525 N. Capitol

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

Goal: Create a culturally-specific affordable housing community for displaced and longtime residents of East San Jose and offer permanent housing solutions for the formerly and chronically houseless, veterans, seniors, persons living with disabilities, and other low-income families and individuals.

525 N. Capitol will be one of a number of CDP’s developments contributing to solving the housing affordability crisis in the Bay Area. Because many low-income households may never be able to afford market-rate housing, the amenities and programming provided on-site will be tailored to accommodate residents, while simultaneously supporting them to achieve long-term goals, like homeownership or an advanced degree.

525 N. Capitol Ave. will comprise of 160 units with a mix of 60 studio, 64 one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom, and 8 three-bedroom units. All homes will be available to households earning 30% – 60% of the area median income, with 15 units designated as Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for formerly and chronically houseless individuals and another 25 eligible for housing vouchers for homeless veterans.

The ground floor of the development will include a lobby and common area, bike parking, car parking, and a communal outdoor courtyard. The development will leverage existing community assets, including nonprofit partner, Veggielution. Veggielution will distribute healthy food sourced from its local

DEVELOPMENT

525 N. Capitol recently received a $4M funding award from the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) Multifamily Finance Super NOFA and Infill Infrastructure Grants (IIG) Program. 525 N. Capitol is in pre-development with financing continuing to be assembled. The acquisition/predevelopment lender is Capitol Impact Partners. The project has been designed by David Baker Architects and will be built by a local general contractor. Community engagement support and outreach was provided by CivicMakers. The property will be managed by FPI Management.

DATA
  • Number of units: 160
  • Lot size: .41 acres
  • Density: 165units/acre
  • Unit size: 420-1,200 ft2
  • Unit mix: 60 Studios, 64 1 BD, 28 2 BD, & 8 3BD
  • Parking Spaces: 108
  • Affordability: 30% - 60% AMI
  • Sustainability: LEED Gold (Target)
  • Total Cost: $116 M
TEAM
  • Architect: David Barker Architects
  • Contractor: TBD
  • Property Management: FPI
  • Non-Profit General Partner: Veggielution

PARTNERS

CDP is proud to partner with these organizations, dedicated to bettering the lives not only of the 525 N. Capitol residents, but also those of lower-income residents in surrounding communities.

Veggielution

Founded in 2008, Veggielution connects people from diverse backgrounds through food and farming to build community in East San Jose. Veggielution utilizes a unique community farm model that mobilizes volunteers to cultivate and grow healthy crops, which are then made available to its program participants and other local residents. Its 6-acre community farm and gathering space is located in Emma Prusch Farm Park in the Mayfair neighborhood. Veggielution is one of five members of the Si Se Puede Collective, a coalition of respected organizations working in the Mayfair community on issues of basic needs access, education, arts and culture, community development, and food and environmental equity. To learn more, please visit: https://veggielution.org/.

EngAGE

EngAGE is a nonprofit that takes a holistic approach to community and creativity by providing on-site arts, wellness, lifelong learning, community building and intergenerational programs to thousands of seniors and families living in affordable senior and multi-generational apartment communities in California, Oregon, and Minnesota. Providing on-site programs reduces primary barriers to engagement – cost and transportation– maximizing impact.

Founded in 1999 as More Than Shelter for Seniors, EngAGE has worked continuously as leading experts in aging arts programming. In the last few years, they have adapted to include intergenerational communities. The goal of EngAGE is to change lives across generations by transforming affordable housing into centers of community, learning, and well-being. To learn more, please visit: https://engagedaging.org/.

Center for Public Interest Design (CPID)

The Center for Public Interest Design is a research [+action] center at Portland State University that aims to investigate, promote, and engage in inclusive design practices that address the growing needs of underserved communities worldwide.  Through research and design, fieldwork, and public outreach, CPID promotes a mode of practice that is socially conscious, environmentally sustainable, and economically accessible to all.

CPID leads asset-based development outreach, which identifies existing resident-serving assets that are in the surrounding community as well as identifying needs that are not being met by those existing assets.  The process involves utilizing PSU Master of Architecture studio students and CPID fellows and staff for on-the-ground outreach and interpretation of findings into a conclusive report. The entire process produces an in depth understanding of the community’s assets and needs that can then be utilized to inform the concept and design of the project. The end result is a project that has been thoughtfully concepted and that provides the greatest benefit to the community. To learn more, please visit: http://www.centerforpublicinterestdesign.org/.