350 W. Julian Street, Building 5, San José, CA 95110
www.svathome.org • [email protected]
September 5, 2025
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
City of Mountain View
500 Castro Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
Re: Support for Agenda Item 7.1: Community Ownership Action Plan - Housing Element Program 3.2
Dear Mayor Kamei and Council Members,
As a member of the City’s Community Ownership Action Plan Advisory Committee, we are writing to express our strong support for the City of Mountain View's proposed Community Ownership Action Plan Vision and Guiding Principles, with two notable exceptions. Overall, the Vision and Guiding Principles represent a forward-thinking approach to addressing our community's housing affordability crisis through community ownership, preservation financing, and intentional nonprofit engagement. The Advisory Committee comprises a broad range of community partners who collectively hold expertise in lived experience and the development, preservation, and financing of affordable housing, including community ownership models. We anticipate that the final Action Plan will reflect the recommendations of the Advisory Committee and the months of valuable discussion and input provided by the members. In particular, to maximize the effectiveness of this program in achieving its stated goals, the application must be accessible, and funding guidelines must anticipate different project types and varying needs, including flexibility for staff to structure funding as either grants or loans.
We are seeking the Mountain View Council’s support to permit the release of some of these funds towards the acquisition of community property through grants. We strongly believe that an initial grant will ensure the success of community-owned initiatives by creating lasting stability for the young community ownership ecosystem and the residents who benefit from these programs in Mountain View.
By providing funding specifically for housing acquisition and preservation, this program will help prevent the displacement of long-term residents and help maintain diverse, mixed-income neighborhoods. As market pressures continue to drive up housing costs, proactive and innovative preservation efforts that remove the profit motive from essential needs, such as a home, are essential to maintaining our community's character and accessibility. Community-owned housing creates lasting affordability that extends beyond traditional affordable housing. Community land trusts, cooperative housing, and other community ownership models have proven successful, providing residents with greater stability, democratic participation in housing decisions, and protection from speculative market pressures.
Board of Directors
Aubrey Merriman, Chair
LifeMoves
Nevada Merriman, Vice Chair
MidPen Housing Corporation
Randy Tsuda, Treasurer
Alta Housing
Pilar Lorenzana, Secretary
Silicon Valley Community
Foundation
Steven Yang
Northern CA LIIF
Candice Gonzalez
Sand Hill Property Company
Chad Bojorquez
Destination: Home
Maria Noel Fernandez
Working Partnerships USA
Alison Brunner
Law Foundation of Silicon
Valley
Victor Vasquez
SOMOS Mayfair
Julie Mahowald
Housing Trust Silicon Valley
Wendi Baker
Harmonie Park Development
Staff
Regina Celestin Williams
Executive Director
September 5, 2025
Re: Support for Agenda Item 7.1: Community Ownership Action Plan - Housing Element Program 3.2
350 W. Julian Street, Building 5, San José, CA 95110
408.780.8411 • www.svathome.org • [email protected]
Implementation Recommendations
To maximize the program's effectiveness, we encourage the City to consider:
1. Flexibility for Staff to provide funds through Loans and/or Grants: For the long-term success of a sustainable program, it is essential that financing remains flexible and able to accommodate different project sizes and organizational capacities. The hope is that this program is the start of something big in that City of Z Mountain View! So, the structure at the beginning should allow for adaptability and learning; it should allow for a range of support for this work. We encourage the City to recognize that community ownership models envision stable housing that does not extract rents from residents.
Limiting newly formed community-based organizations to only capitalizing their community ownership development efforts with debt limits the possibility that this much needed program can achieve and jeopardizes the health and longevity of the program. Traditional affordable housing projects that are required to charge rent to cover debt repayment are not always able to offer housing to residents most vulnerable to displacement and prefer loan structures because of requirements of low income housing tax credits, which this program is not likely to utilize.
For these reasons, we recommend allowing the City to allow staff to decide whether to award funds through grants or loans to qualified nonprofit organizations that will operate and maintain the community owned property.
2. Accessible Application Process: The program's commitment to a simple, qualification-based application process removes unnecessary barriers that often prevent smaller nonprofits and grassroots community organizations from participating in housing programs. This accessibility is crucial for ensuring that organizations with deep community ties and cultural competency can effectively serve Mountain View's diverse population. The Request for Qualifications approach demonstrates the city's recognition that effective housing programs require partnerships with organizations that understand local community needs. By making the application process straightforward and focusing on organizational qualifications rather than complex proposal requirements, the program will:
• Enable smaller, community-based organizations to participate alongside larger housing developers
• Encourage collaboration between nonprofits with different areas of expertise • Build local capacity for community-controlled housing development and management • Ensure that housing solutions reflect the specific needs and preferences of Mountain View residents
September 5, 2025
Re: Support for Agenda Item 7.1: Community Ownership Action Plan - Housing Element Program 3.2
350 W. Julian Street, Building 5, San José, CA 95110
408.780.8411 • www.svathome.org • [email protected]
September 5, 2025
Re: Support for Agenda Item 7.1: Community Ownership Action Plan - Housing Element Program 3.2
350 W. Julian Street, Building 5, San José, CA 95110
408.780.8411 • www.svathome.org • [email protected] Conclusion
Mountain View's Community Ownership Action Plan represents exactly the kind of innovative, community-centered approach needed to address our housing challenges effectively. By combining flexible financial resources with an accessible application process and a commitment to community ownership, this program can serve as a model for other municipalities facing similar affordability pressures.
