The site of a former Fremont motel, once used to house homeless individuals, is now a gleaming new affordable housing complex that was unveiled on Wednesday.
The opening comes after the city recently caught a lot of flak for adopting an ordinance that would make it illegal for anyone to “aid or abet” homeless campers. Some people accused them of being heartless. But at the same time, the city was quietly building more affordable housing than most Bay Area communities.
“Three, two, one…!” City officials and project partners counted down as Mayor Raj Salwan performed the ceremonial ribbon-cutting. It was the official introduction of Bell Street Gardens, a 126-unit, all-affordable housing complex at Mowry Avenue and Bell Street, where the 70s-era Islander Motel once stood – a building known to cause headaches for the city…