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San Mateo County grants $500K to support nonprofit East Palo Alto housing manufacturer

United Hope Builders aims to build factory, create about 100 jobs

Pastor Paul Bains stands on the lot where a modular housing factory will be built in East Palo Alto on Jan. 21, 2021. County supervisors approved a $500,000 grant to United Hope Builders, which is partnering with a modular housing manufacturer to build the factory at the site on Bay Road, on May 18, 2021. Photo by Magali Gauthier.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 18, approved a $500,000 grant to United Hope Builders, which plans to build a new modular housing manufacturing plant in East Palo Alto.

United Hope Builders is the latest nonprofit initiative to support unhoused people in East Palo Alto led by Pastor Paul Bains, founder and president of WeHOPE, an East Palo Alto-based nonprofit homelessness services provider.

United Hope Builders, through a partnership with IndieDwell, an Idaho-based B corporation and modular housing manufacturer, is building a modular housing factory on 7 acres of the former Romic Environmental Technologies site on Bay Road. The grant funds will help pay the salaries and benefits of the plant's manufacturing line employees.

"Not only do we have to preserve and protect, but we also have to produce more affordable housing, particularly extremely low-income housing," Bains told county supervisors.

As of January, the nonprofit had raised $4 million and needed to raise $2 million more.

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The nonprofit aims to create about 100 new jobs for East Palo Alto residents. Employees will earn equity by owning 20% of the factory.

"It's a win-win for us, it's a win-win for the community and it's a win for the homeless people who might be able to get some housing as a result of these modular housing units," Supervisor Warren Slocum said.

Go to unitedhopebuilders.org for more information.

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Staff Writer Lloyd Lee contributed to this report. Kate Bradshaw writes for The Almanac, a sister publication of PaloAltoOnline.com.

Kate Bradshaw
   
Kate Bradshaw reports food news and feature stories all over the Peninsula, from south of San Francisco to north of San José. Since she began working with Embarcadero Media in 2015, she's reported on everything from Menlo Park's City Hall politics to Mountain View's education system. She has won awards from the California News Publishers Association for her coverage of local government, elections and land use reporting. Read more >>

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San Mateo County grants $500K to support nonprofit East Palo Alto housing manufacturer

United Hope Builders aims to build factory, create about 100 jobs

by / Almanac

Uploaded: Fri, May 21, 2021, 1:32 pm
Updated: Thu, May 27, 2021, 8:44 am

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 18, approved a $500,000 grant to United Hope Builders, which plans to build a new modular housing manufacturing plant in East Palo Alto.

United Hope Builders is the latest nonprofit initiative to support unhoused people in East Palo Alto led by Pastor Paul Bains, founder and president of WeHOPE, an East Palo Alto-based nonprofit homelessness services provider.

United Hope Builders, through a partnership with IndieDwell, an Idaho-based B corporation and modular housing manufacturer, is building a modular housing factory on 7 acres of the former Romic Environmental Technologies site on Bay Road. The grant funds will help pay the salaries and benefits of the plant's manufacturing line employees.

"Not only do we have to preserve and protect, but we also have to produce more affordable housing, particularly extremely low-income housing," Bains told county supervisors.

As of January, the nonprofit had raised $4 million and needed to raise $2 million more.

The nonprofit aims to create about 100 new jobs for East Palo Alto residents. Employees will earn equity by owning 20% of the factory.

"It's a win-win for us, it's a win-win for the community and it's a win for the homeless people who might be able to get some housing as a result of these modular housing units," Supervisor Warren Slocum said.

Go to unitedhopebuilders.org for more information.

Staff Writer Lloyd Lee contributed to this report. Kate Bradshaw writes for The Almanac, a sister publication of PaloAltoOnline.com.

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