Mountain View Celebrates Affordable Housing Month

Mountain View, Calif. - The City of Mountain View plans to celebrate Affordable Housing Month all year long by adding a record number of affordable housing developments and units in 2026. The City's ongoing commitment to housing was recently demonstrated by this year's first project, a 120-unit, 100% affordable development called Corso.

On May 27, the City joined representatives from Related California, Alta Housing, the State of California, the County of Santa Clara, the Housing Authority of Santa Clara County, and other partners to celebrate the groundbreaking of Corso. The 5-story, signature residential development is transit-oriented, located in Downtown across from the Mountain View Public Library, and will feature local public art. The City contributed $23.5 million and donated the land, which was a City-owned parking lot, for this affordable housing project.

"At a time when affordability challenges are pushing too many people out of the communities they love, projects like this show what is possible when we use public land creatively and work in partnership to deliver permanently affordable housing," said Mayor Emily Ann Ramos. "This development will help keep Mountain View economically diverse, connected, and welcoming for future generations."

In 2026, Mountain View has four new affordable housing projects, in addition to Corso, that are in the works. They include:

• Montecito, 1265 Montecito Ave: a five-story affordable housing community at the intersection of Montecito Avenue and North Shoreline Boulevard. Charities Housing is developing this project, which will provide 85 apartment homes for families earning between 30% and 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), along with one on-site staff unit. In partnership with the County of Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing, 50% of the units will be reserved for households participating in Rapid Rehousing programs. The City has invested $16 million for this project. Occupancy will begin in July 2026.

• La Bella, 1020 Terra Bella Ave: a 108-unit affordable housing community. With the donation of land by Public Storage, Alta Housing is seeking to create a 6-story, approximately 108-units family-housing apartment building that provides affordable housing for tenants with 30-80% of the area median income. The City has committed $13.5 million for this project. Construction is estimated to begin in August 2026.

• 87 E. Evelyn, a 161-unit affordable housing community that is being developed by Affirmed Housing. Among the various funding sources leveraged for this project is an Affordable Housing and Sustainability Communities (AHSC) Grant by the State for $49.7 million, which is the first time this grant has been awarded to a project in Santa Clara County, outside of San Jose. The AHSC grant will fund both the affordable housing project as well as important transit-oriented investments that will increase pedestrian and bike safety around the project. Additionally, this is the first affordable housing project that will include a child care center, as well as other community-serving spaces. The City has committed $8 million for this project and is contributing the land. Construction is estimated to begin in December 2026.

• 96 W. El Camino, a 79-unit affordable housing community. Danco Communities is developing a six-story, 79-unit development for households with incomes up to 60% of the area median income (AMI), and will include community-serving space intended to support neighborhood and resident needs. The City has committed $8 million for this project. Construction is estimated to begin in December 2026.

These five developments that are scheduled to be completed or begin construction in 2026 will add 553 new affordable units. They will also increase the City's total affordable supply by nearly 30 percent, currently standing at 20 affordable housing projects comprising 2,044 affordable units.

"2026 is expected to be an incredible year for significantly increasing the affordable housing opportunities for families and the workforce in Mountain View," noted Housing Director Wayne Chen. "These five affordable housing projects demonstrate the City's ability to deliver much-needed affordable housing to support our residents and businesses. We work closely with our development partners to leverage substantial outside funding to make these projects feasible."

"However, funding remains a significant obstacle for building more affordable housing, and more affordable housing is needed to support our diverse community and address the City's housing obligations," acknowledged Director Chen. "When the funding is available, we can make a positive impact in our community, as evidenced by these five projects."

The State of California has designated Mountain View as a Prohousing community, which means the City has exclusive access to Prohousing grants, as well as receiving additional points in the scoring of competitive housing, community development, and infrastructure funding programs administered by the State Department of Housing and Community Development.