Mariposa Workforce Housing Project Moves Forward
A long-discussed effort to create more workforce housing in Mariposa is moving into a new stage, with a proposal for as many as 85 housing units headed toward a September Planning Commission hearing.
Mariposa County has scheduled a Sept. 4 public hearing on the proposed Missouri Gulch workforce housing development, which would include up to 85 dwelling units in five three-story residential buildings on two parcels totaling about 6.6 acres north of Jones Street. The Planning Commission will consider a General and Area Plan amendment, a Major Design Review and the county’s intent to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project.
The proposal is part of a broader county effort to address housing availability for people who work in and around Mariposa but may struggle to find housing close to their jobs.
The Missouri Gulch Workforce Housing Design Project grew out of Mariposa County’s Integrated Mobility and Housing Strategy, which the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted in January 2023. The strategy was developed in partnership with Yosemite National Park and examined ways to better connect workforce housing outside the park with major employment centers, transportation and services.
County officials have identified the Missouri Gulch site as a priority because of its location within the town of Mariposa and its proximity to infrastructure, services and transportation. The larger Missouri Gulch property consists of three adjacent parcels totaling 9.7 acres and is owned by Yosemite Conservancy, a project partner.
Housing Tied to the Local Workforce
The project is intended to address more than the number of available housing units.
County planning documents describe a model in which additional housing is paired with transportation options, including shuttle and group transportation, with the goal of reducing long single-occupancy vehicle commutes between Mariposa and Yosemite National Park.
That relationship between housing and employment has been central to the project from the beginning.
Mariposa County has involved representatives from Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Conservancy, Mariposa County Unified School District, the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, Sierra Foothill Conservancy, local veterans services and community residents in the planning process.
Community HousingWorks, a nonprofit housing developer selected through a competitive process, has also joined the project and is expected to lead future development if the proposal continues forward.
Earlier concepts presented during the planning process contemplated a combination of affordable and middle-income workforce housing. The current Planning Commission notice sets the potential size of the Jones Street development at up to 85 units.
County Pursuing Additional Funding
The Missouri Gulch project is also tied to a larger funding effort now underway.
Mariposa County is preparing an application for another round of funding through California’s Transformative Climate Communities program. The county says the proposal could include funding for middle-income housing at Missouri Gulch along with possible investments in public transit, pedestrian improvements, workforce development and other community projects.
A series of community workshops, surveys and public meetings was held through early August to gather feedback on which projects should be included. An advisory group is expected to review that input before the county submits its final grant application by Sept. 30.
The current Missouri Gulch design and environmental work is already being supported through a previous Transformative Climate Communities grant from the California Strategic Growth Council. That grant period runs from September 2024 through August 2026.
The Sept. 4 Planning Commission hearing represents another step in what has been a multi-year effort to turn the Missouri Gulch concept into an actual housing development.
If approved through the planning and environmental review process and ultimately funded and built, the project could add dozens of new homes in the town of Mariposa while addressing one of the challenges repeatedly identified by local employers: finding housing close enough for workers to live in the community where they work.
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Feature Photo: Affordable multifamily housing at Villa Hermosa Apartments in Indio, California. The image is for illustrative purposes and does not depict the proposed Missouri Gulch workforce housing development in Mariposa.
Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture, public domain.