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It is long past me for the City of San Jose to complete its support for the purchase of the Virginian Apartments.
You can preserve this building as affordable housing now, instead of taking 3-5 years for a developer to build something new.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Hedges
12/2/24, 4:08 PM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
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South Bay Community Land Trust
December 2, 2024
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
We, the South Bay Community Land Trust with the undersigned community organizations, urge your support of release of Measure E Preservation funds for The Virginian Apartments at the upcoming December 3, 2024 city council meeting. This project addresses critical challenges in affordable housing and the crucial preservation work in the City of San Jose. It is positioned to create significant and lasting positive change for community residents of San Jose. We urge the City of San Jose City Council and Mayor to approve this project as it will contribute to creating a more inclusive, resilient, and thriving community for all.
After over a year of collaboration, South Bay Community Land Trust (SBCL T), with advisory and technical support from MidPen Housing Corporation, is proposing to acquire and rehabilitate the Virginian Apartments located at 1718, 1724, 1730 Virginia Avenue, San Jose CA 95116 in the historic Mayfair neighborhood of Eastside San Jose (D5), with a purchase price of $4,500,000. SBCL T has preliminary award commitments from the City of San Jose, REAP 2.0/BAHFA and private funding to complete the deal.
The 18-unit property is rent-controlled, with 89% of rents falling within the 40% AMI affordability level and is 100% occupied. The resident population is primarily working class, Spanish speaking and bilingual Latinx families with average tenancies of over thirteen years, including a multigenerational family who has resided there for over 25 years.
SBCL T’s mission to take properties off the speculative market, protect residents from displacement, and bring them under community stewardship is vital to promoting housing stability, equity, and community empowerment. By securing this property, SBCL T will provide safe and affordable housing to over 18 multi-generational families, preserve existing affordable housing, and enable long term community self governance as is common with the community land trust model.
This initiative is particularly impactful because it complements the City of San Jose’s affordable housing goals by addressing housing disparities and demonstrating a commitment to preservation.
SBCL T’s proven track record demonstrates its ability to implement sustainable, creative, and equitable solutions.
We look forward to your support and partnership in realizing this vision for our city.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Josefina Aguilar , Executive Director , South Bay CL T
Poncho Guevara, Sacred Heart Community Service
Regina Celestin Williams, SV@Home
Hal Russek, Two Valleys Community Land Trust
Eugene Torres, Family Supportive Housing
Phil Mastrocola, Grace Solutions
Citlali Martinez, SOMOS Mayfair
Aurora Solis, SOMOS Mayfair
Huascar Castro, Working Partnerships USA
Gia Pham, Housing Choices
Marilu Cuesta Flores, Mountain View CL T
Kyra Kazantzis, Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits
Pastor Scott Wagers, CHAM Deliverance Ministry
Maritza Maldonado, Amigos de Guadalupe Center for Justice and Empower Richard Konda, Asian Law Alliance
Raj Jayadev, Silicon Valley De-Bug
Tristia Bauman, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
Linda Quiquivix, El Sereno Community Land Trust
Brenda Tafoya, El Sereno Community Land Trust
Sandy Perry, South Bay Progressive Alliance
Sumitra Joy, Santa Clara County Single Payer Health Care Andrew Siegler , Showing Up for Racial Justice Santa Clara County Lorraine Zeller , Community Living Coalition
Charlotte Casey, San Jose Peace & Justice Center
Mildred Lyons, Urban Sanctuary
Michelle "Mimi" Spreadbury, South Bay Indigenous Solidarity Alexandra
Andrea Perry
Anh Truong
Brian Parkman
Chuck Cantrell
Claudia Leung
Colleen Cabot
Constance Button
David Sloan
Deborah St Julien
Diana Valencia
Gabriella Lahti
Jeff Lake
Jisoo Kim
Kathryn Hedges, Individual member of SURJ-SCC
Kimberly Alexa Martinez
Kylie Clark
Lisa B Feldberg
Lita Kurth
Lori Katcher
Lucy
Marissa Martinez
Marja Pambid
Melinda Markowitz
Melissa Morris
Oscar Quiroz-Medrano
Peggy Elwell
Rachel Wuerstlin
Rita Birrueta
Robert Wood
Ryan Thomas
Salem Ajluni
Siena Watson
Sophia Smith
Stephanie Byers