April 10, 2024
California Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD) c/o Jose Jauregui [email protected]
Paul McDougall [email protected]
RE: Support for the draft of the City of Santa Clara’s 6th Cycle Housing Element.
Dear HCD Representatives:
We are writing to express our support for the March 2024 draft of the City of Santa Clara’s 6th Cycle Housing Element. The City of Santa Clara’s Housing Element provides a comprehensive plan to advance actionable and specific programs, policies, and strategies to allow housing development to occur for all income levels, including for those that are facing the highest threats of displacement.
The City of Santa Clara has been a partner in creating affordable units within the City. In November 2022, Charities Housing received entitlements to allow for the construction of 108 rental units at 76.6 dwelling units per acre (du/ac) with studio, one- two- and three- bedroom units, common and private open space, resident services and amenities, and shared parking. The affordable housing units, with rents set to be affordable at 30 to 50 percent Annual Median Income (AMI) levels, would be secured with an Affordable Housing Agreement between Charities Housing and the City. The City of Santa Clara has also committed funding to help support the development of this affordable community.
We greatly appreciate the State’s focus on ensuring that community stakeholders have a voice in this process. We are all in accord on the importance of increasing the stock of affordable housing, preserving our existing affordable housing, protecting our residents from becoming unhoused and helping those who have become unhoused, and increasing equity and housing choices for protected class residents in Santa Clara. We encourage the State to certify the March 2024 version of the City’s 2023-2031 (6th) Cycle Housing Element as soon as possible.
Thank you for taking our comments into consideration.
Sincerely,
Marvel Ang
Director of Housing Development
Charities Housing
Cc:
Mayor Lisa Gillmor
Santa Clara City Council
Jovan Grogan, City Manager
Reena Brilliot, Acting Director of Community Development