Perry: Don't rob Peter to pay Paul - San Jose Spotlight
Permanent affordable housing is crucial for addressing homelessness effectively.
Interim solutions are essential in the short term, but long-term progress requires a combination of permanent affordable housing and prevention measures. [ more ]
Home sale prices from Santa Clara and The Peninsula, April 7, 2024
Residential transactions in Santa Clara and The Peninsula reported with property details like price, built year, square footage, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
Readers are advised that occasional inaccuracies may exist due to atypical sales or special circumstances and can contact for clarifications. [ more ]
San Jose adopts anti-gentrification' policy to set aside affordable apartments for locals
San Jose City Council approved a tenant preference policy to protect low-income tenants from displacement.
The policy reserves 20% of affordable apartments for lower-income applicants in high-displacement areas and 15% for those within the same City Council district. [ more ]
'San Francisco can't do this alone': SF housing group says securing dollars is biggest obstacle
A group of some two dozen affordable housing experts and housing advocates presented findings from their report on affordable housing to the Planning Commission on Thursday, with a single overriding message: San Francisco needs more outside money to reach its housing goals.
Affordable 2-bedroom apartments for middle-class families in NYC no longer exist
Mayor Eric Adams emphasizes housing affordability for families, but the city's focus on studios and one-bedroom units may not align with family needs. [ more ]
Opinion: Stop scapegoating CEQA for California's affordable housing crisis
Governor Newsom signed bills eliminating the requirement to disclose public health and environmental impacts of infill housing developments in California.
Lawmakers blaming environmental regulation for affordable housing shortages is misinformed. [ more ]
The Bay Area is set to receive more than $190 million in new federal homelessness funding. Is it enough?
The federal government is allocating $191 million to Bay Area counties to combat homelessness, part of a larger nationwide investment.
The funding is based on how well county agencies are working together to end homelessness, but advocates say it is not enough to address the crisis. [ more ]
See the new California laws looking to boost affordable home construction
California has passed several state bills aimed at increasing the construction of affordable housing by bypassing environmental reviews and curbing discretionary hearings.
One bill requires the approval of affordable housing projects on urban land owned by private colleges and religious institutions without a discretionary review process, while another bill extends the consequences for cities that fail to build enough homes to meet state-mandated goals. [ more ]
See the new California laws looking to boost affordable home construction
State bills signed into law aim to boost affordable housing construction in California by bypassing environmental review processes and curbing discretionary hearings.
Key measures include requiring 'by-right' approval for affordable housing projects, extending consequences for jurisdictions that fail to meet housing goals, and limiting security deposits for renters. [ more ]
NYC launches new initiative to bring low-cost housing to wealthier areas
New York City's housing crisis is being addressed through the Mixed Income Market Initiative, which will provide city subsidies to development projects that include homes for a wide range of household incomes.
Projects selected for the initiative must be 70% affordable and 30% market rate, and include a mix of housing options such as homeless-set aside units and supportive housing units. [ more ]
New York Launches New Housing Financing Initiative
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) has launched a new financing program called the Mixed-Income Market Initiative.
The program targets mostly-affordable projects and offers developers a tax abatement and city subsidy. [ more ]
NYC plans to build new affordable housing in wealthy neighborhoods
New York City's wealthier neighborhoods may see an influx of more affordable housing due to a new plan that rewards developers with a tax break for building mixed-income rental projects.
The plan, called the Mixed Income Market Initiative (MIMI), incentivizes projects that include affordable and market-rate units, with a preference for those that have the most affordability and efficiently use city funding.
The initiative is part of Mayor Eric Adams' effort to add 500,000 more homes to NYC in the next 10 years. [ more ]
Dozens of Near-Ready Affordable Housing Projects Likely To Be 'Mothballed'
The Newsom administration is preparing to dole out more than $500 million to build affordable housing, playing Santa to projects that promise to shelter low-wage school employees, veterans, farmworkers, people living on the street and other poor and middle-income Californians.
The Latest Barrier to New Bay Area Housing? PG&E Equipment Delays
There are hundreds of otherwise ready-to-go housing units just plain sitting vacant across the Bay Area, because PG&E is backlogged on the electrical components needed to connect these units to their power grid.
New York City Aims to Build Affordable Housing in Wealthier Neighborhoods
New York City officials on Tuesday will put forward a plan to direct public money toward mixed-income housing projects in wealthier neighborhoods a proposal aimed at addressing the lack of affordable housing and spurring development after a lucrative property tax exemption lapsed last year.
Homeless housing projects in Berkeley, San Pablo move forward with state Homekey money
Two planned homeless housing projects are moving forward in the East Bay after millions in state grants were allocated toward putting a roof over the heads of almost a hundred unhoused residents.
Metropolitan Transportation Commission Still Punting Housing Requirements - Streetsblog San Francisco
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is considering relaxing transit-oriented development requirements to receive funds under its Housing Incentive Pool
Roughly half the cities in MTC's jurisdiction are not on track to build enough housing to comply with state mandates [ more ]
Mayor Adams inks bill to set housing growth targets for every NYC neighborhood | amNewYork
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams New York City will set targets for how much new housing each of its 60 community districts should build every five years under legislation that Mayor Eric Adams signed into law Wednesday.
