Affordable Housing Month graphic
April 20, 2023

Special Edition Newsletter: Affordable Housing Month 2023

Share:
 

Housing Happenings

 

SV@Home proudly announces our sponsors for Affordable Housing Month 2023. Thank you to all of our sponsors for their support and dedication to our mission, driving the creation of affordable housing for a more vibrant and equitable Silicon Valley!

It is not too late to sponsor Affordable Housing Month 2023. Please reach out to sergio@siliconvalleyathome.org if interested in supporting this movement through sponsorship.

#MembershipMatters – Become a Member Today!

 

Our calendar of events is here! Be sure to register to save your spot.

 

The month of May is full of partner events with more than 35 events offered throughout the month. Since there are too many events to list here, we have highlighted several partner events below that feature a speaker from the SV@Home team.

NPH Presents: Affordable Housing Month Regional Event- From Scarcity to Abundance: Bringing the Bay Area Together Towards Homes for All (May 2nd). Moderated by Los Angeles Times reporter Liam Dillon, a panel of Bay Area racial, social, and housing justice advocates– including SV@Home’s Executive Director, Regina Celestin Williams– will discuss opportunities to work together across county lines to end homelessness and housing insecurity, and the power of storytelling to inspire our community to dream of a Bay Area where every person has a place to call home. The discussion will be followed by opportunities for the audience to engage with the panelists and each other, as we come together to be creative and dream together of an abundant future for all.

 

African American Community Services Agency Presents: Black Housing: Land, Crisis, and Reparations (May 11th). As we engage and inform our African American/African Ancestry community and other hard-to-find populations, it is important to acknowledge the loss of land and the decline of Black homeownership for Black Americans. In the modern day, we have seen declining rates of land ownership, Black farmland, homeownership, and the long-term effects eminent domain and racism have had on Black wealth building. The California Reparations Task Force cites homeownership and redlining as some of the harms inflicted on Black Americans. We think it is valuable to bring this conversation to the larger community. Along with the experts, we invite the community to engage in this topic, discussing potential opportunities for wealth creation and looking into history.

 

AWO Presents: A Place to Call Home Series (May 18th, 19th, 20th). AWỌ’s “A Place To Call Home Series” is this year’s series of educational and awareness programs that began in September 2022 and connects people from many diverse backgrounds through interactive, engaging, and healing activities as well as, conversations that invite Bay Area parents, families and youth to experience self-understanding and to catch a glimpse into what it’s like being in crisis or unhoused. The series will attempt to focus on finding common ground and creating space for those who don’t have homes and those who do.

 

SJSU Institute of Metropolitan Studies & Human Rights Presents: 2023 SJSU Human Rights Lecture – The Future of Social Housing in California (May 26th). Join this expert panel for a discussion of the current state and potential future of social housing in California. Panelists will react to the currently proposed legislation and provide their views on social housing and the provision of housing as a human right. Panelists Include: Jennifer Martinez, Policy Director of Housing Affordability for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI); Regina Celestin Williams, Executive Director, SV@Home; Tomiquia Moss, Founder and CEO of All Home.

For a full list of upcoming events, visit our Events Calendar. We look forward to seeing and connecting with you throughout the month.

Broadband installation grants for affordable housing sites – deadline July 1

Affordable housing owners can apply for grant funds from the CA Public Utilities Commission’s Broadband Public Housing program. It pays for up to 100% of installation and equipment for residents at affordable housing sites. Applications are simple, noncompetitive and not scored. The program is ongoing and deadlines are every July 1 and January 1. Funds can be used for new or existing construction.

Link to CPUC BPHA program website: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/internet-and-phone/california-advanced-services-fund/casf-public-housing-account

Questions? Contact Diane Luther at Lutherforward@outlook.com for further information and referrals for assistance.

 

April Policy in Action: Stopping Tenant Displacement in Mountain View

Tenants throughout Silicon Valley are burdened by housing instability. In Mountain View, the City has embarked on an ambitious effort to identify policy changes that can improve housing stability and prevent the displacement of renters. That work is ongoing and is expected to be brought to the Council for an informational study session in May. Please join us in conversation with the team leading that work, to learn how they have engaged the community, what they have learned so far, and what’s next.

Featured Speakers:

Wayne Chen is the Assistant Community Development Director for the City of Mountain View, where he oversees the City’s affordable housing and rent stabilization programs.

Trisha Gonzales is a native of Oakland and was raised in the Bay, she has worked at MidPen Housing for 10 years and has experience in both sustaining communities in property management and building communities with her work in affordable housing development. Trisha is eagerly navigating the policy landscape as a Fellow for The Partnership for the Bay’s Future.

This event will be moderated by Mathew Reed, Policy Director for SV@Home.

 

SV@Home’s Policy in Action @ Home series (PIA) is a monthly, informal brown-bag discussion convening Housers to engage on hot housing topics. Every month, we select a topic or current event, bring in an expert to give a brief presentation or interview, and then open up the discussion to ask questions, float new ideas, and identify potential areas for shared action.

SV@Home strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please email cory@siliconvalleyathome.org.

 

SV@Home Updates

SV@Home’s Executive Director, Regina Celestin Williams, is the recipient of this year’s Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH) Rising Star Award. In honor of this recognition of her leadership and contributions to housing justice, we sat down with her to discuss the importance of women in leadership and empowering the next generation of women leaders.

Be sure to follow us on social media to stay up to date on all of our upcoming events!

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