Spotlight on Housing
#ItsUpToUs, Silicon Valley
12 days. 24 events. Over 950 people.
A little about the week…
Every May, counties throughout the Bay Area and beyond celebrate Affordable Housing Week, providing an opportunity for community members and housers—people already working to increase and preserve affordable housing— to learn what is underway, engage around solutions, and make new relationships. Activities were scheduled throughout the Bay Area, with organizations like the East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO), Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo (HLC), and Council of Community Housing Organizations (CCHO) organizing meetings and events.
Santa Clara County’s Affordable Housing Week 2017 (AHW2017) officially ran from Friday, May 12th to May 19th. This year’s theme “#ItsUpToUs, Silicon Valley” was about the need for all workers and residents of Santa Clara County to come together and act collaboratively to solve the affordable housing crisis that affects us all. All together, nearly 1,000 participants attended 24 events hosted over a span of 12 days!
Are You In Any of the Pictures?– Check out this collection of photos from the week, from pictures of the Missing Middle Panel and Mountain View Micro Pad Showcase, to the Artist Housing Panel and Reception, to the SVLG Housing Tour, the What’s Now for Measure A Panel, the Permanent Supportive Housing Tour and Panel, to the end of the week Happy Houser’s Mixer. We have pictures of most all events that took place during the week, including the proclamation presentations. View the picture gallery on Facebook.
Big thanks!
AHW2017 would not have been possible without the support of our title sponsor, the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara (HACSC), our platinum sponsors, Google, LinkedIn, the City of San Jose, and the County of Santa Clara, our gold sponsor, Sobrato Foundation, and other sponsors and housing allies! We’re proud and thrilled to have partnered with more than 20 organizations to support, coordinate, and promote 24 events throughout the County.
A few highlights…
Santa Clara County Housing Authority Celebrates 50th Year – Founded in 1967 with nine employees and a mere 300 vouchers, the Housing Authority now is one of the largest in the nation, with over 140 staff, more than 17,000 Section 8 vouchers, and over 2,700 housing units. To celebrate its anniversary, the Housing Authority has changed its name from the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara (HACSC) to the streamlined Santa Clara County Housing Authority (SCCHA). Congratulations to SCCHA leader Katherine Harasz, her Board, and her staff for reaching this milestone anniversary.
AHW2017 Kicks-Off with a Policy Breakfast –If you were one of the more than 200+ people who joined SV@Home at this year’s Policy Breakfast, you got the chance to hear from Statewide and regional leaders who are working to respond to housing issues, albeit not always from the same position. The panel, moderated by Silicon Valley Community Foundation CEO Emmett Carson, with Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, new head of the League of California Cities Carolyn Coleman, and Chair of BIA Bay Area Paul Nieto. While the panel discussed a number of topics, a focus was on Senator Wiener’s SB 35, the revamped by-right housing bill that follows Governor Brown’s attempt at streamlining from last summer. SB 35 would streamline development approvals for projects that meet local zoning, as long as a percentage of the new homes are affordable and the project meets other requirements, including payment of prevailing wage. Check out SV@Home’s position on SB35.
First Ever AHW2017 Art Poster Contest Receives 20 Entries – This year, with a spark of an idea from Jacky Morales-Ferrand, San Jose’s Housing Director, SV@Home worked with Barbara Goldstein and the local art community to sponsor a contest for an AHW themed poster. The winning poster, by Adrian Avila, was used extensively during the week. If you didn’t get a poster and would like one, email us at info@siliconvalleyathome and we will figure out how to get one to you. We plan to do this again next year, so let your local art friends know!
SV@Home Roadmap Update – SV@Home released a Roadmap Update, following the release last year of the Policy Roadmap: How Do We Tackle the Housing Crisis? The Update highlights the wins of the year—including the success of Measure A, the $950 million bond measure for affordable housing—and lays out priorities for the coming year.
Celebrating the End of the Week – SV@Home staff were ready for a celebration by Friday the 12th, and were excited to celebrate with partners and friends at the home of Board Chair and Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley CEO Ron Gonzales and his wife Guisselle Nunez. With wine, beer, food, good weather, and a beautiful setting, who could ask for more? Thank you Ron and Guisselle!
Give Us Your Feedback
Let us know your experience with #AHW2017, what you liked best, and where we can improve in the future. Fill out this survey by June 2nd.