Click here to view our project update.
Haga clic aquí para ver la actualización del Proyecto.

Why

Our buildings are between 50 and over 100 years old. We have been making incremental improvements such as two community pop-up parks, but ultimately, maintenance and small-scale improvements alone won’t be enough to keep up the buildings and our shared spaces at the high quality that our community deserve. More significant improvements are needed, and in Summer 2018, we began a process of exploring how to do so on a specific site. Since then, we’ve been in dialog with the Improvement Area tenants, the broader Woodland Park community, and other local stakeholders to determine the components of the project and how to best fulfill our Core Principles. Throughout, our goal has been to make improvements in a way that improves the quality of life for the Improvement Area tenants, all Woodland Park tenants, and the wider East Palo Alto community.

Core Principles

  1. No Displacement
  2. Preserve Housing Affordability + Stability*
  3. Community Informed Plan
  4. Better Parking and Mobility
  5. Safer, Healthier Buildings

*New core principle that we’ve added based on community feedback.

Core Principles

Based on Westside Area Plan and Community Input

No Displacement

All existing tenants will always be able to stay at Woodland Park. They will be relocated to other Woodland Park units during construction and have the guaranteed right to return to the newly constructed replacement units at their same rent-stabilized rents.

Preserve Housing Affordability + Stability*

Our plan will contain 26% deed-restricted rent-controlled units, replacing all existing rent-controlled units one-for-one, to preserve the rent stabilization program, ensure housing stability for future tenants, and lock-in the below-market rents of our existing tenants.

*This is a new core principle that we’ve added based on community feedback.

Community Informed Plans

We value community input and create opportunities to engage with our tenants and the community. We actively sought input and feedback to create the current plan and will continue to do so as the project further develops.

01-17_1746

Better Parking and Mobility

We often hear about tenants’ desire for better parking and more options for getting around. Our plans will include better parking and mobility options, as well as improved options for walking, biking, and transit wherever possible.

Safer, Healthier Buildings

The buildings at Woodland Park are between 50 and over 100 years old, and many are at the end of their useful life. They were built inexpensively to old standards, and were not always cared for by previous owners. We will create safer, healthier buildings that meet or exceed modern seismic and other life safety standards.

Project Proposal

We propose to replace all existing rent stabilized units with new rent stabilized units on a one-for-one basis and ensure that all existing tenants will always be able to stay at Woodland Park. We also propose to increase the overall supply of housing by adding new units, which will be integrated with the rent-stabilized replacement units to create a mixed-income community serving a diverse range of income levels. During construction, we will provide Improvement Area tenants with relocation in the neighborhood in a similar Woodland Park apartment with the same number of bedrooms. When the project is built, tenants will have the “right of return” to move into a new rent-controlled apartment at the same rent-controlled rent (including only City mandated rent adjustments). The plan for the Euclid Improvements and the accompanying relocation will take several years to finalize. No changes will be required until then. Replacing the old units with new buildings will allow us to provide the safe, high quality housing our tenants deserve. Not only will tenants be able to move into brand new units at their same existing rents, but they – and all Woodland Park tenants – will also be able to take advantage of additional amenities such as a local park, community spaces, and neighborhood serving retail. We believe that the Euclid Improvements will be a great addition to the Westside, and help fulfill the vision of the City of East Palo Alto’s Westside Area Plan.

Project Summary

With no displacement, we are proposing to replace several aging, outdated structures with new mixed-income buildings that will replace all of the rent-stabilized units with new rent-stabilized units, increase the housing supply, and provide better parking and mobility options. This will affect a small portion of our property – less than 10% of Woodland Park Apartments and less than 4% of the Westside.

Details

Size < 10% of WPC, < 4% of the Westside
Existing Units 160 rent-stabilized units and one single-family rental (non-RSO)
Proposed Units 605 units
Net New Units 445 units
Existing Parking Stalls 155 (off-street)
Proposed Parking Stalls Approximately 625

Proposed Timeline

Community Engagement process 2018 until Move in
Application Submittal September 2019
City approval November 2022
Relocation / Construction begins 2023/2024
Project complete / Move in 2025/2026

Buildings in the Improvement Area

The proposed improvement area includes the following addresses:

2021 Euclid Ave. 2012 Euclid Ave. 2044 Euclid Ave.
2025 Euclid Ave. 2032 Euclid Ave. 2054 Euclid Ave.
2031 Euclid Ave. 2036 Euclid Ave. 501 O’Connor St.
2041 Euclid Ave. 2040 Euclid Ave. 2001 Manhattan Ave.
2043 Euclid Ave. 2042 Euclid Ave. 2033 Manhattan Ave.

Guaranteeing No Displacement and Preserving Housing Affordability + Stability

What we heard:
Because of previous owners, tenants may be wary to trust our promises about relocation and No Displacement.
Additionally, there is a desire to preserve housing affordability and stability, especially for long-time residents.

 

What we’re proposing:

Relocation Commitments

  • Created Relocation Commitments with input from Improvement Area Tenants
  • Will issue all relocation commitments in writing, signed by the ownership
  • Have been and will continue to work with the East Palo Alto Rent Board, City staff, Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto, and other stakeholders
  • Relocation Commitment highlights include
    – The right to a replacement apartment at Woodland Park during construction and a right of return to the new apartments
    – Guarantees to pay the same rent that they otherwise would be paying and to receive an apartment with the same number of bedrooms
    – Moves by a qualified, insured moving company fully paid for by Woodland Park

The complete set of relocation commitments can be viewed at www.nodisplacement.com/commitments/

Deed Restricted Rent Control

  • Rent Control was the foundation of the incorporation of East Palo Alto as a city, and our goal is to preserve it, as discussed in the Westside Area Plan.
  • Despite California state law which says that new buildings can not have rent control, we will voluntarily deed-restrict 26% of the total units to ensure rent control into the future
  • Rent Control (also known as Rent Stabilization) ensures that any tenant that has been in place for more than one year will pay below market rent.
  • Unlike income-restricted affordable housing, there are no qualifications based on income, wealth, immigration status, or household composition.
  • Rent Control is the only form of housing affordability that favors long-term residents with deeper affordability than newcomers.