Resources for Community Development (RCD) recently broke ground on Shinsei Gardens Apartments. Located alongside the Bayport development on land that was part of the former Alameda Naval Air Station, Shinsei Gardens will provide 39 new affordable homes to formerly homeless veterans and their families, with 12 units designated for special needs families with physical disabilities.

In addition to providing affordable housing to the city of Alameda, Shinsei Gardens Apartments is also expected to earn a LEED Gold Certification, a national standard of excellence in green building.

Shinsei Gardens will provide six 1-bedroom apartments, 18 2-bedroom apartments, 12 3-bedroom apartments and three 4-bedroom apartments. The property will have full-time on-site property management and resident services for special needs residents will be provided by Operation Dignity. A resident services coordinator will also bring additional family and youth services to the property. Other amenities will include a community room, teen room, resident parking spaces and green design throughout.

Shinsei Gardens Apartments was created as part of the city's plan to convert and develop the former Alameda Naval Air Station (NAS) and Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC) into a new and thriving residential community. The city selected RCD to develop and construct two affordable housing developments, Shinsei Gardens and The Breakers at Bayport (completed in 2006), and Catellus Development to master develop Bayport Homes, the large for-sale single family home division.

Together, Shinsei Gardens and The Breakers at Bayport Apartments and Townhouses will contribute 102 units of affordable housing to the city of Alameda. The Bayport residential subdivision is comprised of 485 market-rate single family homes.

Green building features will include photo voltaics, sustainable flooring products and counter tops, drought-tolerant landscaping, water conserving plumbing fixtures and irrigation, energy star appliances and lighting, formaldehyde-free cabinets and insulation, humidity controlled bath fans, hydronic radiant heating, on-site storm water management and 75 percent waste diversion during construction. The development hopes to achieve a LEED Gold certification upon completion.

Financing for Shinsei Gardens includes city of Alameda (Community Improvement Commission and Housing Authority), County of Alameda, California Department of Housing and Community Development, Citibank, National Equity Fund and www.StopWaste.org. Total costs are projected at $18 million. Construction is scheduled to be completed in July 2009.

Resources for Community Development (RCD) is a non-profit affordable housing development corporation dedicated to creating and preserving affordable housing for people with the fewest options, to build community and enrich lives. Founded by Berkeley community members in 1984, RCD has created nearly 1,400 affordable housing units in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties.

RCD's developments serve over 2,500 very low and low-income households and special needs groups, including the homeless, individuals with disabilities, families, seniors and people living with HIV/AIDS. RCD's core programs are affordable housing development, asset management and resident services. Recently, RCD was named by Affordable Housing Finance magazine as one of the Top 50 Affordable Housing Developers in the nation.