Saratoga News Low-income housing unit ready to open at Hakone By Steve Enders For Rent: Two-bedroom, one-bath historical cottage with living room, new appliances and new carpet. Comes complete with touches of Japanese styling, gorgeous garden view, one minute from Saratoga Village. Plenty of parking available. Sound like a dream home? For one couple that doesn't quite earn the high wages common in Silicon Valley, it will be. The cottage used to be the caretaker's house at Hakone Gardens. Now it's the latest addition to the city's affordable housing market. After four months of renovations and a complete facelift, the cottage is finally ready to move into. The $117,000 project has been completed, thanks to money from federally funded Community Development Block Grants and work from officials in both the city of Saratoga and Santa Clara County. The unit is scheduled to be dedicated Jan. 20 with a ceremony at Hakone Gardens from 3 to 5 p.m. After a dedication by Saratoga Mayor Jim Shaw, the Rev. Harkuo Ishiwata of the Konko Church of San Jose will bless the dwelling before the ribbon is cut and tours begin. Paula Reeve, an analyst with the city of Saratoga, said that the renovated building has been completely refurbished. The entire inside of the unit is new--the appliances, carpeting and paint. Instead of curtains or blinds, windows in the bedrooms are fitted with Japanese-style screens. "It's great," Reeve said. "We've used the CDBG funds to rehabilitate it and make affordable housing. It'll add additional housing to the city, and they'll be able to have someone here after hours." The unit's landlord will be the Hakone Foundation, which will take care of keeping up with landscaping outside. The cottage's enclosed yard isn't huge, but just beyond the front gate lies one of the area's most well-kept Japanese gardens. "Everyone wants to live here now," Reeve said. But Hakone Foundation president Daryl Becker said the foundation has only received one application so far. Advertising the cottage's availability has been limited to one week in a local Japanese newspaper, however. To qualify, the couple must make less than $36,800--the county's designation of "low income." Rent will likely be tailored to fit the tenant's budget, Reeve said, adding that the fair market rent for a similar two-bedroom apartment is $987 per month. Becker said that people trespassing on the property at night hasn't been much of a problem in the past, but he's hoping a full-time resident there will deter anyone from thinking about it in the future. The unit is still available for rent, and since it's a two-bedroom cottage, Becker said the foundation would like to see a couple move in. "It's ideally suited for a couple on a fixed-income, like a retired couple," Becker said. The 70-year-old cottage is located just inside the entrance to Hakone Gardens, between the parking lot and the main gate leading to the garden. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 20, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.