Help us protect Measure E for Affordable Housing

We need all housers to show your support for Measure E, which funds Affordable Housing in the City of San Jose. Measure E is currently under attack! The Mayor’s proposed budget not only diminishes funding for affordable housing next year but grabs money set aside last year for projects awaiting funding. This shift in funds would be redirected into Emergency Interim Shelters for the long term despite being portrayed as a one-time relocation. Taking apart Measure E –  the primary source of city funds for permanently affordable housing passed by voters in 2020– is serious business and will require a ⅔ vote by the city council. 

SV@Home is committed to a comprehensive approach to addressing housing instability and the growing population of people without homes in San Jose. Now, we need your help to make this happen!

We are asking all of you to do three things to protect Measure E for Affordable Housing:

Add your name to this letter, and share the link with your networks. You can find the full content of the letter below. We need these signatures by Friday at 12PM, so please sign as soon as possible.

Next Tuesday 5/16, San Jose City Council Meeting

1. There will be a media event and action in front of City Hall at 12:00 PM hosted by local partners working together to protect Measure E.
2. Comment during the Council Meeting at 1:30 PM. Here’s the City Council agenda and the proposed budget. You can also provide public comment via Zoom.

Your presence is essential so please join us for both events and use your voice to support the protection of Measure E for Affordable Housing.

Call San Jose City Council Offices

Sample script. (Contact info below):

Hello my name is _____. I am calling to ask you/the councilmember for support to maintain the current Measure E expenditure plan. 

• Depleting long-term affordable housing funds for overinvestment in short-term shelters violates voters’ trust.
• This funding shift undermines our commitment to expanding affordable housing and ignores the role of affordable and permanent supportive housing in providing real homes for people moving out of interim shelters.
• The destabilizing impact of rent burden, overcrowding, displacement, and the increase in homelessness is a result of the lack of homes in our community that people can afford.

We urge you to keep the balanced approach of the current Measure E.

Text of the sign-on letter linked to action 1

We are a broad coalition of organizations and individuals writing to ask you to support maintaining the current Measure E expenditure plan. The proposed changes not only zero out funding for affordable housing next year, but raid the funds received in prior years and creates a massive long term budget obligation to the city. This violates our commitment to voters, undermines our commitment to expanding affordable housing, and ignores the role of affordable and permanent supportive housing in providing real homes for people moving out of interim shelters.

The destabilizing impact of rent burden, overcrowding, displacement, and the increase in homelessness is a result of the lack of homes in our community that people can afford. As a city, we have recently made important commitments to building affordable housing in more parts of the City, expanding opportunities and ensuring that new housing is a resource for neighborhood stability. Taking money from Measure E for band aid solutions is abandoning these commitments. 

Overdependence on emergency interim shelter is a major shift in priorities, and not a responsible policy.

350 W. Julian St #5 • San José, CA 95110 • 408.780.8411

  siliconvalleyathome.org