The City of East Palo Alto’s plan to build 500 new affordable units in 5 years got a big boost from a grant of $20 million by the Strategic Growth Council (a state agency). On July 23, Channel 5 KPIX evening news ran a feature on the projects which the grant supports, and those involved:
EPACANDO has an important role as liason between the City and the various non-profits who will build and/or renovate the affordable housing, as well as in the initial grant application. The announcement and more grant details are also in Palo Alto Online:
A new wrinkle for a housing grant is the money for improved Transit Connections: electric buses will provide a non-polluting Express route from East Palo Alto to San Bruno.
“It’s part of what we [EPACANDO] want to do. It’s part of responsibility to our community. Nor do we want to be the exclusive carriers of the vast need for housing that’s affordable to working families”
– Duane Bay, Executive Director of EPACANDO