St. Paul’s Commons is providing important housing options in the high-priced housing market of Walnut Creek in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Resources for Community Development (RCD) welcomed 46 low-income residents into its new affordable housing community just before the shelter-in-place orders were enacted in March. As a result, the property has been a critical shelter to its residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
St. Paul’s Commons is the culmination of an innovative public/private/faith community partnership and is on the grounds of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The inspiration for the project stems from St. Paul’s 140-year history in Walnut Creek and the church’s desire to transform a portion of its property into a mixed-use, transit-oriented development with community-serving spaces.
This development provides 45 units of affordable housing and community meeting rooms operated by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The development is also home to a new facility for the nonprofit Trinity Center, which operates a day program for persons experiencing homelessness and living in poverty. The design brings together the three functions with its landscaped courtyard and complements the surrounding neighborhood. It is conveniently located close to transit, shopping, schools, libraries, and parks.
The project is a strong example of a developer teaming with a church to build affordable housing.
Courtesy Resources for Community Development
The residents of St. Paul’s Commons are low-income individuals and families. Forty percent of the apartments are supportive permanent homes for residents with special needs or who have experienced homelessness. Trinity Center provides ongoing case management to these St. Paul’s residents, providing individualized support to ensure their long-term success.
“This project was made possible first by St. Paul’s for offering the land for use, and then by our generous funders including the city of Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and Bank of America,” says Dan Sawislak, RCD executive director. “We deeply appreciate our partners’ commitment to supporting affordable housing development in the East Bay.”
Financing for the approximately $22.4 million development includes approximately $11.7 million in low-income housing tax credit equity and a $1.4 million loan from Bank of America. The credits were awarded by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.
St. Paul’s Commons is RCD’s first fully electric property, and it exceeds Title 24 efficiency standards by nearly 14%. The nonprofit has developer nearly 2,400 affordable housing units, with 845 more in the pipeline. It was designed by PYATOK architecture + urban design, and built by general contractor J.H. Fitzmaurice. The John Stewart Co. provides property management.
