LAMORINDA, CA — Lafayette has moved a long-discussed affordable housing project from vision toward construction, after city councilmembers approved plans Monday for a housing complex designed for renters with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
They also pledged the city-owned parking lot beneath it as a public contribution to the four-story, 48-unit development at 949 Moraga Road.
The decision advances a Bay Area housing model designed specifically for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Local officials said it also ties Lafayette more directly to California’s broader affordable housing push.
Nonprofit co-developers Sunflower Hill and Satellite Affordable Housing Associates won approval to build 27 one-bedroom units and 20 two-bedroom units, as well as a three-bedroom unit for an on-site manager. Plans include resident lounges, outdoor courtyards, a teaching kitchen, fitness space, laundry facilities, and bike storage.
City officials framed the land contribution as pivotal to making the financing work. Mayor Carl Anduri said the downtown location places residents within walking distance of grocery stores, restaurants, the Lafayette BART station, and the library, linking supportive housing with access to daily services.
Sunflower Hill recently secured $19.5 million through California’s Multifamily Finance Super NOFA program, while U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier advanced a $2 million federal appropriations request, according to an announcement. Developers are also seeking Contra Costa County Measure X funds and plan to pursue Low-Income Housing Tax Credits this summer.
The council’s vote fulfilled a condition city officials set when they agreed to negotiate exclusively with the developers: the project needed a viable funding path.
Sunflower Hill leaders said Lafayette’s contribution helped unlock the project’s feasibility and marked the nonprofit’s first expansion into Contra Costa County.
The development would pair housing with support services, with SAHA managing the property, and Sunflower Hill providing programming and life-skills support for residents.
Sunflower Hill developed and manages a similar residential site, Irby Ranch, in Pleasanton, and is developing two housing projects in Dublin — Grace Pointe and Francis Ranch. The Lafayette site will be Sunflower Hill’s first in Contra Costa County, according to the company's announcement.
For Lafayette, the vote signals a shift in how smaller suburban cities respond to California’s housing demands by putting public land into the deal.
Last fall, when state officials announced the $19.5 million grant, the news stunned city leaders. Then-Mayor Susan Candell called it “a win we couldn’t have imagined even six months ago.”
MORE: Long-Awaited Lafayette Housing For Adults with Developmental Disabilities Clears A Big Money Hurdle
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