PATH Villas at 4th Street Transforms Historic Site Into Affordable Housing for Seniors

In San Jose, California, PATH Villas at 4th Street sits on the former site of Dick’s Supermarket, the first grocery store owned and operated by Asian Americans in the city. When PATH Ventures purchased the property in 2019, the abandoned structure was demolished to provide a clean slate for the $47.8 million, 94-unit affordable housing development.

Henry Guan, PATH Ventures’ senior project director for Northern California, nods to the local community’s support for how quickly the project was developed. We secured entitlement for this project within 90 days,” he says. With funders ranging from Apple to Santa Clara County and securing a 9% housing tax credit, the project from start to finish was fast-tracked to completion in roughly four years.

Serving formerly homeless seniors who are 55-plus, the development includes 65 studios and 28 one-bedroom units plus a two-bedroom unit for management. In addition to on-site services, including case management and nearby resources that help residents develop a local support network, PATH Villas at 4th was designed to foster community among those living there. Residents have access to a community room, a teaching kitchen, laundry rooms on each floor, a tech lab, a rooftop terrace, parking, a bike-share program, and a courtyard with a small dog park—an element added after many community meetings.

“After collecting feedback from neighbors, we learned that a lot of residents living in affordable housing do have pets, and pet relief has been an issue,” Guan says. “The dog park within the courtyard is connected through our community room. It ensures that dogs are taken care of and creates a place for dog owners and others to meet and socialize.”