Wondering who we are?
Of, By, & For the Community
Our dedicated team of staff, board, and key volunteers -- primarily East Palo Alto residents, mostly people of color, mostly women -- works on many aspects of affordable housing in East Palo Alto and beyond.
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During our 30 years, we've been busy
Putting a dent in housing problems
Since its founding in 1991, the EPACANDO team has
- co-developed 450 affordable apartments,
- helped hundreds of local homeowners facing foreclosure hold onto their homes,
- helped scores of local renters become homeowners,
- helped scores of local homeowners consider how to build an ADU,
- administered the City’s below-market rate program benefiting dozens of “BMR” homeowners,
- and more.
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Bay Oaks and Gloria Way
From our first major building project...
Gloria Way was a joint effort of County, City, Habitat for Humanity, MidPen Housing, and EPACANDO. It included both individual ownership units (Habitat condominiums) and rental apartments (Bay Oaks).
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Ribbon-Cutting for Bay Oaks in 1995
From left to right: Duane Bay, William Webster, Carmelita Oakes, Sharifa Wilson, Robert Jones, Fran Wagstaff, Zalika Sykes and her son
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Bay Oaks is a community of 38 apartments and shared facilities for families wih low income, built and managed by our partner MidPen Housing. Bay Oaks was the first major housing development in East Palo Alto after the city's incorporation* in 1983.
Bay Oaks is part of a 62-unit planned community that includes 24 condominiums developed by Peninsula Habitat for Humanity. The site includes a large outdoor playground, a barbecue and patio area, and a community garden area.
Recently, MidPen and EPACANDO have partnered to completely renovate the apartments inside and out. The extensive work includes new siding, roofs, systems and interiors. Apartment interiors are like new! Right now the renovation is near completion.
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* see East Palo Alto Community Archive for more about the city's history and struggle for incorporation.
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Light Tree project opening imminent
... to affordable rental housing in the pipeline now
We act as local member of partnerships with non-profit builders such as Eden and Mid-Peninsula. Both have such a partnership project in East Palo Alto right now.
Light Tree Apartments has been expanded from 94 units to 185 - on the same lot. The Grand Opening on Friday, May 12 (that's this year! announcement below) will be a chance for community members to see the complete and up-to-date result of our partnership with Eden Housing. Read more...
Colibri Commons (at 965 Weeks St): Plans for the 136 new apartments on the City-owned lot have been approved, and our development partner, MidPen Housing, has applied to the State for the final necessary piece of funding. The City is in progress on the necessary water-main upgrade; and we are on track for construction start next year, assuming we can get a will-serve letter from the Sanitary District, which has been held up for two years.
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New program begun in 2020
CANDO ADU program building back-yard units
This project has dual goals:
- fight displacement by increasing local housing options
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- help homeowners increase their income
So far, we are working closely with 77 East Palo Alto homeowner clients who want to build an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). We have helped them assess what is physically, financially and situationally feasible. And if it is feasible, how to move ahead with plans and permits.
A major success last year was the first completed ADU (in Belle Haven) via an owner-EPACANDO partnership, in which EPACANDO builds, owns and rents out ADUs at affordable rents in a homeowner's backyard. Then the homeowner will own the ADU once EPACANDO recovers the development cost.
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Did you know?
Permanently affordable homeownership program in EPA
For decades, the City of East Palo Alto’s BMR [Below Market Rate] program has required developers of new for-sale housing to sell some of them at more affordable prices. Then those homes remain affordable over time by restricting their resale price.
P erseverance pays! The Tenorio-Maldonado family waited through finance problems and a low position on the lottery to finally ...read more.
EPACANDO oversees the 53 homes in the City of East Palo Alto's permantly affordable homeownership program (Ownership BMR program). In the last three years, we supervised the reselling of three of the BMR homes. All the sellers bought market-rate homes (though in other towns), and all the buyers (new BMR homeowners) were already East Palo Alto residents.
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EPACANDO's Mission
To create affordable housing and to promote community and economic development in the city of East Palo Alto.
How we do it
We accomplish our mission by building and maintaining affordable housing. Additionally our mission is met by providing educational workshops and counseling in the area of home buying, credit and budgeting.
epacando.org
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