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Housing Element Toolkit
Click here for specific information about your city in Santa Clara County! What happens once cities have a compliant Housing Element? Now the hard work begins, as local jurisdictions begin to implement the programs in this 8-year work plan. Each year in April, cities will report their progress to HCD in the Annual Progress Report […]
HOUSING TOPICS
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Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), sometimes called secondary units, granny units, in-law units, and backyard cottages,…
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Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH)
It’s the law in California! In July 2020, President Trump issued an Executive Order formally…
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Affordable Rental Housing Finance
Affordable rental housing has many of the same cost components as market-rate housing: land, development…
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Area Median Income & Eligibility for Affordable Housing
The area median income (AMI) in Santa Clara County in 2024 is $184,300, an increase…
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At-Risk Rental Properties
The California Housing Partnership Corporation (CHPC) tracks all income-restricted apartments that have been developed with…
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CASA – The Committee to House the Bay Area
After 18 months of intense work, dialogue and debate, the Committee to House the Bay…
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CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act)
This 1972 State statute, much amended over the years, requires that all but small development…
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Commercial Linkage Fees
Commercial Linkage Fees (CLF) are a standard tool used by local communities for generating affordable…
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Community Land Trusts
A community land trust (CLT) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation that is defined in federal…
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Condo Conversions
Condominium (also known as “condo”) conversion refers to the conversion of multi-family rental units from…
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Costs of Development
Financing the development of housing is complex, and financing affordable housing development is even more…
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Developer Resources for ICE Actions
In Santa Clara County, anyone can report ICE activity to the Rapid Response Network by…
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Ellis Act
The Ellis Act, adopted in 1985, establishes limits on how cities can regulate the way…
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Emergency Interim Housing
Our communities are experiencing a homelessness crisis, which is a symptom of an overwhelming shortage…
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Existing Affordable Housing Assets
SV@Home has compiled data from the 16 jurisdictions in Santa Clara County to determine the…
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Fair Housing
Federal Law Under federal law, it is illegal to discriminate in the sale or rental…
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General Plans
Every city and county in California is required by the State to adopt a General…
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Glossary of Affordable Housing and Development Terms
20% Housing Funds – See Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Fund. ABAG – See Association of…
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Homekey Initiative Motel Conversions
On June 30, 2020, Governor Newsome announced the $600 million Homekey Initiative, a hotel/motel conversion…
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Homelessness
According to the 2022 Santa Clara County Homeless Census and Survey (also known as the Homeless…
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Housing Development Process
The housing development process is complex and time-consuming even under the most favorable of circumstances.…
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Housing Elements
Every city and county in California is required by the State to adopt a General Plan that…
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Housing Impact Fees
An impact fee is a charge levied by a local community on new development that covers the…
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Inclusionary Housing
Inclusionary Housing Ordinances (IHO) require developers to set aside a portion of units in new…
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Jobs and Housing
Santa Clara County and to other parts of the Bay Area faces a significant jobs-housing…
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Jobs and Housing in the Development Pipeline
The housing crisis in Silicon Valley and throughout the greater Bay Area has, by universal…
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Jobs and Housing Pipeline in San Jose
San Jose is experiencing a tremendous amount of development and pre-development activity. (Pre-development projects have…
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Just Cause Eviction Protections
Just Cause Eviction Ordinances require that landlords have a reason to evict a tenant. These…
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Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC)
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program has been one of the primary sources of…
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Measure A Housing Bond
As of December 31, 2020, the Measure A program has committed over $499.35 million of…
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Measure E in San Jose
The San Jose City Council placed Measure E on the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary…
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Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
The Federal Government, the State Legislature, and Bay Area voters have assigned the Metropolitan Transportation…
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Missing Middle Housing
The term “Missing Middle Housing” refers to housing that is naturally more affordable because of…
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Mobilehomes
Mobilehomes are often a source of naturally affordable housing. Mobilehome park residents often own their…
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Reach Codes
Reach codes are building codes that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and improve air…
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Regional Collaboration
Housing must be considered through a regional lens. Planning for housing city by city or…
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Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA)
Every eight years, the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process is used to assign each…
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Rent Stabilization
Rent Stabilization – commonly called Rent Control – places a cap on annual allowable rent…
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Santa Clara County’s Housing Shortfall
Determining the precise amount of housing needed is challenging, as it must include not only…
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Santa Clara County: Community Plan to End Homelessness
Despite progress in Santa Clara County to create a supportive housing system that helps thousands…
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School Enrollment Decline & the Housing Element
Contact Alison Cingolani for more information. View The Missing Piece: How New Homes Can Help…
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Soft-Story Buildings
Soft-story building construction is a term used to describe low-rise, multi-story, wood-frame apartment structures with…
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Specific Plans
Cities are required by State law to adopt General Plans that lay out plans for…
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Surplus & Underutilized Public Land
One of the most challenging issues affordable housing developers face is acquiring land, particularly when…
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Transit Oriented Communities at BART Stations
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is high-density residential and non-residential development located near rail transit stations and stops…
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Understanding Housing Affordability
Santa Clara County is an expensive place to live. For both renters and homeowners, housing…