SVBC Supports Affordable Housing
As we continue working toward a community that encourages and supports more biking, SVBC recognizes that housing is critical. As housing costs continue to rise, people move farther and farther away to afford a place to live, and it becomes harder and harder for them to bike to work and to other critical destinations.
We’ve also heard complaints from people using trails that homeless encampments are encroaching on trails that people use to get to work, school, and run errands. This problem can’t just be moved around every time an encampment is broken up. We have to make sure that people living outside have somewhere safe and secure to live.
These reasons and others are why SVBC has become attuned to local housing issues and is collaborating with established organizations that are working hard on solutions. We know housing and transportation are linked together and we can’t solve one without the other.
Measure E in San Jose
In 2018, SVBC endorsed San Jose’s Measure V, which would have subsidized construction of homes for low income families and individuals. That measure didn’t pass. Now, there is a new measure on San Jose’s ballot for March 3: Measure E. This proposes a transfer tax on homes and commercial properties valued over $2 million. That means Measure E will only apply when these expensive properties are sold, essentially the top two percent of the most valuable properties in San Jose. On December 10, 2019, the San Jose City Council passed an initial spending plan that would allocate funding generated by Measure E for:
45 percent for extremely low income households (below 30% of area median income)
35 percent for very low income (VLI) and low income (LI) households (30-80% of AMI)
About 10 percent for moderate-income households (80-120% of AMI) and below-market rate housing
10 percent for homeless prevention activities
Any changes to the spending plan would require 60-days’ notice for a public hearing and a 2/3 Council vote. This measure is endorsed by many organizations and elected officials (see the full list).If you live in San Jose, please vote for a solution for affordable housing by voting for Measure E.
Caltrain Affordable Housing Policy
SVBC joined Housing Leadership Council (HLC) and fourteen other organizations to call on Caltrain to adopt a policy that would require any new housing developers on Caltrain property to have 30% of units below market rate. On Thursday, February 6, the Caltrain Board approved this policy. This was adopted as part of a transit-oriented development policy which also requires new housing to have a minimum of 50 homes per acre and a minimum height of four stories. SVBC applauds Caltrain staff and Board for adopting this policy and setting the tone for development along the Caltrain line. While the amount of property available for development is not high compared to BART, this also models the type of construction that we should see along the corridor, even if not on Caltrain property. The Caltrain corridor is a crucial public transportation connection for those living on the Peninsula and a huge resource for people who bike and need to travel longer distances. Having affordable, higher density housing along Caltrain will facilitate not only more people being able to access public transit but more people within biking distances of transit, downtowns, retail, and jobs. Thanks Caltrain and HLC for your leadership! Read the letter here.