Groundbreaking Celebrates New 99-Unit Affordable Housing Project in San Jose

"It is extremely rewarding for us to be able to provide much-needed housing to people in need in general, and most especially in our hometown.”

Award-winning general contractor, Blach Construction (Blach) and Charities Housing, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and reserving affordable housing in Silicon Valley, are proud to announce the groundbreaking of The Charles affordable housing development. Located at 551 Keyes Street in San Jose, the project was designed by David Baker Architects and will provide much-need affordable housing options for individuals and families in the area.

“We’re proud to partner with Charities Housing to break ground on The Charles. Once completed, this development will deliver 99 units of stable, affordable apartments for working families,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan.

The Charles will be new construction of a 7-story, 99-unit, 100% affordable housing development located on a 0.9-acre site. The Charles will comprise of a variety of unit sizes ranging from 30 studios, 18 one-bedrooms, 24 two-bedrooms and 27 three-bedroom homes. Onsite residents will enjoy access to a community room with a shared kitchen, secured bicycle storage and laundry facilities.

“We are thrilled to break ground on this development, which represents a significant step forward in our mission to provide safe, affordable housing options for those in need;” said Mark Mikl, executive director of Charities Housing. “Local funding is a critical component to making these complicated projects work, and we hope to continue to have these absolutely essential resources available and accessible from partners like the City of San Jose and the County of Santa Clara in the years ahead.”

In addition, all units will be restricted to households earning between 30-50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). Half of the units will be reserved for Rapid-Rehousing households who will be referred through the County of Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing office (OSH).

“Situated next to the former site of one of the largest encampments in the history of San Jose, this new affordable housing development represents exactly what it takes to end homelessness in our region,” said Jennifer Loving, CEO of Destination: Home. “Named after Dr. Charles Preston, a man who dedicated his life to helping the most vulnerable members of our community, The Charles will offer families the safety and stability they need to thrive in our community. It is a testament to his legacy and the work that is needed to ensure that everyone has a place to call home.”

In addition to Blach and David Baker Architects, Charities Housing has partnered with Santa Clara County, City of San Jose, California Community Reinvestment Corporation, Santa Clara County Housing Authority, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, Wells Fargo, California Debt Limit Allocation Committee and California Tax Credit Allocation Committee to help create a sustainable, high-quality housing development that aligns with Charities Housing’s vision of fostering stable, inclusive communities.

“Since 1970, Blach Construction has been devoted to enhancing the communities where we live and work. And currently, it is no secret that these communities are severely lacking in adequate housing,” said Kevin McIntosh, project executive at Blach Construction. “For these reasons, and more, we are proud to be partnering with Charities Housing to ensure that The Charles at 551 Keyes Street becomes a reality. It is extremely rewarding for us to be able to provide much-needed housing to people in need in general, and most especially in our hometown.”

About Charities Housing

We are a mission driven non-profit that focuses on affordable housing development and operations and has been serving the lowest levels of affordability for families, individuals and seniors in our community for the last 30 years. Charities Housing currently operates in excess of 1,500 apartment homes in Santa Clara County and with the help of all our public and private partners, we have in excess of 2,000 additional apartment homes under various stages of development or predevelopment that will be delivered into the community over the next few years. For more information, visit charitieshousing.org or call 408-555-8300.

About Destination: Home

Destination: Home is a public-private partnership ending homelessness in Silicon Valley. We convene and collaborate with stakeholders across our community to advance strategies that address the root causes of homelessness and help ensure that our most vulnerable neighbors have a stable home. By working together, we can ensure that homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring – and create a safer, stronger, more vibrant community for us all. For more information visit www.destinationhomesv.org.

About Housing Trust Silicon Valley

Housing Trust Silicon Valley (Housing Trust) is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based in San Jose that works to improve the quality of life for low to moderate income people in the greater Bay Area by increasing affordable housing opportunities. Since 2000, Housing Trust has loaned more than $500 million towards the development of affordable homes throughout the greater Bay Area.  These investments have resulted in the creation of more than 25,000 affordable housing opportunities, helping nearly 47,000 of our neighbors. It is the first nonprofit CDFI to receive a Standard & Poor’s rating, AA- because of its strong capacity to meet financial commitments. For more information visit housingtrustsv.org.

About Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara (CCSCC) works to strengthen individuals and families to build economic self-reliance in the county. Since the start of the pandemic, CCSCC has served more than 32,000,000 meals and over 120,000 people in our community and continues through the recovery. Our programs serve all ethnicities and religions and include behavioral health, youth and family services, economic development, employment, financial education, supportive housing, immigration legal services, in-home and long-term care, older adult services, refugee foster care, and more. Catholic Charities is working to reduce poverty with social change goals that target the alleviation, prevention, and reduction of poverty in our communities. For more information visit ccscc.org.