Monterey County approves affordable housing project in Salinas
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The County of Monterey is moving forward with an affordable multifamily housing project that’s been years in the making.
Today, the Board of Supervisors approved the proposed project on county property at 855 East Laurel Drive in Salinas.
The project is expected to include 132 units within four buildings.
The county entered an exclusive negotiating agreement with Eden Housing in February 2023 to develop this project.
County supervisors also discussed the timeline and several hurdles that make this project possible.
“I think it's a win win for our residents and for city the but it also it's an example of how difficult, even affordable housing, how long it takes. Like, I think we've been in this process, like, three or four years now, going after funding, then going after tax credits, then the construction. We're still many years away from doing this," Monterey County District 1 Supervisor Luis Alejo said.
Representatives with Eden Housing add they will soon be searching for sources of funding at the state and county levels.
Project developers explained what the next steps are following the approval.
"After local funding are completed, and then we'll move forward to tax credit. And then the best case scenario, we were hoping to break ground at the end of 2026 but that would depend on how the funding application comes out, and then if we can secure enough funding for the project," Eden Housing project developer Reena Zhang said.
Once funding sources are secured, the Board of Supervisors will break ground at the end of 2026.
