More than 200 households have been given stability with the opening of two affordable housing developments near Diridon Station in San Jose.
City and county officials on Wednesday celebrated the opening of Bellarmino Place and adjacent Alvarado Park, which will provide housing for older adults and people at risk of homelessness. The Santa Clara County Housing Authority owns and developed both apartment buildings with a combination of public and private funding.
The 6-story Bellarmino Place has 116 apartments for people making 30% to 60% of the area median income, or between $60,250 to $117,120 for a family of four. The building will also accommodate 24 formerly homeless households. The nearly $97 million project received more than $10 million from Santa Clara County, $34 million from the housing authority and $52 million from Wells Fargo.
The 5-story Alvarado Park provides 90 apartments for older adults making 30% to 60% of the area median income, including 23 apartments for people at risk of homelessness. The nearly $70 million project received $10 million from the county, nearly $22 million from the housing authority and $24 million from Enterprise.
“This work matters, because permanent housing is the only sustainable solution to ending homelessness,” Santa Clara County District 4 Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said at the opening. “Without that stability, individuals and families are forced into cycles of crisis, moving from shelter to streets and back again.”
The $20 million provided by the county came from Measure A, a $950 million affordable housing bond passed by voters in 2016. Bellarmino Place and Alvarado Park are just two of more than 60 affordable developments funded through the bond, bringing 5,700 new apartments for formerly homeless people and those living paycheck to paycheck.
That includes people such as 63-year-old Eileen Smith, who subsists on a fixed income. She said she’s been waiting to get into affordable housing for a decade. Homes described as affordable were still as expensive as $2,000 a month and in bad condition. Though she has never lived on the streets, she said there have been times she has had to sleep on other people’s couches.
“I was a check away from being homeless,” Smith told San José Spotlight. “I can’t even describe the feeling of independence now that I’ve regained (housing). Having the opportunity to move into this area, this building, I feel whole again.”
There are 10,711 homeless residents in Santa Clara County — an all-time high — based on preliminary results from a point in time count conducted in January. Homelessness has increased despite significant investments in temporary and permanent housing, with more than 1,300 affordable apartments constructed over the past two years funded through Measure A.
All Measure A money has been allocated as of last year. More developments are expected to come online in the next few years, and the county is strategizing for other ways to fund future developments.
Preston Prince, executive director for the Santa Clara County Housing Authority, said they’ve been able to fund more projects this year as a result of Measure A and the partnerships they have with the county, the state, San Jose and nonprofits like Destination: Home.
“In 2025, the state has awarded funds to eight new developments that will result in 970 units of affordable housing in Santa Clara County,” Prince told San José Spotlight. “Five more projects have submitted applications and are currently pending award results. This year has been one of the most successful funding years for Santa Clara County.”
Contact Joyce Chu at [email protected] or @joyce_speaks on X.
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