Rebranding Strategy Reflects Evolution of Nonprofit

PALO ALTO, CA—Palo Alto Housing, a community-based nonprofit developer and manager of low- and moderate-income housing, has changed its name to Alta Housing as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. The name change, which is effective immediately, reflects the organization’s evolution as a nonprofit now serving diverse communities across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and its plans to create more affordable housing beyond Palo Alto. However, the organization’s headquarters will continue to be located in Palo Alto.

Alta Housing currently owns and operates more than 20 residential communities that house in excess of 2,000 residents and has more than 300 units in various stages of development or construction in Mountain View, Redwood City and Palo Alto.

“Today, more than ever, we are happy to be building high-quality affordable housing where individuals and families can thrive,” said Randy Tsuda, president and chief executive officer of Alta Housing.

According to Tsuda, the rebranding strategy also reflects the company’s vision for the future as Alta Housing expands the number of communities and broader spectrum of residents it serves, and the resident services it provides.

“As Alta Housing looks to carry out its mission to serve the residents of the Bay Area and build more high-quality supportive, affordable housing, we are eager to create successful public-private partnerships to achieve this,” Tsuda tells GlobeSt.com. “The Bay Area, like many regions across the US, was struggling to create more affordable housing, and now with the impact of COVID-19, it will be even more critical. We need to house our healthcare workers, seniors, veterans, teachers, small business owners, and workers in transportation, office, retail, food service, hospitality and other industry categories to create a stronger, more diverse communities.”

Palo Alto Housing was started in 1970 by a group of community members, but the organization’s growth along with partnerships with major stakeholders from the area granted the organization opportunities of aiding more people in the Peninsula region. Now, five decades later, the organization continues to be led by a board of directors made up of active participants from the local community who care about the residents and are committed to delivering affordable housing.

“Alta in Spanish translates to ‘high’ and is a nod to the historic name of ‘Alta California’ meaning ‘Upper California,’” said Alta Housing’s board chair Sandy Sloan. “Alta Housing will continue to deliver on Palo Alto Housing’s mission to provide our community residents with opportunities for growth and advancement through quality affordable housing. Palo Alto Housing’s success over the last 50 years has been attributed to its strong community roots and our partnerships with organizations like Veterans Affairs and nonprofit Housing Choices to create affordable and inclusive housing opportunities for adults with developmental and other disabilities, and housing that can serve veterans and the homeless.”

Alta Housing has two 100% affordable housing developments which will be inclusive for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, Wilton Court in Palo Alto and 950 W. El Camino Real in Mountain View. Both communities are expected to break ground this year.

In addition, Alta Housing is currently under construction on 67 residential units at 2821 El Camino Real in the North Fair Oaks neighborhood in San Mateo County. The 100% affordable housing community will provide independent living for a mix of low-income families including veterans. The new community is slated for October 2020 completion.

According to a 2019 Bay Area Council poll, residents of the nine-county Bay Area rank homelessness behind only housing affordability, closely related to homelessness, and traffic congestion as the region’s biggest challenges, and the number of residents who believe homelessness is the region’s top problem has nearly tripled since 2015.