We strongly urge the City Council to approve this program and provide the necessary funding and staff support for its successful implementation. The investments made today in community-owned housing preservation will provide benefits to Mountain View residents for generations to come.
Thank you for your leadership on this critical issue and your commitment to maintaining Mountain View as a community where residents of all income levels can thrive.
Sincerely,
Regina Celestin Williams
Executive Director
cc: City Manager cc: Community Development Director
September 5, 2025
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members City of Mountain View 500 Castro Street Mountain
View,
CA
94041
Re: Support for Community Ownership Action Plan
Dear Mayor Kamei and Council Members,
I, Aboubacar Ndiaye, Executive Director of the Northern California Land Trust, am writing to
express
my
strong
support
for
the
City
of
Mountain
View's
proposed
Community
Ownership
Action
Plan
,
which
represents
a
forward-thinking
approach
to
addressing
our
community's
housing
affordability
crisis
through
community
ownership,
preservation
financing,
and
streamlined
nonprofit
engagement.
By
providing
funding
specifically
for
housing
acquisition
and
preservation,
this
program
will
help
prevent
the
displacement
of
long-term
residents
and
maintain
diverse,
mixed-income
neighborhoods.
As
market
pressures
continue
to
drive
up
housing
costs,
proactive
and
innovative
preservation
efforts
that
remove
the
profit
motive
from
essential
needs
such
as
shelter
are
essential
to
maintaining
our
community's
character
and
accessibility.
Community-owned
housing
creates
lasting
affordability
that
extends
beyond
traditional
deed
restrictions.
Community
land
trusts,
cooperative
housing,
and
other
community
ownership
models
have
proven
successful
in
similar
communities,
such
as
Los
Angeles
County
and
Baltimore
providing
residents
with
greater
stability,
democratic
participation
in
housing
decisions,
and
protection
from
speculative
market
pressures.
This program will generate significant positive impacts for our community:
● Long-term Affordability : Community ownership models maintain much deeper affordability
in
perpetuity.
This
is
an
initial
public
investment
that
is
guaranteed
to
provide
lasting
benefits.
● Resident Stability : Preserved affordable housing combats displacement and supports family
stability,
educational
continuity,
and
community
cohesion
● Local Economic Development : Community-owned housing keeps housing costs within the
community.
When
residents
are
paying
30%
of
their
income
on
housing
instead
of
50%
to
80%,
much
more
of
their
income
will
be
spent
on
goods
and
services
within
the
neighborhood.
● Reduced Homelessness Prevention : By preserving affordable units that might otherwise
be
lost
to
market
conversion,
the
program
helps
prevent
housing
displacement
that
can
lead
to
homelessness
Implementation Recommendations
To maximize the program's effectiveness, I encourage the City to consider:
1. Grants: For the long-term success of a sustainable program, it is essential that financing is
available
as
a
grant
that
can
accommodate
different
project
sizes
and
organizational
capacities.
We
encourage
the
City
to
recognize
that
community
ownership
models
envision
stable
housing
that
does
not
extract
unaffordable
rents
from
vulnerable
residents.
If
a
community-owned
property
from
a
newly
formed
non-capitalized
organization
such
as
the
Mountain
View
Community
Land
Trust
is
required
to
include
debt
repayment,
the
health
and
longevity
of
the
program
could
be
endangered.
Traditional
affordable
housing
projects
that
are
required
to
charge
rent
to
cover
debt
repayment
are
not
able
to
offer
housing
to
the
most
vulnerable
residents
most
vulnerable
to
displacement.
The
purpose
is
to
provide
sustainable
housing
that
includes
some
units
of
deep
affordability,
not
make
a
profit.
For these reasons, we recommend allowing the City to award grants to qualified nonprofit
organizations
that
will
operate
and
maintain
the
community
owned
property.
2. Accessible Application Process : The program's commitment to a simple, qualification-based
application
process
removes
unnecessary
barriers
that
often
prevent
smaller
nonprofits
and
grassroots
community
organizations
from
participating
in
housing
programs.
This
accessibility
is
crucial
for
ensuring
that
organizations
with
deep
community
ties
and
cultural
competency
can
effectively
serve
Mountain
View's
diverse
population.
The
Request
for
Qualifications
approach
demonstrates
the
city's
recognition
that
effective
housing
programs
require
partnerships
with
organizations
that
understand
local
community
needs.
By
making
the
application
process
straightforward
and
focusing
on
organizational
qualifications
rather
than
complex
proposal
requirements,
the
program
will:
·
Enable smaller, community-based organizations to participate alongside larger
housing
developers
·
Encourage collaboration between nonprofits with different areas of expertise ·
Build local capacity for community-controlled housing development and management
·
Ensure that housing solutions reflect the specific needs and preferences of Mountain
View
residents
Conclusion
Mountain View's Community Ownership Action Plan represents exactly the kind of innovative, community-centered
approach
needed
to
address
our
housing
challenges
effectively.
By
combining
financial
resources,
in
the
form
of
grants,
with
an
accessible
application
process
and
a commitment to community ownership, this program can serve as a model for other municipalities
facing
similar
affordability
pressures.
I strongly urge the City Council to approve this program and provide the necessary funding and staff
support
for
its
successful
implementation.
The
investments
made
today
in
community-owned
housing
preservation
will
provide
benefits
to
Mountain
View
residents
for
generations
to
come.
Thank you for your leadership on this critical issue and your commitment to maintaining Mountain
View
as
a
community
where
residents
of
all
income
levels
can
thrive.
Sincerely,
Aboubacar Ndiaye
Executive Director
Northern California Land Trust
cc: City Manager cc: Community Development Director