MidPen details 72-unit Summer Oaks complex, says 53 units will get farmworker preference

Jeff Somerville, project manager for MidPen Housing, presented the Summer Oaks affordable-housing project and outlined a timetable and unit mix. "72 units on 3.3 acres," Somerville said, describing seven buildings, a 1,000-square-foot community room and measures to preserve mature oak trees on site. MidPen acquired the site in 2022 and began construction in March 2025, with completion expected in September.

Nancy Pelayo, MidPen leasing director, explained the application and eligibility process, including layered tax-credit income limits and a lottery system. "We have 53 units that are linked to farmworker preference," Pelayo said, and added that 18 units will be filled through project-based voucher referrals from the housing authority. She told the council MidPen has received about 700 applications in the three weeks since the listing opened and described how the team will verify income and process lottery numbers. Residents asked about maintenance, property taxes and where rents are applied; MidPen explained projects are funded through the federal low-income housing tax credit program, loans and public–private financing and said it operates the property as a professional manager.

Councilors and residents raised local concerns: traffic and the timing of nearby Caltrans improvements; outreach to agricultural employers to meet farmworker preference goals; and parking and lighting near Verano. MidPen said it is conducting targeted outreach to employers and partners, and that the project includes accessible units and onsite services. The council took no formal action on the presentation but thanked MidPen for the update and said staff will coordinate future agenda items on infrastructure near the site.