Real estate developers, advocates and residents say a long building hiatus in Menlo Park, the city’s hot real estate market and Facebook’s expansion in Belle Haven - the city’s poorest neighborhood - put enormous pressures on Facebook’s working-class neighbors. Silicon Valley’s technology-fueled economy is exacerbating a regional housing deficit that is pushing low-income residents particularly to move out of the region to more affordable cities or stay put in tough living conditions. Prices go from about $400 to over $1,000, according to the ads, residents and police. On a recent afternoon, a bulletin board at a local grocery store down the road from Facebook featured three handwritten ads in Spanish offering garages for rent. But demand is strong and supply is widespread.

Most garages here are illegally converted to rentals and represent a health and fire hazard, according to city police. Children don’t have room to play, and one doesn’t have enough space either,” said Contreras, adding that she knows more local families living in similar conditions. (Farida Jhabvala Romero/ Peninsula Press)

Prices can go over $1,000, even though most garages here are illegally converted, according to Menlo Park Police. A billboard at a Belle Haven grocery store advertises garages for rent on Jan. Still, Contreras says her family’s living situation is far better than in years past, when their home was a rented garage without a kitchen or heat. To afford the $2,700 monthly rent, the couple shares a room with their children and sublets the other two bedrooms. Like many renters in Menlo Park’s Belle Haven neighborhood, Maria Contreras believes Facebook’s presence here has pushed up rents, making it harder for working-class families to find decent places to live.Ĭontreras and her husband, who works in construction, saw their rent increase by $200 last November for their three-bedroom house. Reporter Farida Jhablava Romero’s radio report originally aired on KQED in March 2015. Applications for participants and resumes for peer mentors are accepted in April and May.Ĭontact us at or call | text 65 and leave a message.Silicon Valley’s tech boom is exacerbating a regional housing deficit that is pushing low-income residents to move out of the region to more affordable cities or stay put in tough living conditions. BHCDF joined the implementing partners to expand the program into Belle Haven and participate as a member of the Logistics Team. Sponsored Employment Program (SEP), a crime prevention initiative, provides summer employment, mentoring and community engagement opportunities for young people (14 – 24) with the greatest challenges to employment. Families can apply when they register for classes at the beginning of each session (Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring). The program is funded by BHCDF and managed by the staff at OHCC. One-to-One Solutions Scholarship Program (1-to-1) provides scholarships for Belle Haven elementary and middle school youth (3 – 13) to take classes and camps at Onetta Harris Community Center (OHCC) each session.

Click here to go to the Mini-Grant website. The program is funded by the City of Menlo Park and administered by BHCDF. Information and applications are provided from January to April.

Here are the programs we administer, fund and/or participate in:īelle Haven Neighborhood Mini - Grant Program (mini-grant) provides grants to Belle Haven residents who want to improve the front of their homes with curb appeal projects and local non-profits serving the neighborhood to host community events. Belle Haven Community Development Fund (BHCDF) Programs

Classes in belle haven park