San Jose affordable housing project gets city approval
San Jose’s city planners approved a 272-unit affordable housing project at 860 West San Carlos St., switching from previously proposed market-rate developments due to economic challenges. The project will reserve 55 units for very-low-income households and 217 for low-income families earning up to 80% of the area median income, set at $195,200 for a family of four in 2025.
San Jose has approved an affordable housing development at 860 West San Carlos St., a seven-story complex in the Sunol-Midtown district. The project, led by Swenson and Republic Urban Properties, will include 272 apartments with a modernist architectural style. Originally planned as market-rate housing, the developers shifted to 100% affordable units due to economic pressures like inflation and high construction costs. The development will reserve 55 units for very-low-income households earning up to 50% of the area median income and 217 units for low-income households earning up to 80% of the median. As of April 2025, the area median income for Santa Clara County is $195,200 for a family of four and $136,650 for a single household. City planners approved the project during an administrative hearing, marking a shift from earlier plans in 2021 that proposed 263 or 251 market-rate apartments. The new design includes five residential levels and a two-story podium below. The site is located near downtown, Westfield Valley Fair, and Santana Row. The approval reflects broader challenges in the housing market, where rising costs and interest rates have made market-rate projects harder to develop. This project aims to address San Jose’s housing needs by prioritizing affordability for low- and very-low-income residents.
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