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San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David Canepa is proposing the development of workforce housing at the current site of the San Mateo County Law Library.
“We have employees that travel a long way to get here, because a home here in San Mateo County is $2.4 million and so we need to make sure that we create spaces and places for employees to live,” said Canepa, who is on the boards of the San Mateo County Law Library and SamTrans.
The county-owned library is at 710 Hamilton St., and according to Canepa, its proximity to the County Center, where many county employees work, and the Caltrain Station makes it a suitable location for the project.
Canepa said the proposal is still in the early planning stages and has not yet been presented to the county planning commission or the board of supervisors. It also does not have a set timeline, and its advancement is one of Canepa’s goals as the board president this year.
In 2023, the County’s Office of Sustainability conducted a commuter survey for workers and residents. According to Michelle Durand, San Mateo County’s chief communications officer, approximately 21% of county and court employees responded to that survey and reported traveling an average distance of 49 miles per workday, round trip.
Canepa added that providing the county’s workforce with on-site housing, allowing them to “simply walk across the street to their jobs,” would contribute greatly to affordable housing efforts while also reducing emissions.
Redwood City is in San Mateo County District 4 under Supervisor Lisa Gauthier’s jurisdiction. Gauthier said she does not recall an official proposal on the table but is interested in learning more about the project and working with the board to see its potential.
“Where there is an opportunity to build workforce housing, it will be beneficial not only to the employees but to the environment as well,” Gauthier said.
