Housing Choices Coalition

At Housing Choices Coalition, we seek to enhance the lives of people with developmental disabilities by creating quality, affordable living options. By engaging the entire community, we look to build a strong foundation that supports individuals in their housing searches and connect them to new options for living. Housing Choices is a collaboration of community members working to make affordable housing a reality for people with developmental disabilities.

We are a regional center vendor, providing families with assistance navigating the affordable housing application and waitlist process.

We are proud to be part of a community that has demonstrated integrity and creativity that has resulted in new housing opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Housing Choices creates and implements innovative strategies to provide quality living options for people with developmental disabilities in Santa Clara County, Monterey County, and Santa Cruz County. Our goal is to ensure that a variety of housing options are available to people with developmental disabilities. These options include:

• Rental housing
• Home ownership
• Cooperative and/or shared housing

We work in partnership with developers, funders, and others in the planning and development of new affordable housing and the securing of housing units for use by people with developmental disabilities.

Some Partner Properties

1585 STUDIOS
1585 W. El Camino Real
Mountain View CA 94040
Developed in 2015 by First Community Housing, 1585 Studios offers 26 affordable studio apartments for rent to people with developmental disabilities. Households of one or two people can live in a studio apartment.  Each studio apartment includes a private bathroom and a kitchen area.  The property is located on transit-oriented El Camino Real in Mountain View, and Housing Choices’ residents receive free Valley Transit Authority Eco-Passes to use public transit throughout Santa Clara County. 1585 Studios is designed for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The three-story property includes a community room, meeting room, and outdoor patio area. Sixteen of the studio apartments are affordable to households with incomes up to 30% of Area Median Income, and ten are affordable to households with incomes up to 50% of Area Median Income.

CASA FELIZ STUDIOS
525 South 9th Street
San Jose CA, 95112
Developed by First Community Housing in 2009, Casa Feliz Studios offers 60 affordable studio apartments, of which 21 have been set aside for rent to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Households of one or two people can occupy these studio apartments.  Located in San Jose near the San Jose State campus, Casa Feliz Studios is a four-story building with parking below. The property offers many amenities and common areas, and each apartment includes a private bathroom and a kitchen area. Casa Feliz Studios is a USBG Leed Platinum Certified Building and received the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award for Sustainable Facilities in 2010. Housing Choices’ residents currently pay a monthly rent of $347 and receive a Valley Transit Authority Eco Pass for free public transit throughout Santa Clara County.

EDENVALE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
5340 Monterey Hwy
San Jose, CA 95111
Developed by Eden Housing, Edenvale Supportive Housing is a HUD 811 property with fourteen one- and two-bedroom apartments for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Edenvale is part of the larger Eden Housing family rental housing property, called Eden Palms, and has excellent light rail and bus connections.  Edenvale residents enjoy a community room and other amenities.  Residents of Edenvale pay only 30% of their household income in rent, making it one of Housing Choices’ most affordable Partner Properties.

ESTANCIA APARTMENTS
1650 Hope Drive
Santa Clara, CA 95054
In partnership with the City of Santa Clara and Equity Residential, Housing Choices has a set-aside commitment of twenty-three set apartments at Estancia in unit sizes ranging from one to three bedrooms. All of the Housing Choices apartments are affordable to people with incomes up to 50% of Area Median Income.  Currently, Housing Choices residents pay $977 for a 1 bedroom apartment, $1093 for a 2 bedroom apartment, and $1210 for a 3 bedroom apartment. Estancia is primarily a market-rate rental property with a total of 450 apartments and many amenities, including a pool and club room.  It is  in an ideal location for those who use public transportation, as it is in close proximity to Lick Mill light rail station, Montague and De La Cruz bus stops, and the Santa Clara train station.

FOURTH STREET APARTMENTS
1460 North 4th Street
San Jose, CA 95112
In partnership with developer First Community Housing, Housing Choices has twenty-nine set-aside units at Fourth Street Apartments located in downtown San Jose. Fourth Street Apartments is a high-rise property with a total of one hundred apartments on nine floors.  It is an environmentally friendly property that has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council and exceeds California’s Title 24 energy efficiency standards.  Amenities include a community room, a computer classroom, and an outdoor patio and playground for young children.  The Housing Choices units include one-bedroom, two bedroom, and three bedroom apartments. Currently, Housing Choices residents pay $460/1 bedroom, $543/2 bedroom, and $596/3 bedroom.

