On September 25th, 2025, the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda (AHA) hosted a public event to celebrate the “Grand Opening” of the Estuary I and Linnet Corner. The event featured speakers from various AHA partners including Alameda County Supervisor (Lena Tam) and the City Manager from the City of Alameda (Jennifer Ott). The Grand Opening is open to the public, surrounding neighbors and families are welcome to attend.
In early 2024, AHA started construction on both Estuary I and Linnet Corner. Residents started move-ins at Estuary I in July 2025 and Linnet Corner residents started moving in during September 2025. These 109 newly developed affordable rental homes are contained in two separate buildings and represent the first housing communities in AHA’s North Housing Master Plan.
North Housing is a multi-year commitment for the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda along with its development affiliate, Island City Development to create over 500+ affordable rental homes to serve low-income Alamedans. The twelve acres allocated for North Housing are situated at the former US Naval Air Station (NAS) base and was granted to the Housing Authority (in 2019), via the Surplus Land Act, by the U.S. Department of Navy, with support of the Alameda Point Collaborative and Building Futures for Women and Children. Prior to Navy ownership, the land was owned by AHA and housed families of workers at the naval base.
Estuary I is the City of Alameda’s first new construction 100% permanent supportive housing community for previously homeless persons and features 45 units (a mix of 20 one bedroom apartments, 24 studio apartments, and two-bedroom manager unit). Estuary 1 opened in late July and is fully occupied with all 45 units filled with residents. Linnet Corner houses seniors (ages 62+ and older) and features 64 units (a mix of 40 studio units, 23 one-bedroom units, and two-bedroom manager unit). Sixteen of the 64 units at Linnet Corner are reserved for U.S. military veterans who are seniors, previously homeless, and disabled. Linnet Corner opened in early September and is currently in the process of leasing up all units.
All units at Estuary I are fully furnished and the 16 units at Linnet Corner reserved for previously homeless, disabled and senior veterans are furnished as well.
To further support Estuary I and Linnet Corner residents, the Housing Authority has partnered with LifeSteps to provide onsite social services, with the capacity to provide intensive case management services to previously homeless residents currently living in both buildings.
Each head of household receives an AC transit EasyPass, which provides unlimited rides wherever an AC Transit bus goes. The Alameda Food Bank visited Estuary I in July and Linnet Corner in September to register residents for Food Bank programs and services.
All units at Estuary I and Linnet Corner have been auto-enrolled into Alameda Municipal Power’s Energy Assistance Program, providing a 25% discount on monthly energy bills to residents. Property amenities at both properties include onsite laundry, a community room, secure bicycle parking, an elevator, a pet friendly environment, Wi-Fi Hotspots, resident services, an onsite property manager, a resident garden, and a central outdoor courtyard with a BBQ area. Kerry Deichen, a Market Executive from Bank of America N.A. which is a major funder for North Housing states “It’s so exciting to be part of the incredible transformation of the former Naval Air Station into much needed affordable housing and supportive services for working families, seniors and formerly homeless individuals. This has been a true public-private partnership with city, county, state and federal partners working together to bring much needed new affordable housing to the East Bay region.”
AHA has invested $8.6 million dollars of its own funds and has allocated 80 Project Based Vouchers towards Linnet Corner and Estuary I. “The Housing Authority is excited to open the first two properties at North Housing after ten plus years of commitment to provide urgently needed housing for low-income populations that include people with disabilities, previously homeless, military veterans, and seniors.” stated Vanessa Cooper, AHA Executive Director.
Besides the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda, other funders for this project include Bank of America, N.A., Enterprise Community Investments, the California Community Reinvestment Corporation, the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC), the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC), the California Municipal Finance Authority (CMFA), the California Department of Veteran Affairs (Cal Vet), the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2018 (Proposition 1), the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program (IIG), the Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention program (VHHP) through the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the Alameda Affordable Housing Trust Fund operated by the Alameda Affordable Housing Corporation, the City of Alameda (HOME, Community Block Development Grant, Permanent Local Housing Allocation, and Inclusionary Housing funds), the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco’s (FHLBSF) Affordable Housing Program (AHP), the Bank of Marin, and the Home Depot Foundation). The County of Alameda provides funding case management services through the Cal-AIM program. Island City Development is the developer of this project and the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda owns the land. The architect for Linnet Corner and The Estuary I is HKIT Architects.
