71-Unit Affordable Housing Complex Heads to Lake Forest Planning Commission

A proposal to develop a three-story, 71-unit affordable housing complex in the southern portion of the City of Lake Forest heads to the City’s Planning Commission on July 23rd. 

The Mountain View Affordable Housing Community, proposed by National Community Renaissance (National CORE), will consist of 70 residential units that are affordable for households that earn less than 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), including 12 units that are reserved for Permanent Supportive Housing, plus one manager’s unit. The residential units will consist of a combination of one, two and three-bedrooms. 108 uncovered parking stalls will be included.

Located at 24551 Raymond Way and 23591 El Toro Road where two office buildings currently stand, the project proposal includes a General Plan Amendment and zone change to allow for residential uses on the parcel. One of the existing office buildings would be demolished before the construction of the Community commences. The site was selected due to its lack of development constraints and its proximity to the concentration of commercial and employment opportunities in the El Toro Corridor.

The Community would house amenities such as a 2,050 square-foot community center, two offices used for counseling programs and case management, an outdoor courtyard with a playground, fireplace, seating areas, outdoor patios, and a large activity lawn. National CORE has agreed to provide childcare services and economic mobility programs to the project’s residents and engages in background checks and screenings of all tenants.

National CORE, which is the country’s fourth-largest affordable housing developer, was selected to develop the parcel through a competitive Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) process initiated in 2017. The NOFA sought a qualified non-profit affordable housing developer to use $3.7 million the City collected in affordable housing in-lieu fees from developers of market-rate housing. In accordance with state law, the City granted the project its four maximum-allowable affordable housing incentives due to its status as a 100% affordable project.

RRM Design Group, the project architect, will design the Community in a Craftsmen-like style with varying roof styles and heights, wall plane changes, balconies, material changes, and tower elements. The structure will feature a variety of building materials including stone, horizontal siding, vertical siding, roof shingles, and metal roofs.