GISH APARTMENTS
35 East Gish Road
San Jose, CA 95112
In partnership with First Community Housing, Housing Choices has thirteen set aside units at Gish Apartments, a property with a total of thirty-five apartments.  Gish has received national and local recognition for its environmentally conscious design. Gish has been deemed one of the top ten examples of sustainable architecture by the American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment as well as Best Green Project from “Affordable Housing Finance Magazine”. Additionally, Gish was the recipient of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials’ Award of Excellence. In 2008, Gish became the only affordable housing property to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification for both Homes and New Construction to date. Housing Choices residents currently pay $376/studio, $469/2 bedroom, and $536/3 bedroom. Additionally, residents of Gish receive a VTA Eco Pass which provides them with free public transit throughout Santa Clara County.

JAPANTOWN SENIOR APARTMENTS
685 N 6th St
San Jose, CA 95112
In collaboration with developer First Community Housing, Housing Choices has 10 set aside units at Japantown Senior Apartments for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are fifty-five years of age or older.  Japantown is a diverse and walkable neighborhood in downtown San Jose, near many community services.  Designed by award winning affordable housing architects, OJK Architecture and Planning, Japantown received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes Midrise program.  Rents at Housing Choices set-aside units are affordable to people with incomes up to 30% of Area Median Income, with some affordable to people with incomes up to 40% of Area Median Income.
Residents of Japantown receive a VTA Eco Pass which provides them with unlimited bus and light rail use throughout the county with no charge.

MONTEREY VILLA
233 Ford Road
San Jose, CA 95138
In partnership with Eden Housing, Housing Choices has nineteen set aside apartments at Monterey Villa located in San Jose near Monterey Highway. Monterey Villa is a HUD 811 property, and the building is part of Eden Housing’s larger Monterey Family Apartments property.  Monterey Villa features energy efficient lighting, low VOC paint, Energy Star appliances, and low-flow kitchen faucets. Currently, Housing Choices residents pay 30% of their income for 1 or 2 bedroom apartments. Monterey Villa is pending a gold certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

RIVERTOWN APARTMENTS
1340 Hope Dr
Santa Clara, CA 95054
In collaboration with The Housing Authority of Santa Clara County, Housing Choices has a set aside commitment of eighteen units at Rivertown Family Apartments, which is a 100-unit family housing community.  Housing Choices residents currently pay $289/2 bedroom and $1491/3 bedroom. Rivertown  is a family oriented property with a large community room and a playground for young children.  It is  in an ideal location for those who use public transportation, as it is in close proximity to Lick Mill light rail station, Montague and De La Cruz bus stops, and the Santa Clara train station.

SAN ANTONIO PLACE
210 San Antonio Circle
Mountain View, CA 94040
In collaboration with Charities Housing, Housing Choices supports residents of seven studio apartments at San Antonio Place which is close to downtown Mountain View and near shopping and many other community services.  Housing Choices residents have Project-Based Vouchers and pay 30% of their household income as rent.  San Antonio Place is conveniently located near the San Antonio Caltrain station as well as the El Camino and Maybell bus station.

CAMDEN CO-OP
Camden Co-Op offers shared housing for five people in a five bedroom single family house located in the Cambrian Park neighborhood of San Jose. This property is a partnership with Hope Services.  Currently Housing Choices residents pay between $324-$500 in rent.  Each resident rents their room in a separate lease, and the cost of utilities is divided among the residents.

BRIARWOOD CO-OP
Through partnership with Hope Services, Housing Choices secured Briarwood Co-Op in Santa Clara. Briarwood Co-op offers shared housing for five people in a five bedroom single family home.  Housing Choices residents currently pay $350/month.  Each resident rents their room in a separate lease, and the cost of utilities is divided among the residents.

DE LA CRUZ CO-OP
Located in Santa Clara, De La Cruz Co-op offers shared housing in a four bedroom single family home where Housing Choices residents pay between $300-500 in rent.   Each resident rents their room in a separate lease, and the cost of utilities is divided among the residents.  This property is in partnership with Hope Services.