Burlingame – Homeless veterans will soon have a place to call home.
The muddy site of a shuttered carwash will ultimately provide 18 apartments for veterans experiencing homelessness or who are at-risk of homelessness, along with 50 apartments for individuals and families with low incomes.
Officials today broke ground on Eucalyptus Grove, a new affordable housing complex in Burlingame that will include playground space, a clubroom, outdoor dining area and more. It will rise a block east of El Camino Real at California and Murchison drives near public transit.
The project provides tangible evidence of County’s commitment to house the most vulnerable people.
“Eucalyptus Grove represents the next phase in our fight to end not just veterans’ homelessness but all homelessness in San Mateo County,” said Dave Pine, a San Mateo County supervisor who represents Burlingame. “This is a big step in the right direction, but only one step of many that are needed.”
Kevin Graves of CalVet, which connects veterans and their families with the benefits they earned, thanked the crowd gathered for the groundbreaking and the community for understanding the need for veteran housing.
In San Mateo County, veterans comprise 6 percent of the overall adult population but make up 12 percent of the homeless population.
“We couldn’t be more excited for this milestone,” Graves said. “The permanent supportive housing units in Eucalyptus Grove will provide relief, dignity, health and stability to those veterans.”
The eight-story project is led by CRP Affordable Housing & Community Development with project management and on-site support services by Abode Housing Development. Completion is slated for January 2026.
“We welcome affordable housing,” said Emily Beach, the vice mayor of Burlingame, which rezoned the lot to allow the project to move forward. “We are thrilled you’re here. Of all the projects we’ve done, of all those below-market units we’ve seen come to bear, there’s no project that has made me more excited today than this one.”
To help finance the project, the County is providing a nearly $5.7 million loan from Measure K, a countywide, voter-approved half-cent sales tax that provides local funds for local needs. The San Mateo County Housing Authority is also providing 30 vouchers that will cap a qualified resident’s rent at 30 percent of household income.
The site, 1875 California Drive, is close to shopping, medical offices and the Millbrae BART and Caltrain stations, as well as downtown Millbrae. Due to the location near public transit, planners anticipate the building will have a 22-car garage with room for 36 bicycles.
Units will vary in size. The project includes seven studios, 21 one-bedroom apartments, 21 two-bedrooms units and 20 three-bedroom homes. One unit is reserved for an on-site manager.
Rent will be affordable to households with incomes between 20 percent and 50 percent of Area Median Income, with the lowest rents reserved for the homeless veterans. Area Median Income is legally defined by the state and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as $175,000 for a family of four.
Providing low-cost housing is key to fulfilling the County’s ambitious goal of achieving what’s called functional zero homelessness, where every unsheltered homeless person who chooses assistance will be provided interim or permanent housing.
This does not mean no one will ever be seen sleeping on the streets. The idea is that homelessness, with proper supports in place, will be rare, brief and one-time.
Leasing and eligibility information:
Prospective applicants should register on two separate platforms to be notified of this and other housing opportunities:
Doorways, an online listing of affordable housing opportunities in the Bay Area, including San Mateo County.
Rent Café PHA, an online portal to apply for Project-Based Vouchers.
Both sites will issue alerts when Eucalyptus Grove Apartments as well as other new affordable properties are ready to receive applications.
Michelle Durand
Chief Communications Officer
mdurand@smcgov.org