The Housing Needs of Undocumented Residents

JOIN US VIRTUALLY ON FRIDAY, JULY 25TH 12PM

Undocumented immigrants face unique and often invisible barriers to housing—exclusion from federal programs, fear of retaliation, and discriminatory screening practices.

Join us for a timely conversation on how we can break down these barriers and advance housing solutions that include everyone—regardless of immigration status.

We’ll explore:
– Why undocumented immigrants are excluded from key housing programs
– How fear and discrimination drive housing instability
– Local policies and community-based models creating real change

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June 25, 2025

San Jose’s 4-Year Review

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San Jose has begun the process for a package of city-initiated amendments to the General Plan, the City’s comprehensive, long-range plan for the physical development of the city. The Envision San José 2040 General Plan establishes a cycle of four-year reviews, providing opportunities to evaluate the City’s achievement of key goals and make mid-course adjustments to the General Plan. This work is done through public meetings of the Envision San José 2040 Task Force, Planning Commission, and City Council. The Task Force’s consideration of General Plan amendments will be limited to the scope of work unanimously approved by the City Council on June 9th. 

Scope of Work

The scope of work for the Four-Year Review is structured to address significant barriers to the development of housing, and is both narrow and focused. It includes:

  • Increasing Residential Unit Capacity: Expanding the number of sites in the city with land use policies that enable housing production at all income levels. This enables the City to lay the groundwork for the next housing element cycle, as well as freeing up current capacity. As part of this work, the task force will also consider land use changes that would enable small multifamily housing in more places in the City. We appreciate staff using this opportunity to prepare for a timely and compliant seventh-cycle housing element that can meaningfully meet the housing needs of all the city’s residents.
  • Streamlining the Urban Village planning process: The planning process established by the General Plan requires a multiyear, comprehensive plan for each Urban Village, which serves as a framework for new job and housing growth within walkable and bike friendly areas that have good access to transit and other existing infrastructure and facilities. About 15 of the City’s Urban Villages currently have approved plans (four of which are being consolidated under the Five Wounds Urban Village Update). Dozens more still need to be planned. Streamlining may include approaches such as further consolidation of plan areas and faster processes, and will make it easier for developers to build in these growth areas.
  • Potentially Modifying the Planned Job Growth and Jobs/Employed Resident Ratio: The General Plan currently targets a balance of jobs per resident of 1.1 by the year 2040, with the goal of increasing the business tax revenues the City uses to provide services to residents and businesses. (San Jose’s sprawling pattern of low-density residential development requires far more City resources to serve than it generates in revenues to the City.) Adding residential capacity will require the City to adjust this target, change or abandon the jobs/ employed resident ratio measure, or to also increase job-producing land uses.
  • Environmental Review: Increasing residential capacity will require significant environmental analysis. This process is an opportunity to update and revise thresholds that trigger comprehensive environmental review for infill housing, and create more standard mitigation measures such as those related to noise, traffic, and cultural resources. These would expand the eligibility for more infill housing development to be exempt from full environmental review.

To inform the Task Force’s considerations, the General Plan 4-Year Review study sessions will also include a broad progress report generated by staff to examine progress in achievement of goals, financial and land use information, analysis from consultants, and growth and employment projections.

Task Force & Community Engagement

Since its adoption in 2011, San Jose’s General Plan has undergone 4-year reviews in 2015-16 and 2020-21. This work has historically been done by a Task Force of up to 40 members,  including a representative of SV@Home, representing diverse perspectives. For the 2025-26  4-Year Review, staff is proposing to use the City’s Planning Commission as the Task Force, due to the limited scope of work and tight timeline. The Planning Commission would hold a series of public study sessions focused on each topic listed above to provide a forum for stakeholder input and discussion. Staff will present their analysis to the Planning Commission and solicit feedback on the approach and findings, which will help inform staff’s recommendation to the City Council.

Planning Commissioners are familiar with city policymaking, have knowledge on the land use and environmental topics to be discussed, and are appointed to represent each Council District. They are already responsible for making recommendations to the City Council on General Plan Amendments, comprehensive plan updates, and changes to land use and development regulations. Due to the limited scope of work and tight timeline, SV@Home supports this approach for the 2025-26 General Plan 4-Year Review only, after which the Task Force composition should return to a more robust representation. As we have been since our founding, SV@Home will be engaged in the Four-Year Review process, and will keep you informed about important opportunities to engage.

In order to move forward with the planning commission as the Task Force, a General Plan text amendment will be necessary. Staff plans to bring forth that amendment for City Council approval by September 2025. 

Given the smaller and narrower task force, we recognize the need for real opportunities for public input in the Four-Year Review process, especially from underrepresented communities of color, individuals with disabilities, and other important stakeholders who may need language access, special accommodations, or be less likely to participate in public process. We commend Mayor Mahan, Vice Mayor Foley, and Councilmembers Campos, Cohen, and Casey for their Memo, unanimously adopted by Council, calling for a comprehensive public outreach program co-led by the Office of Racial and Social Equity and the Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement Department, to provide meaningful opportunities for residents and community stakeholders to share input throughout the Four-Year Review process. 

Timeline

  • September 2025: General Plan amendment for Task Force composition changes to Council
  • Late fall 2025: Task Force study sessions & convenings begin (at least 6)
  • June 2026: Task force convenings complete
  • Late 2027: Environmental review of task force recommendations complete
  • December 2027: Final Task Force recommendations to Council for consideration