A 60-unit affordable housing community that survived the recent wildfires celebrated its opening in Sonoma, Calif.
Located in the Northern California wine region, Fetters Apartments was originally going to host a grand opening ceremony in October, but that event had to be postponed due to the massive fires that were engulfing the region.
Although the fires came dangerously close to the recently completed development, and residents had to be evacuated, the building made it through unscathed. Three months later, MidPen Housing was able to celebrate the opening of the project.
“This is a very exciting and meaningful day,” said Sonoma County supervisor Susan Gorin. “We’re celebrating the realization of a longtime vision to transform an underutilized site into a vibrant community that provides much-needed affordable housing for our county’s valued workforce. And, the fact that Fetters survived the fires that devastated much of what surrounds it makes this community and its residents a beacon of hope as we look to rebuild.”
The development received 669 applications in just two weeks during the lease-up, and 90% of those applicants either lived or worked in Sonoma County.
Fetters Apartments is part of the first phase of a master development, which includes many infrastructure improvements, including a 1.4-acre playground shared by the Sonoma Charter School, a section of the new two-mile Central Sonoma Valley Bikeway that connects to two public elementary schools and various parks and ends at Maxwell Farms Regional Park in northwest Sonoma; and the frontage beautification of Highway 12 with a new tree-lined sidewalk, all of which were developed by MidPen.
Expected to begin construction later this year, phase two will include MidPen’s Celestina Gardens Apartments, a 40-unit affordable housing community for seniors and a community garden accessible to both Fetters and Celestina Gardens residents as well as the charter school.
“We’re honored to partner with the County of Sonoma on this visionary community, which is a model for infill development at its best and a great example of what’s possible when civic, nonprofit, and business leaderswork together in innovative ways,” said Matthew O. Franklin, president of MidPen Housing. “This kind of collaboration is more important than ever after the fires displaced thousands of residents across the county, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside county leaders on innovative housing solutions.”
Fetters provides 19 one-bedroom, 22 two-bedroom, and 19 three-bedroom apartment homes for low-income households earning up to 60% of the area median income, which is $52,860 for a four-person household. The property also features a community room, a computer lab, and an after-school program classroom for youth.
Fetters residents have easy access to the new public bike trail, an adjacent playground with ball fields, and, once finished, community gardens.
Financing for the nearly $27.5 million development was provided through both public and private sources, including the Sonoma County Community Development Commission, the Sonoma County Housing Authority, theCalifornia Tax Credit Allocation Committee, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco Affordable Housing Program, Wells Fargo Community Lending, and Citi Community Capital.
