Where Did the Students Go? Housing & the School Enrollment Crisis

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Silicon Valley is becoming too expensive for families and our schools are paying the price. Enrollment is dropping, campuses are closing, and beloved school communities are being torn apart.

At the same time, teachers and staff face grueling commutes from far-away cities, while districts struggle to hire and keep the talent our kids deserve.

Join us for an inside look at SV@Home’s exclusive research on Silicon Valley’s enrollment crisis—and discover how affordable housing can keep families in our neighborhoods and strengthen schools across our region.

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April 3, 2017

Santa Clara Kicks Off General Plan Process

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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.