouse Square is now at full capacity, providing 66 units to people and families in need at 1300 El Camino Real.

“We can’t wait to hear the stories of these families as they grow in our community and make the community their home,” Belmont Mayor Julia Mates said at a May 16 grand opening event ceremony.

One of the families is Alexandria Simpson, a single mother living at the building with her daughter. Simpson is thankful finding affordable housing has improved their lives. Simpson said before her child was born, she previously struggled with drug addiction and dealt with housing insecurity, staying in hotels while living out of a storage unit. After advocating for herself and getting help from county services, she moved into a shelter in Daly City that helped her with her goals of raising her child and getting help in recovery. She applied for housing in Firehouse Square and was lucky enough to be selected, hosting Thanksgiving with her family in November.

“Living in Firehouse Square has been the biggest impact on my life, and I want to be a good example for my daughter, and having an affordable and permanent home that’s ours is helping so much to change our lives,” Simpson said.

The city-owned parcel property was vacant for more than 20 years. There were several attempts to bring housing to the site before nonprofit affordable housing provider MidPen Housing and real estate group Sares Regis partnered to start the project in 2018. Construction began in 2020 and finished in the fall of 2022, with people moving in over the last few months. The four-story site offers a variety of amenities, including a playground, green spaces, a picnic area, a community room and a day care area. There are 19 two-bedroom apartments ranging from 680 to 950 square feet, 18 studio apartments from 350 to 677 square feet, 17 three-bedroom units ranging from 1,000 to nearly 1,300 square feet, and 12 one-bedroom units ranging from 500 to 640 square feet. The building also has eight units for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. There are income restrictions and rent tiers for living in the complex based on household size and 30% to 80% of the area’s median income.

San Mateo County contributed about $4 million in Measure K funds and $2 million in other expenditures to help get the project started and improve affordable housing options for people in the city and county.

“It’s not just a beacon here in Belmont,” San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller said. “It’s a beacon throughout the county of what can be accomplished in an opportunity zone in an area where there are so many services available and so much retail available.”

MidPen President Matt Franklin said the city and county had been a great help in addressing challenges around building and financing and helping address a community need, noting around 2,000 people applied for the lottery system to live in the building.

“We know the need for affordable housing is broad and deep in Belmont and San Mateo County, and we also know that the healthiest and best neighborhoods have a real mix of income,” Franklin said.

Evelyn Stivers, the executive director of the nonprofit Housing Leadership Council, said the city of Belmont has done a good job addressing public concerns and still moving forward with a plan to address affordable housing needs.

“Having publicly owned sites is really critical for getting affordable housing off the ground,” Stivers said, “and having the city dedicate this site was absolutely the first step in making this possible.”