Seniors living in MidPen Housing’s Arroyo Green Apartments in Redwood City, California, have a lot at their fingertips. The health-focused community offers everything from educational workshops and group exercise classes to health screenings and food assistance programs.
If that weren’t enough, the property—built on donated land from the city and San Mateo County—features 117 units, all with rents well below the area average. At $700 to $1,500 per month, they offer seniors significant savings compared with market-rate apartments and, according to residents, more stability too.
One resident, for example, had to move six times in seven years due to rent hikes. She was just days away from being forced to move again when she got the call from Arroyo Green.
“I would just lay awake at night wondering when I’d be told I’d have to move again,” she said. “After so long, this is a blessing — a dream come true.”
But Arroyo Green doesn’t just serve local seniors. It’s also a boon to the entire Redwood City community. It’s part of the city’s larger effort to meet local housing needs. Thanks to Arroyo Green and other recent projects, the city is on track to not only meet but exceed its state-mandated housing production goals.
The $76.7 million Arroyo Green also offers various high-value public features, like a creekside trail, murals from local artists, and an 8,000-square-foot, nonprofit child care center to create an intergenerational community.
“Arroyo Green Apartments is a case study of how collaboration across mission-aligned organizations can create exceptional homes for seniors while promoting a multitude of community benefits,” says Andrew Bielak, associate director of housing development at MidPen Housing. “The community’s public trail along the adjacent Redwood Creek also provides a substantial contribution to the city’s long-term vision of an expansive trail network.”
