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Ladera Community Church is making way for more affordable housing in Portola Valley after its congregation overwhelmingly voted to approve agreements with Habitat for Humanity to build two affordable homes on the church’s property on March 1.
“The proposal for affordable housing was one reason I was attracted to this church,” said Rev. Evelyn Vigil, who joined the church in March 2025. “They walk the talk, always looking for ways to make life better for others. The proposal for affordable housing had its challenges, but in the end, the congregation was united and now two, possibly three, families will benefit.”
Vigil said people are already dropping by the church office to learn more about the housing project and what they can do to improve their chances.
“On a 60-2 vote, Ladera Church will allow part of the vacant parcel adjacent to the
sanctuary to be used for two Habitat for Humanity homes for families that make 80%
or less of the Bay Area median income,” said Tim Clark, a member of the church’s Affordable Housing Task Force.
The nonprofit will be promoting the available housing units to families who currently live in the area and will hold a lottery for potential residents, according to the church. Karen Turner, another task force member, explained that they aim to house community members who are currently “renting or living in unstable environments, where they aren’t guaranteed to live in the same house for multiple years.”
Turner envisions local store clerks, teachers and staff at The Sequoias senior living facility to be interested in the units.
The church’s affordable housing team has been preparing for this project for years. In June 2024, members of Ladera church passed a resolution to move forward with negotiations with Habitat.
Over the past 20 months, the negotiation process explored 14 conditions that would make building housing possible and agreeable to church members. The church worked with pro bono attorneys Frank Petrilli, Kiana Araghi and Julia Gleason to detail the conditions and craft a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) and lease.
The congregation’s biggest concerns were protecting three heritage oak trees growing in the open space and placing the houses 50 feet away from the church.
Clark commended the church’s negotiation team for their collaborative efforts in swaying church members’ mixed opinions on the housing mandate to the near-unanimous approval of the project.
They will be building two, three-bedroom houses, one of which may potentially become a four-bedroom unit, according to the church. Each house will be about 1,200 square feet and will be built off-site as modular units to reduce construction noise and disruption to the church and its preschool.
Turner said she thinks the area’s landscaping will prevent the houses from being visible from Alpine Road.
She added that construction on the project will begin around late summer of 2028 and families could move in sometime in 2029. For now, the next steps are to obtain designs, building permits, plans and contracts with builders, Turner said.
Turner added that she looks forward to welcoming new homeowners, their families and children who can “avail themselves of all the wonderful services, parks, trails and schools available in Portola Valley.” She hopes that these houses will provide families with security in knowing that they don’t have to worry about moving year after year.
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