Highlights

Mayor Liccardo proposes 15-point housing package

On Tuesday, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo unveiled a bold 15-point point housing package that includes an ambitious goal of building 25,000 homes—including 10,000 affordable—in five years.  In addition to the numerical goal, included in the package are responses to key issues SV@Home has been advocating for:

– Making More Land Available for Housing Development—the plan recommends identifying 50,000 sites where housing can be built without General Plan amendments, opening up underutilized Neighborhood Business Districts for mixed-use residential development, and realigning Urban Village horizons and finalizing the Urban Village financing plan.

– Increased Affordability in North San Jose—the plan recommends moving forward with 4,000 units in North San Jose, with the majority being affordable.  This makes up for NSJ Phase 1, where only 7% of the homes were affordable (the goal was 20%).

– Consideration of New Financing Tools for Affordable Housing—the plan asks staff to consider a fee on vacant and underutilized sites/units, and taking action to permanently restore Redevelopment for affordable housing.

– Creating Missing Middle Options—the plan includes actions to make second units (Accessory Dwelling Units) more viable, and adds actions that would increase housing opportunities for teachers and students.

See the full plan here.  The City Council will consider these recommendations at its meeting on October 17th (see details in the public meeting section below).  We are really excited to work with the Mayor and the City staff to begin implementing these recommendations. Much more to come!

Who are SV@Home’s members? Find out here!

Have you seen the Our Members page on our new website? Check out the list of organizations and individuals who have decided to join SV@Home and support affordable housing in the Silicon Valley to see if your friends and co-workers have joined! Members include nonprofit and for-profit developers, service providers, homeless organizations and advocates, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, housing professionals, sustainable community leaders, local government staff and elected officials, businesses, community leaders, citizens, and more!

Become a Member!

SV@Home has accomplished a lot since we opened our doors in 2015 with the support of our passionate and dedicated members. We have seen firsthand how our membership of over 200 organizations and community members has come together and succeeded in creating more affordable homes in the Silicon Valley. Join our movement today and support affordable #housingforall by becoming a member of SV@Home, or renewing your membership for 2018 if you are already a member.

Affordable rates are available – no one is excluded due to lack of funds. Sign up online or mail us this form. For any questions, email membership@siliconvalleyathome.org.

Thanks and welcome to our newest 2018 members, Cynthia James, Alex Shoor, Keri Lung, and Robert Aguirre!

Housing Briefs

Mountain View City Council Responds to Calls to #SayYesNBS

After more than two hours of housing supportive-testimony, a majority of the Mountain View City Council supported a master planning process for North Bayshore and reaffirmed support for the inclusion of up to 9,850 new homes – with 20 percent affordable homes. The strong support for housing and affordable housing voiced during the September 26th study session is a reflection of the leadership and commitment to a better jobs and housing balance demonstrated by the City and the countless advocates who have worked on this issue for years.

As noted in SV@Home’s blog post, the marathon study session included a surprise from Google that created some confusion about the future of housing in NBS. At a few minutes after 1 am, Google spokesman Joe Van Belleghem stated that Google would not support any housing in North Bayshore unless the Council also approved an additional 800,000 square feet of office space (this in addition to the 3.6 million square feet already included in the planning area).  Since the meeting, via a letter sent to the City Council on Monday, Google reaffirmed its support for 9,850 new homes in NBS and articulated a request for a dialogue regarding the anticipated costs stemming from the range of public benefits identified by Council over the course of the planning process. We continue to work with the City, Google, and our partners to ensure that the NBS Precise Plan moves forward.

Adoption of the North Bayshore Precise Plan is anticipated on November 14th. Join us as we continue to press for #HousingForAll in Mountain View. If you haven’t already done so – add your name to the long list of organizations and individuals that #SayYesNBS by signing this petition!

AB 1505 – what now for impact fees?

