Dozens of people gathered Tuesday to celebrate the grand opening of Sparrow Terrace, a development by nonprofit MidPen Housing.
Located at 141 Miles Lane, Sparrow Terrace offers 72 affordable apartment homes for people with incomes of 30%-60% area median income, which ranges from $38,040-$108,660, depending on household size.
A total of 35 of these are reserved for farmworker families, and six are set aside for people who have experienced homelessness.
People with lower incomes received 43 vouchers from the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz.
“These new homes represent new opportunities for Central Coast families, especially our farmworkers,” said California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. “It’s a community where people can establish roots and thrive, and is a powerful reminder of what is possible when people work together to build a better future.”
MidPen also oversees several other complexes throughout Watsonville.
MidPen Property Management will manage the community, and MidPen Resident Services provides free, onsite services such as employment preparation, exercise and nutrition classes and connections to community resources.
“We’re proud to welcome 72 families home to Sparrow Terrace, including farmworkers who are essential to the region’s economy,” said MidPen Housing CEO Matthew Franklin. “We applaud all of our local, state, and private-sector partners for their vision and commitment to bringing much-needed affordable housing to southern Santa Cruz County.”
Financing for the development came from public and private sources including the City of Watsonville, the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz, the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing and No Place Like Home grant programs.
In addition, Wells Fargo, the California Community Reinvestment Corporation, Central California Alliance for Health and Central Coast Community Energy contributed.
