Editor,
I was pleased to see the Daily Journal cover the controversy over the Peninsula Health Care District and the wide variety of local leaders who are encouraging the PHCD board to make affordable housing a priority in its plans for 8 acres of land near Trousdale Drive. However, I was dismayed that the board is still considering devoting the majority of the site to market-rate development, which is unnecessary and largely fails to use public land for public good.
What data does the board have that suggests there is a shortage of medical office space that the private market cannot provide? A search of LoopNet shows there is over 30,000 square feet of medical office space at six different sites available for lease right now within the district.
On the other hand, according to Home for All San Mateo County, the county only built one new home for every 16 new jobs created between 2010 and 2016. Who is going to work low-to-middle-wage, skilled health care jobs — like home health care aides, phlebotomists, EMTs and nurses — on the Peninsula when they can’t afford to live here?
To truly serve our community’s health needs, the PHCD’s No. 1 goal should be maximizing the number of affordable housing units on public land. As part of this, the district could explore giving priority to housing both health care workers and seniors on low fixed incomes who would benefit from proximity to medical services.
Mike Dunham
Burlingame
The letter writer is a member of Housing For All Burlingame.
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