One of the interesting outcomes of the State housing package is the impact it may have on Housing Impact Fees (HIF)—tools that cities have recently adopted to finance affordable housing development.  After the case known simply as “Palmer” was decided, cities had to abandon their residential rental inclusionary housing policies—policies that required that developers of market rate housing include a percentage of the homes as affordable.  Now that AB 1505 has been signed by the Governor, effectively overriding Palmer and reaffirming local government’s land use authority to establish inclusionary policies, many cities are abandoning their HIF ordinances.  Case in point—San Jose—which plans to begin implementing its Rental Inclusionary Ordinance effective January 1st, the date AB 1505 becomes effective.  How other cities, including cities like Santa Clara that are now considering the adoption of HIFs, react is yet to be seen.

San Jose Edenvale Ballot Measure

Land owner and developer Carl Berg and partners announced controversial plans to place a ballot measure  on the November 2018 ballot to approve 910 new homes for residents who are 55+ on 200 acres in East San Jose’s Edenvale neighborhood.  Twenty percent of the units would be affordable for lower-income veterans.  The ballot measure would change the City’s General Plan, which now requires that the land be reserved for industrial uses.  The City of San Jose is concerned about the loss of employment land as well as the use of the ballot box to make land use decisions.  This Mercury News article includes more background, and a  link to the ballot measure.

CASA—the Committee to House the Bay Area—Launches

Last week, the CASA Steering Committee met for the first time to begin the process of addressing the housing crisis on a regional level.  Along with the CASA Technical Committee, CASA brings together nearly 50 leaders from across the 9-County Bay Area, including mayors from the three largest Bay Area cities and elected officials from small and mid-size jurisdictions.  What’s different about this effort from past efforts is not only the regional focus, but that the people in the room come from different vantage points when they think of housing solutions.  While all agree there is a housing crisis, the hope is that, by having everyone in the room, they can jointly agree on solutions.  Find out more about CASA here.

Measure A Funding Availability Announced

On Tuesday, September 26th, the County Office of Supportive Housing released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the new Supportive Housing Development Fund, which will provide capital funding from Measure A and other County sources for the development of housing, with a deep focus on Permanent Supportive Housing and housing for people at risk of homelessness.  Additionally, the NOFA announced the availability of 258 project based vouchers.  Applications are being accepted on an over-the-counter basis, and initial funding awards are projected in November. See the NOFA here.

SPUR releases report on San Jose housing

In case you missed it, SPUR released “Room for More,” a report detailing 20 actions that the City of San Jose can use to respond to the Housing Crisis.  Some of SPUR’s ideas were included in Mayor Liccardo’s 15-point Housing Plan announced this week.  The report had two major recommendations, many of which are applicable to other jurisdictions:

1. “Use planning and zoning tools to build 120,000 new housing units — both market-rate and affordable — over the next 30 years.”

2. “Find new resources to support affordable housing development.”

San Jose – Google and Diridon Station

Negotiations continue as Google seeks to acquire land adjacent to the Diridon Transit Station, including land owned by the former Redevelopment Agency of the CIty of San Jose (known as SARA).  The fact that the City doesn’t own all the land Google is seeking to purchase, and the SARA Board is engaged in negotiations, has delayed the process. As envisioned, the proposed Google Village would include 8 million-square-feet of office space, creating a new Downtown San Jose campus that could accommodate as many as 20,000 Google staff.

It is music to SV@Home’s ears to hear City leaders describe the potential development as a mixed-use, transit-oriented village that includes housing, office space, and retail uses.  This would be a completely different vision from the existing Diridon Station Plan, approved in 2014, which envisioned a potential ballpark, 2,600 housing units, 4.96 million square feet of office, R&D, and industrial space, 424,000 square feet of retail, and 900 hotel rooms, with the housing and other uses largely segregated on the site.  SV@Home will work with both Google and the City of San Jose to push for a mixed-use, exciting development that both integrates development uses and significantly increases the number of proposed residential units, particularly affordable homes.

