The city is continuing its commitment to build new affordable housing and to revamp its existing affording housing stock. Over the next several years, the Alameda Housing Authority (AHA) plans to breathe new life into some of its aging affordable units. Last Monday, the Planning Board heard plans to redevelop Rosefield Villa on Eagle Avenue.

As part of its redevelopment pipeline reports in 2010 and 2015, the city presented plans to revamp properties under the AHA aegis. The city has successfully completed a trio of affordable housing projects in the 2010 report. 

AHA completed the first, the 62-unit Park Alameda Apartments at Park and Central avenues on the site of the Islander Motel. The authority finished the second project, 18 units for adults with developmental disabilities, Jack Capon Villas, on the south side of Lincoln Avenue between Oak and Walnut streets in 2013. 

A third project near the Alameda Landing Shopping Center, Stargell Commons, opened in May on Alameda Landing’s newly minted Bette Street with 32 affordable housing units. 

These three projects offer 1,112 subsidized and affordable housing units. 

On Dec. 15, 2015, the city released a report that presented a new five-year development plan. Based on that report the city has now turned its attention to four aging affordable rental projects. 

• Parrot Village/Parrot Gardens stretches along the northern end of St. Charles and Bay streets. These properties include 58 units on 7.1 acres. The Parrot Gardens units were built in the 1930s; Parrot Village, in 1980. “The overall combined site presents a strong opportunity for redevelopment,” the city stated in the 2015 report. 
• China Clipper Plaza stands on Buena Vista Avenue west of Fifth Street. According to the report, “this property includes 26 units in fair condition.” According to the 2015 report, “the property will require substantial renovation within the next five years.”  
• Eagle Village with 42 housing units is located on the south side of the 700 block of Eagle Avenue between Constitution Way and Webster Street. This village was built in 1983. “The property is in fair condition and will require substantial renovation within the next five years,” the report stated. 
• Rosefield Village with 46 housing units is across from Eagle Village on the north side of the 700 block of Eagle Avenue. In 1976, the city installed three structures here to accommodate six units and 40 pre-fabricated apartments. 

“AHA staff will apply for 4 percent non-competitive tax credits in late 2016 to begin the renovation of this project,” the city stated in its 2015 report about Rosefield Village. AHA has now developed a plan to revamp six units and build 60 new affordable, multi-family rental units on the 1.95 acre site. The plan came before the Planning Board last Monday evening. 

AHA told the board that it plans to replace 40 obsolete modular units, renovate six units in framed buildings and build 20 additional new units. 

The range of rents will be affordable to households earning between 20 and 60 percent of median income, $19,480 to $58,440 for a family of four. 

Once complete, the project will offer 66 units: six renovated units — two with one bedroom and four with two bedrooms — and 60 new units — 34 with one bedroom, 17 with two bedrooms and nine with three bedrooms.