According to findings presented by Housing and Community Development Director Andrew Crabtree, Santa Clara reached its year 2035 job growth projection in 2016 — 19 years early! In stark contrast, household growth lagged severely, with the City approving a mere 152 new homes annually while adding 915 new households. (Table 1 in Staff Report)

SV@Home shared the following recommendations with the City Council and staff:

• Adopt jobs and housing goals that don’t exacerbate the current jobs-housing imbalance
• Identify, adopt, and implement strategies to achieve the housing/jobs goal;
• Embark on specific plan processes for both the El Camino Real and Great America focus areas
• Move forward with the Tasman East focus area planning process
• Carefully analyze and identify industrial areas that are suitable for conversion
• Create opportunities for community discussion and dialogue about the need for “complete neighborhoods” and create buy-in for the right housing solutions in the right places.

After a four-hour hearing, the Council directed staff to embark on specific planning processes for El Camino Real and Great America. Additionally, staff were directed to develop a gatekeeper process, update the zoning ordinance, and examine the General Plan’s progress towards transit demand management goals.

We thank SV@Home members – SummerHill Homes and Greenbelt Alliance – and other community advocates that spoke strongly in favor of an increased and diversified housing stock, better transit, and a process for creating more complete neighborhoods.

Last, but not least, we also thank Councilmembers Teresa O’Neill and Kathy Watanabe, Andrew Crabtree, and City Manager Rajeev Batra.