Mayor Liccardo and Councilmember Raul Peralez, who represents the Diridon Station Area, have stated publicly their desire to have lots of community conversation.  SV@Home will provide updates as this important project moves forward.

Upcoming Public Meetings

Check our website’s Events Calendar for more details about each of these meetings and other upcoming events!

San Jose City Council – Study Session on CEQA Transition to Vehicle Miles Traveled Metric

Friday, October 6th, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
San Jose City Hall – City Council Chambers
200 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose

As required by SB 743 (2013), the City of San Jose is shifting the way that it analyzes transportation impacts of development projects under CEQA.  Instead of using automobile delay as a metric (measured by “level of service”) the City is in the process of implementing a change to using a metric of vehicle miles traveled (VMT). This change could ultimately help to facilitate more transit-oriented development and promote environmental sustainability.  We will be tracking the City of San Jose’s implementation process as it progresses.

Santa Clara City Council – Affordable Housing Requirements Update (tentative)

(Inclusionary Housing & Housing Impact Fees)
Tuesday, October 10th at 7:00 pm
Santa Clara City Hall
1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara

As a follow up from the July Council discussion regarding the recommendations put forward by the City’s Affordable Housing Requirements Update Working Group, the City Council will revisit potential changes to its existing inclusionary housing policy as well as the adoption of new affordable housing impact fees for both residential and non-residential development. The Council  will discuss a draft ordinance proposed by staff, as well as several new policy questions that have arisen with the passage of AB 1505.  (see our Housing Brief, “AB 1505 – What now impact fees?” above for more information).  Check SV@Home’s events calendar for updates related to this item and a link to the meeting agenda once it is available.

San Jose City Council – Mayor Liccardo’s Housing Plan

Tuesday, October 17th, Time TBD
San Jose City Hall
200 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose

As noted above (see above article under Housing Highlights), San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo recently unveiled a 15-point point housing package that includes an ambitious goal of building 25,000 homes—including 10,000 affordable homes—in five years. Wondering how the City will reach this goal?  Tune in to the City Council’s first discussion of the Mayor’s plan is on October 17th.

CASA (Committee to House the Bay Area) – Technical Committee Meeting

Wednesday, October 25th
Time and Location TBD
Check the CASA website for updates

The CASA Technical Committee will reconvene on October 25 to continue discussion of regional solutions that can drive a Housing Implementation Strategy for the Bay Area.  This will be the fourth of 14 Technical Committee meetings throughout the CASA process.  SV@Home will update our events calendar with additional meeting details as they become available.

Sunnyvale City Council- Accessory Dwelling Units

Tuesday, October 17th at 7:00 pm
Sunnyvale City Hall
456 West Olive Street, Sunnyvale

The City of Sunnyvale is exploring policy changes that would facilitate the creation of more accessory dwelling units (ADUs) throughout the City.  Sunnyvale amended its ordinance in late 2016 to comply with new State regulations following the passage of AB 2299/SB 1069, and this new round of changes would go above and beyond the statewide requirements.  Among the changes being considered is a reduction of the minimum lot size required to build an ADU.  Check out this article from the Mercury News for more information.

City of San Jose – Developer Outreach Meetings to Discuss AB 1505

Friday, October 13th and Wednesday, November 15th, 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Martin Luther King Jr. Library – Room 255 (2nd floor)
150 E. San Fernando Street, San Jose

The passage of AB 1505 allows local governments to require affordable housing units in new rental developments.  Housing Department staff will discuss the implications of the bill’s passage for San Jose.  Due to limited space, please RSVP to Delilah Chavez at: Delilah.chavez@sanjoseca.gov, or call at 408-975-4431.  Find out more on the City of San Jose’s website.

San Jose City Council – Urban Village Financing

Tuesday, November 14, Time TBD
San Jose City Hall
200 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose

Back in June, City staff presented a plan to the City Council that laid out a plan for financing Urban Village infrastructure. After receiving feedback from Council, developers, and other stakeholders including SV@Home, staff has made changes to its proposal and will present the revised plan to the City Council.  It is critical that the financing plan framework be completed so that development can proceed in Urban Villages.

