Mark Sawicki Economic Development and Housing Manager 600 Elm Street San Carlos, CA 94070 Phone: (650) 802-4263
Finding Affordable Housing
How to Find Affordable Housing in San Mateo County
*** If you need emergency housing, please contact one of the core service agencies. ***
Affordable housing in the County primarily serves households that are low, very low, or extremely low income. Visit www.smchousing.org, click on "Resources," then click on "Income & Rent Limits" to see what the current income limits are. Remember that we have a severe shortage of affordable housing in the County, so be prepared to make lots of phone calls, join multiple waiting lists, and wait as long as 5 years to get into housing.
Step 1: Know what you are eligible for, and what you’re looking for.
Before you begin your search, try to answer these questions for yourself first:
1. What is your approximate annual household income? How many people are there in your household?
2. In which cities or areas in the County would you like to live?
3. Are you eligible for senior housing? (need to be at least 62 years old, or almost 62 years old)
4. Do you need to be near public transit? Do you need services on-site? Do you need an accessible unit?
Step 2: Apply for County Housing Authority Programs & Shared Housing
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program wait list is closed until mid-2008 because of the high number of households already on the list. You can still apply for Project-Based Housing (where housing assistance is tied to a specific unit and cannot be used to rent other units) or Public Housing (which are two specific developments, one in Daly City and one in Colma). Please call the following numbers for an application:
Project-Based Housing: (650) 802-3319
Public Housing: (650) 802-3375
HIP Housing has a home-sharing program that matches people looking for housing with those who already have a home but would like to have a housemate. Contact HIP at (650) 348-6660 for more information.
Step 3: Apply for Affordable Rental Homes (Subsidized Apartments)
a) Get a complete list of affordable rental housing developments from the County Department of Housing. You can come into our office, call, or download a copy from our website. You can also go to www.hlcsmc.org/database.php and search the online database of affordable housing in the County.
b) Call individual housing developments that you are interested in. Each affordable housing development has its own eligibility requirements, so it is important to call the development directly to find out if you are eligible, whether the waiting list is open or not, and how to get on the waiting list. (Please note that waiting lists can be as long as 1 to 5 years, and that some properties charge a fee to submit an application.)
c) Call affordable housing developers and city housing staff (see back for contact info) to ask if they have any open waiting lists, or if they know of any new projects that will be accepting applications in the near future. Ask them if they have "keep informed" lists you could join, which notify you if they have any openings.
d) If you have any special needs or requirements, make sure to ask about that when making your calls.
Step 4: Apply to Purchase an Affordable Home (Restricted-Sale Homes)
If you are low or moderate income, have some savings, and want to stay long-term in the County, you may want to consider purchasing an affordable home. Please note that you will still need to qualify for a mortgage in order to purchase an affordable home. In addition, these homes have restrictions attached to them which require you to occupy the home and will probably limit the resale price of the home.
If you are interested in purchasing an affordable home, call city housing staff (contact information below) to find out about waiting lists and any homebuyer assistance programs they may have. You can also contact Peninsula Habitat for Humanity at (650) 368-7434 to ask about joining their waiting list.
Contact Information - Developers of Affordable Housing
Bridge Housing (rental housing in San Mateo County and other Counties)
Vacancy hotline: (415) 267-7673, Main number: (415) 989-1111
Eden Housing (rental housing in San Mateo County and other Counties): (650) 322-2061
First Community Housing (rental housing in San Mateo County and other Counties): (408) 291-8650
HIP Housing (rental housing & shared housing in San Mateo County only): (650) 348-6660
Lesley Foundation (senior rental housing in San Mateo County only): (650) 726-4888
Mercy Housing (rental housing in San Mateo County and other Counties): (415) 355-7100
Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition (rental housing in San Mateo County and other Counties): (650) 299-8000
Peninsula Habitat for Humanity (ownership housing in San Mateo County): (650) 368-7434
West Bay Housing (rental housing for the developmentally disabled in the Bay Area): (415) 618-0012
City Housing Staff Bridge Housing (rental housing & shared housing in San Mateo County only):(650) 348-6660
