New affordable senior housing proposed in Redwood City

The proposal includes a five story, approximately 57 1/2 feet tall, building located at 705 Veterans Blvd., providing 75 affordable units and one manager’s unit. 

The studio and one-bedroom units will be split between affordability levels. Ten will be dedicated for extremely-low-income households, 25 for very-low-income households and 40 for low-income households. 

The intention of the development is to serve independently-living seniors by providing housing with proximity to outdoor activities, dining, strolling and Caltrain, Dixie Baus, director of real estate development for Eden Housing, said. 

“This allows our residents not to isolate but go forth and prosper,” Baus said. 

Beyond housing, the development looks to bring in community spaces, resources and partnerships with organizations to provide services to seniors. 

“Our main focus is on sustainability and on-site amenities without replicating what is in the immediate neighborhood because the immediate neighborhood is already rich in amenities,” Baus said. 

The project is filed under state density bonus law, which allows developments providing substantial affordability concessions and waivers on density and height restrictions. The zoning would typically allow for only 42 units on the site. 

Although it is not required, the proposal includes approximately 44 parking spaces. 

“We could have gone bigger, we could have gone a lot denser, but we wanted to be cognizant of at least provisioning some level of parking on-site,” Baus said. 

The streamlined process will push the process along with minimal room for city input or nitpicking. Still, Haus estimates it will take about five years after entitlements are awarded for move in. The units are estimated to cost $800,000 or more to build, Baus estimates. 

“There’s no secret here that affordable housing is very expensive,” Baus said. 

The location of the development is of particular note, Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos said. Veterans Boulevard is largely occupied by businesses and office buildings, but the proposal at 705 Veterans Blvd. adds to a queue of development in the area. 

A hotel is currently under construction at 690 Veterans Blvd., which will include 91 units. Another proposal for a six-story, 95-unit development at 590 Veterans Blvd. was also recently approved and needs to secure funding. 

“I think this space is really interesting, I know it’s not traditionally where we’ve housed people, but it’s evolving,” Martínez Saballos said. “We are creating a new community here, a new neighborhood.” 

Eden Housing is also developing an affordable housing complex located at 847 Woodside Road that was approved by the Redwood City Council in October 2024. The development is a part of joint proposal for an off-site housing development paired with a mixed-use office building located at 1900 Broadway.