Mountain View City Council – North Bayshore Precise Plan Final Adoption

Tuesday, November 14th, Time TBD
Mountain View City Hall
500 Castro Street, Mountain View

With a successful study session on September 26th, there is now just one step left in getting the City Council to officially say yes to housing in North Bayshore.  Join us to #SayYesNBS for complete neighborhoods, 2,000 new affordable homes, and a 30% increase in Mountain View’s housing stock!  Take action and sign the coalition letter here.

SV@Home Events

Save the Date: Happy Housers on November 9th

Thursday, November 9, 2017, 5:30-7:00 PM
Location TBD

Save the date for the next SV@Home Happy Housers’ Hour on November 9th, 5:30-7pm! Further details will be sen soon.

Save the Date: SV@Home Member Holiday Party

Wednesday, December 13th from 5:30-8:00 PM
Silicon Valley Capital Club
50 West San Fernando, San Jose
RSVP

Join us for our annual holiday party on Wednesday, December 13th at the Silicon Valley Capital Club!  This is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with others determined to make housing affordable throughout Silicon Valley.

Note: This event is for SV@Home members only, so make sure to become a member before you RSVP. If you are not sure whether or not you are a member, please email gina@siliconvalleyathome.org.

Not a member yet? Sign up now to become a 2017 member and attend the rest of our 2016 events, including the holiday party, for free! Click here for more information on becoming an SV@Home member and click here  for the membership form.

We hope to see you on December 13th! You can RSVP on the eventbrite page.

Partner Events

NPH Fall Conference: Standing Together

October 6, 2017, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Hilton San Francisco Union Square
Hosted by Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California

From NPH: “Our theme for this year – “Standing Together” – reflects our commitment to standing with our members, partners, and allies and the broader community to create an equitable, sustainable, and vibrant region and state through creating and preserving affordable homes. Our Conference will provide you with the tools, knowledge, and networks to do just that.”

See the full details on NPH’s website.

On the House

October 16, 2017, 5:30-7:30 PM
SP2 Communal Bar + Restaurant
72 Almaden Avenue, San Jose
Hosted by Housing Trust Silicon Valley
RSVP Here

Housing Trust Silicon Valley is excited to invite you to our fall event, On the House! Join us downtown at SP2 Communal Bar and Restaurant on October 16 to enjoy food and drinks and spend an evening networking with your friends and colleagues – all while celebrating a year of creating affordable housing opportunities in Silicon Valley!

Individual tickets are available at $35, and sponsors of Investor Briefing 2018 receive five free tickets to On the House! Become a sponsor today!

SVCN: Be Our Guest

Thursday, October 26th at 11am-1pm
The Rotary Summit Center, 7th floor (top floor)
88 S 4th St, San Jose, CA
RSVP here

Join the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits for its Annual Celebrity Be Our Guest Server Luncheon, where public servants and other local personalities “serve” the community in a whole new way! In the spirit of Halloween, lunch will be served with style by local celebrities where they will also showcase their decorated pumpkins for all attendees to see. All pumpkins will be displayed and auctioned off you attendees. A panel of Celebrity Pumpkin Judges keeps the competition fierce every year.

Each year, SVCN’s Pumpkin Judges award winners in the following categories:

Best Current Event, Most Political/Best Message, Best Carved/Jack-o-lantern, Best Overall, SVCN’s choice, and Audience Choice.

Cal-ALFHA Conference

Thursday, November 2nd, 2017
Capitol Plaza Holiday Inn
300 J Street, Sacramento, CA
RSVP Here

The California Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (CAL-ALHFA) will hold its 2017 annual conference on November 2nd.  Key topics include: local housing bonds and ballot initiatives, inclusionary zoning, State and Federal Legislation updates, local land use and planning initiatives, and much more. The keynote speaker will be Carol Galante of the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation.  Registration is available at www.calalhfa.org.