Palo Alto Affordable Housing Project Begins To Welcome Tenants

San Jose Spotlight

December 31, 2025

An affordable housing project on Charleston Road in Palo Alto that is meant to support adults with developmental disabilities is finally welcoming tenants to the building, and expects to fill all of the apartments later this month.

The 50 apartments that have been built at 525 E. Charleston Road are being rented out at below market rate, and 25 of the units are set aside for individuals with disabilities. One other unit is reserved for an on-site building manager. All apartments target households making up to 60% of the area median income, according to property manager Eden Housing.

The development was spearheaded in 2020 by former Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, whose term on the county board expired at the end of 2024. He said it is important that half of the units are reserved for people with developmental disabilities because it integrates them into the broader community.

“That’s kind of a best practice these days, the notion being, if we’re talking about mainstreaming folks into the larger community, then that starts with the project, right?” Simitian said. “You don’t just create a site that exclusively serves folks with developmental disabilities; you make sure that the site serves a range of folks with a range of abilities.”

As of Dec. 17, 41 of the 49 units were occupied, with about 55 people living in the apartments. The building includes 37 studios, eight one-bedroom units and four two-bedrooms, according to Eden Housing.

When the application window opened in the summer, Eden Housing said they received about 270 applications. A spokesperson for the property manager said they anticipate filling the remaining unoccupied units by Dec. 22.

“Welcoming residents to Mitchell Park Place is one of the most rewarding parts of our work at Eden Housing,” said Tori Hoff, Eden Housing Project Developer. “This project would not be possible without the steadfast support of our many partners, including the City of Palo Alto, Santa Clara County and AbilityPath, who helped turn this vision into reality. Together, we are providing much-needed affordable housing and supportive services for individuals with developmental disabilities in a region where these opportunities are too often out of reach.”

The county-owned land at 525 E. Charleston Road seemed like the perfect place for the project, Simitian said. Before the development of Mitchell Park Place, the nonprofit AbilityPath had a small office on the site. Now, the organization is incorporated into the housing project and will work with residents of Mitchell Park Place to provide services.

While the development was still in the works, Simitian said some residents raised concerns about parking and traffic, but now, they are “wonderfully welcoming” of their new neighbors.

“My experience is when you serve in public office, you know that not all the work will get done during your tenure, and you hope that much of the work will survive your last day in office,” Simitian said. “And this is one of those times when you know seeing the work and the lasting benefit to the community is tremendously gratifying.”

San José Spotlight is the city's first nonprofit news organization dedicated to independent political and business reporting. Please support our public service journalism by clicking here.