The Project

The City of San Luis Obispo (SLO) is located in the heart of California’s Central Coast and is home to approximately 45,000 residents. The population is composed of college students, retirees, and a professional workforce employed by governmental offices and institutions. This mix, combined with the City’s long standing slow-growth policy, has made for a critical and chronic shortage of housing available to people of lower and moderate incomes.

The Poly Housing Collaborative (PHC), in partnership with Madonna Enterprises, proposes this innovative project to improve the affordable housing need with a mixed-use, residential and commercial project strategically located on a site within close proximity to existing and future jobs, services and amenities. The project will address the local and regional housing needs by providing 135 affordable units which includes: studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments and three bedroom townhomes on 11.6 developable acres.

The site has potential for creating successful affordable housing because:

• The City of San Luis Obispo has already earmarked this location in its General Plan Housing Element for acquisition and potential housing development
• It has a developer and property owner with a longstanding history of investments in the region
• It is close to services offered by both the public and private sectors
• There are a variety of well-established open space and recreational areas adjacent to the site

The natural features of the site include wetlands, creeks, trails and scenic views of the beautiful San Luis Obispo hills. These make the site conducive to successful affordable rental units. These features also make the case for both commercial feasibility and are attractive for potential development. The Project site is challenging because of its proximity to wetlands. However, PHC has worked with the Land Conservancy to fulfill proper impact mitigations, preservation, and to meet all regulatory requirements.

PHC proposes to develop Entrada Ranch, a sustainable, walkable, mixed-use and affordable community that enhances and diversifies the available housing stock in SLO. The project includes a substantial amount of moderate, low, and very-low income housing units that are designed to receive cross-subsidy from the sale of undeveloped commercial and residential lots. Madonna Enterprises, our developer partner and owner of the site, supports our design solution which incorporates amenities, sustainable design, minimizes lifecycle energy consumption, facilitates healthy lifestyles and utilizes the surrounding natural landscape. By providing additional housing units at higher densities, PHC will support a local workforce that currently cannot afford to live within the City.

The project goals include:

• Creation of a development that is focused on healthy living practices
• Creation of a safe and enjoyable environment for families with access to amenities both on and off-site
• Implementation of sustainable design solutions, including LEED for Neighborhood Development certification
• Creation of an interactive and walkable community that will reduce residents’ commute to work
• Establishment of a financially viable development

The Entrada Ranch project provides a valuable benefit for the San Luis Obispo community by offering a much needed supply of affordable housing in an innovative and environmentally friendly environment that is also close to job opportunities and amenities.