The Affordable Housing Pipeline   presented by   Jamboree Housing Corporation

MOUNTAIN VIEW: The Heartwood Apartments

Jamboree Crestview Hotel Conversion into Supportive Housing in Mountain View

Jamboree, a nonprofit affordable housing developer, is developing The Heartwood Apartments, located at 901 E. El Camino Real in the Cuernavaca neighborhood of the City of Mountain View. In partnership with the City of Mountain View and the County of Santa Clara, Jamboree will transform The Crestview, a 66-room boutique hotel on a 1.36-acre parcel, into 49 apartments of affordable and supportive housing with onsite programming and services.

When the hotel conversion is complete, The Heartwood Apartments will be home to local Transition Age Youth (TAY) aging out of the foster care system as well as individuals and small families who are currently experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The acquisition of this well-maintained hotel will provide much-needed housing.

What are the current community outreach efforts? 

Sign up for the Heartwood Apartments Good Neighbor Contact List to receive updates.

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Jamboree is committed to being a good neighbor to ensure The Heartwood Apartments becomes and remains a long-term community asset for Transition Age Youth (TAY), individuals, and small families. Understanding the importance of community outreach, Jamboree and community partners hosted a series of meetings with nearby residents. In the long-term agreement with the City and County, Jamboree will host an annual community outreach meeting with the neighborhood as part of the Community Collaborative being formed.

How was this hotel chosen for conversion into supportive housing?

In October 2020, the owner of The Crestview Hotel approached the City of Mountain View, expressing interest in selling the property with the hope of turning it into affordable housing. In January 2021, the Mountain View City Council unanimously supported partnering with the County of Santa Clara to explore this concept to expand supportive and affordable housing throughout the region.

Then, a series of public meetings were held to get early input from the community. The City Council subsequently recommended that the County of Santa Clara purchase The Crestview to convert it into affordable and supportive housing in partnership with the City of Mountain View.

With extensive input from the community, City staff then participated in a competitive Request for Offers (RFO) developer selection process led by the County of Santa Clara. Prospective developers were rated based on demonstrated capacity, the quality and approach of project design concepts for residents and the local community, an effective community outreach plan, and a comprehensive residential services plan.

Following four public meetings about the potential sale of the property for the conversion to affordable and supportive housing, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Jamboree as the development partner on June 7, 2022.

What’s the vision for The Heartwood Apartments, affordable housing for local foster youth, small family households?

The vision for the hotel conversion is to transform a well-kept, three-story hotel into an apartment community that will provide much-needed affordable housing and Permanent Supportive Housing with services for small families and the vulnerable group of young adults currently experiencing homelessness in the region, some of whom are parenting small children and most of whom are former foster youth.

Jamboree’s goal is to reconfigure the three-story hotel with 66 current suites – that range in size from 303 to 998 square feet – to create a combination of 49 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments. Each renovated apartment will be fully furnished and equipped with a kitchenette and full, private bathroom.

Onsite parking will address the needs of residents, ensuring minimal impact to on-street parking and removing issues of residents parking in nearby neighborhoods. Jamboree has a long and successful history of integrating affordable housing into the broader community, ensuring that its developments don’t interfere with existing uses and limit impacts like traffic and parking.

Jamboree’s partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the City of Mountain View is throughout the pre-development, construction, and ongoing property management of Heartwood Apartments. Jamboree will ensure that the site plan, building renovation, and landscaping integrate with Mountain View’s architectural character in the surrounding community.

Learn more about Jamboree’s development and management expertise with similar supportive housing communities in many residential neighborhoods throughout California.

How do onsite resident, supportive services help vulnerable residents, families thrive?

The supportive housing Jamboree provides at The Heartwood Apartments combines affordable housing with onsite services for vulnerable foster youth and families on very low, fixed incomes. Jamboree’s approach to resident services focuses on helping all residents achieve and maintain both housing and financial stability as well as improved health outcomes.

This customized approach by Jamboree focuses on programs and services that promote health, wellness, volunteerism, and socialization. That’s why extensive supportive and resident services as well as onsite property management will be provided at Heartwood Apartments. Residents will have onsite access to trained professionals who can provide services and support – including case management, life skills education, job counseling and placement referrals, money management, parenting classes, primary and mental healthcare services, and opportunities for social connections and meaningful activities. Additionally, onsite program coordinators will assist residents in accessing other vital local community services.

Jamboree’s goal is long-term housing stability to keep these special needs residents active, stable, and thriving in their local neighborhood. Jamboree communities that take this approach to first house people – a national best practice to permanently house those experiencing homelessness – consistently realize better than a 90% success rate in these residents avoiding a return to homelessness.

Jamboree is committed to being a good neighbor in the City of Mountain View for the long term. As such, safety measures at The Heartwood Apartments will include security cameras, a controlled-access entry for pedestrians and vehicles, and adequate lighting throughout the property.

Please join Jamboree’s Good Neighbor Contact List to receive updates about The Heartwood Apartments and an invitation to upcoming community outreach meetings.

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What is Permanent Supportive Housing?

Permanent Supportive Housing is apartment living with onsite supportive services. The Heartwood Apartments will operate long-term as affordable and supportive housing, where residents sign leases and do not move out after short stays. Income verification and criminal background and credit checks are part of the application process.

Once residents sign an apartment lease, they may remain in their apartment long-term if they follow the community rules. There will be no onsite intake center or on-demand services for those experiencing homelessness who aren’t residents.

How has the Homekey program changed in Santa Clara County, CA?

With learnings from Homekey 1.0, the statewide program evolved to Homekey 2.0 – California’s innovative program to purchase and rehabilitate housing, including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings, and other properties, and convert them into permanent, long-term housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Over the last three years, Jamboree has become one of the state’s largest recipients of Homekey funds, which has led to acquiring and converting five additional hotels/motels. Adding to Jamboree’s experience with motel conversions for more than a decade, Jamboree’s best practices have evolved from learnings at other properties – opened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with exceptionally unique challenges – and with each hotel conversion since then.

Jamboree is equipped to meet the unique needs of The Heartwood Apartment residents who are overcoming homelessness or have been at risk of homelessness – small families, individuals, and youth aging out of foster care. Learn more about the onsite supportive services Jamboree provides at all Permanent Supportive Housing communities.

Get the latest

Jamboree had its first community meeting on Monday, November 14, 2022, its second community meeting on Wednesday, January 18,2023, and its third meeting on May 24, 2023. Download this PDF to see what was discussed at the meetings and to see some of the most frequently asked questions.

A recent study by University of California Irvine’s (UCI) Livable Cities Lab (LCL) examined the impact of affordable housing on crime and property values. See what the study findings reveal

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