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A church site in Livermore, once slated for the development of a substance use disorder treatment facility, is now being considered for a potential, approximately 15-unit service-enriched housing project designed for unhoused seniors.
Located at 2346 Walnut St., developer Housing Consortium of the East Bay acquired the property with the help of the city of Livermore in 2022, through its affordable housing trust fund and an affordable housing loan agreement.
At the time, HCEB was set to develop a substance use disorder treatment facility for low-income and unhoused Livermore residents, according to a June 9 Livermore City Council staff report prepared by Livermore management analyst Shelly Haynes.
However, when the property was later found insufficient to host a treatment facility, HCEB requested an amendment to the agreement to gain additional time for predevelopment activities as it reoriented its mission towards creating affordable housing.
Given the council’s unanimous approval of the amendment at its June 9 regular meeting, the developer must now complete predevelopment activities including site due diligence and feasibility studies along with submission of a concept plan to the city by October; community outreach by February 2026 as well as final submission of a development plan to the city by June 2026.
For the design phase, HCEB has partnered with Gunkel Architecture, known for its work on the Vineyard Resource Center – a supportive housing and services development. But if Livermore rejects the development plan, the city can require HCEB to transfer the property and assign its rights and obligations to a city-designated entity.
“This schedule is specifically designed to facilitate thoughtful public input and robust collaboration between HCEB and city staff, enabling us to shape a comprehensive program that not only provides housing but also strengthens vital services for the community’s most vulnerable,” city spokesperson Sonia Lee told Livermore Vine.
Victory Baptist Church moved out of the site in 2022, but they still hold Sunday services there and help maintain the property until demolition and development begins, according to Lee.
The city council approved the allocation of $2.4 million from its affordable housing trust fund to HCEB May 23, 2022 to acquire the property for development of a substance use disorder treatment facility, according to city staff.
The following month, the city entered into an affordable housing loan agreement with HCEB to finance the acquisition of the property and some predevelopment costs, the report states.
Under this agreement, HCEB committed to acquiring, developing, owning and operating the property until a nonprofit service provider could be identified. The provider — approved by the city and Alameda County Behavioral Health — would then develop, own and operate the substance use disorder treatment facility.
Under this agreement, the property could also be repurposed for affordable, multifamily housing for unhoused residents if a nonprofit service provider could not be secured within two years.
HCEB then collaborated with the city and nonprofit organization La Familia to implement the project.
“After conducting community outreach and evaluating the property’s limitations, it was determined that the capacity and needs of the project exceeded what the property could support,” city staff wrote in June.
HCEB then requested an amendment to its agreement with the city to gain additional time for predevelopment activities on the property to repurpose it for affordable housing.
The council unanimously granted the request as part of the June 9 consent calendar — which includes items considered routine in nature that are typically approved by a single vote.
Through the amendment, the developer gains extra time for feasibility studies, community outreach and development planning.
The amendment also allows HCEB access to the remaining funds from the original loan for predevelopment and site carrying costs, including taxes and insurance.
While plans for the treatment facility at 2346 Walnut St. were axed, La Familia intends to establish a facility on Tesla Road in unincorporated Alameda County featuring 16 dedicated beds for Tri-Valley residents, according to city staff. The organization has secured funding through the state continuum infrastructure program to acquire a 10-acre site for the project.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the property was vacant. Victory Baptist Church no longer owns the property, but still holds Sunday services on-site, city officials said. Livermore Vine regrets the error.
