San Mateo County plans 100-plus affordable apartments, child care center

Tax payers get to pay for it again.

BETTER to SPEND tax payer money on providing more AFFORDABLE HOUSING to provide safe shelter to those who provide the Peninsula's necessary labor (at low hourly wages) THAN TO GIVE all kinds of tax breaks and other incentives to developers who build luxury apartments that charge over $4,500/mo for a two bedroom.

@Bill Wall,

I think most of the funding for these types of projects comes from the local affordable housing fund, combined with the lion's share from the private developers. Cities collect "in lieu" fees from other developers when they don't build the requisite "below market rate" units into their own developments. So not paid for by tax payers, but indirectly subsidized by other developments in the city.

The Redwood City fund is running a deficit right now, but has $4M-$20M coming in over the next couple years, so there is a stream of non-taxpayer money to help finance this project.

Web Link

@Bill Wall,

I think most of the funding for these types of projects comes from the local affordable housing fund, combined with the lion's share from the private developers. Cities collect "in lieu" fees from other developers when they don't build the requisite "below market rate" units into their own developments. So not paid for by tax payers, but indirectly subsidized by other developments in the city.

The Redwood City fund is running a deficit right now, but has $4M-$20M coming in over the next couple years, so there is a stream of non-taxpayer money to help finance this project.

Web Link

What income level is considered "affordable"? What we need are low-income units, a step or two below "affordable" so that our working poor can afford to live near there where they work and near good schools.

What the county really needs is for employers to pay a high enough wage so that people can afford to live there, rather than having taxpayers subsidize employers' low wages to their employees.

"What the county really needs is for employers to pay a high enough wage so that people can afford to live there, rather than having taxpayers subsidize employers' low wages to their employees."

Which means we pay for it one way or another. If employers pay enough for their employees to afford living here they pass those costs along in higher prices. If we do it the other way, we pay higher taxes. We pay either way. Socialism at it's best .