sv@home
Board of Directors TRANSMITTED VIA EMAIL
Kevin Zwick, Chair
United Way Bar Area November 15, 2022
Gina Dalma, Vice Chair
Silicon Valley Community
Foundation Honorable Mayor Sam Liccardo and Members of the City Council City of San Jose
Candice Gonzalez, Secretary
Sand Hill Property Company 200 East Santa Clara Street, 18th Floor San Jose, CA 95113
Andrea Osgood, Treasure
Eden Housing
Dear Mayor Liccardo, and Councilmembers Arenas, Carrasco, Cohen, Davis, Esparza, Foley, Shiloh Ballard
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition Jimenez, Jones, Mahan, and Peralez, Bob Brownsteir Item 8.4 - North San Jose: Housing Strategy and Proposed Land Use Framework Vorking Partnerships US,
Amie Fishman
SV @Home continues to call on the City of San Jose for bold and intentional leadership in Non-Profit Housing
Association of Northern CA adopting explicit housing policies that center equity and inclusion in the redevelopment of North San Jose, committing to a San Jose that is affordable to its residents and integrated Ron Gonzales
Hispanic Foundation racially and socio-economically.
of Silicon Valley
Javier Gonzalez Historically, residential development in North San Jose has failed to implement established Google affordable housing policies. And, as the North San Jose Development Plan was unwound Poncho Guevara over the last four years, advocates and community members have called on the City's Sacred Heart Community leadership to rectify these past failings moving forward. We requested the following Service
actions:
Janice Jensen • Develop policies and land use tools that will make it feasible and realistic to meet the Habitat for Humanity
East Bay/Silicon Valley original requirement that 20% of housing built in the plan area be affordable. • In addition to the rezoning overlay of appropriate sites for affordable housing and Janikke Klem
modification of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, consider additional policies to Jan Lindenthal secure land, increase access to city resources, and lower costs for affordable housing.
MidPen Housing
• Return to the City Council with specific, detailed policies for consideration, including Jennifer Loving timelines for returning to council for final adoption.
Destination: Home
Лагу Murtag At the May City Council meeting, staff presented a rough outline of land use and affordable AH Housin
housing policies, and the City Council recommitted to supporting policies that would ensure The core compante meeting the original commitment of 20% of the total homes being affordable. Because much of this work will be integrated into the complexity of the Housing Element Update, Kelly Snider the City Council asked for this status update to be presented as a stand-alone item to clearly Kelly Snider Consulting
demonstrate support for the new direction.
Staff Most recently, the staff of the Planning and Housing Department produced detailed work Regina Celestin Williams
Executive Director that is bold and comprehensive, which should continue to receive City Council support. The land use work completed by planning staff deserves particular recognition, as it proposes a robust and creative approach to leveraging policy tools to make the commitment to 20% affordable homes feasible going forward. They have embraced an approach to equitable growth that the city would have struggles to embrace in the past. The combination of an Affordable Housing Overlay, a Mixed Income Overlay, and deliberate efforts to support 350 W. Julian Street, Building 5, San José, CA 95110
www.svathome.org • [email protected]
November 15, 2022
Item 8.4 - North San Jose: Housing Strategy and Proposed Land Use Framework
concentrations of new residential areas accomplishes the above referenced policy goal, while preserving opportunities for additional commercial growth. Good planning allows housing and jobs development to harmoniously coexist, showing courageous progress towards a more inclusive San Jose.
The success of this effort is far from certain. The complementary affordable housing policies being developed by the Housing Department will be essential to implementation. There are also cautionary lessons from Phase I development when the affordable housing policies and commitments were abandoned when the market experienced challenges, subsequently rebounding and creating new communities exclusively for high income earners.
Sustained commitment to equity and inclusion will be essential, but we remain encouraged and appreciative of the direction of the current plans.
Sincerely,
Regina Celestin Williams
Executive Director
350 W. Julian Street, Building 5, San José, CA 95110
408.780.8411 • www.svathome.org • [email protected]