Mayor Adams Launches Task Force for Affordable Housing Projects
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has launched the "Housing-at-Risk Task Force" to save housing projects at risk of forfeiting the expired 421-a tax reduction.
The task force aims to ensure that housing projects started before the 421-a expiration date do not lose the tax benefits as long as they are completed by June 15, 2026. [ more ]
San Jose hotel converts to foster youth housing - San Jose Spotlight
The Pavilion Inn in San Jose is being converted into affordable, supportive housing for young adults facing homelessness or emerging from foster care.
The housing project will provide furnished apartments and supportive services to help young adults become self-sufficient and avoid a lifetime of homelessness. [ more ]
An old median near a Los Angeles freeway sat empty for years. Now it's affordable housing
Isla Intersections in South Los Angeles is a new affordable housing development made from repurposed shipping containers.
The complex is designed to minimize ambient traffic noise and features an open space landscaped with vegetation and irrigated by greywater.
The city of Los Angeles awarded leases for underutilized parcels of properties to affordable housing developers, with Holos Communities winning the lease for Isla Intersections for $1 a year. [ more ]
Santa Clara County moves forward with 100% affordable downtown San Jose development
Santa Clara County is developing a site in downtown San Jose to increase affordable housing options for residents priced out of the Bay Area's housing market.
The project includes senior affordable housing, multi-family affordable housing, and below-market-rate townhomes.
Some housing advocates have concerns about the project, including the reduction in its scope and height. [ more ]
San Jose apartment complex converting to affordable housing - San Jose Spotlight
San Jose City Council has approved a financing package for Catalyst Housing Group to convert a market-rate apartment complex into affordable apartments.
The financing package allows Catalyst to obtain $100 million in bond funding to purchase the building and transition it to affordable housing.
This project is seen as a win for San Jose as it will result in the creation of 167 affordable apartments without the city having to contribute funds directly. [ more ]
3 East Bay homeless housing projects move forward with millions in state Homekey grants
Three homeless housing projects in the East Bay have been awarded $34.5 million in state grants from the Homekey program to provide housing for hundreds of residents.
The projects include converting the Imperial Inn in Oakland into 48 units of permanent supportive housing, converting the Nimitz Motel in San Leandro into 29 shelter units, and purchasing single-family homes in Hayward and Union City to create 37 permanent housing units.
The Homekey program has funded over 14,000 housing and shelter units statewide and has been instrumental in addressing California's homelessness crisis. [ more ]
Homeless shelters break ground in Palo Alto, Richmond
Construction underway on two new homeless shelters in the Bay Area: a prefabricated project in Palo Alto and a tiny home village in Richmond.
The Palo Alto shelter will have 88 modular units and is expected to open by early 2025, with funding from the state's Homekey program and private sources.
In Richmond, around 13 tiny homes for homeless young adults are set to open in fall 2024.
Finding permanent housing for shelter residents will be a challenge due to the region's affordable housing shortage. [ more ]
It's looking more likely that Foothill College will build housing
Foothill College in Los Altos Hills may be designated as a 'priority site' for housing, opening up opportunities for planning assistance and funding.
The town of Los Altos Hills has finalized its housing element which identifies Foothill College as a site for 210 additional homes for a range of income levels.
Residents have expressed concerns over potential harm to the rural character of Los Altos Hills, but some support development at Foothill College for student housing or affordable housing for faculty and staff. [ more ]
Governor Signs New Legislation Aimed at Affordable Housing, Sustainability
Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to build affordable housing in NYC and make homes more resilient to inclement weather.
The new laws include the creation of an affordable housing rehabilitation program that provides tax incentives for landlords to renovate their housing units. [ more ]
Plans for thousands of homes on San Jose golf course get county boost
Santa Clara County has adopted a housing element that identifies a defunct golf course as a potential site for residential development.
The Pleasant Hills Golf Course site could accommodate the development of thousands of new apartments and houses.
Lakeside Community, led by Tony Arreola and Mark Lazzarini, is pursuing the rezoning of the golf course property for the development of residences. [ more ]
Why Tiny Homes Will Remain Part of California's Homelessness Equation for Years | KQED
The city of San Francisco is allocating a significant portion of its housing funds towards temporary and permanent housing for low- and middle-income households in an effort to address the homelessness crisis.
Advocates and city council members pushed for the majority of the funds to be allocated towards permanent housing, arguing that it is necessary to develop long-term solutions in order to keep temporary sites successful. [ more ]
Developer donates 1.5 acres to build affordable housing in Los Gatos
The developers behind the North 40 project in Los Gatos have submitted their application for the second phase, which includes 451 housing units, 90 of which will be affordable.
The project aims to address the housing crisis in California and meet the town's target of building 1,993 housing units in the next eight years, 310 of which must be low-income housing.
Eden Housing will develop a 100% affordable housing project on 1.5 acres of the site, with rental units expected to range from $1,000 to $2,500 per month. [ more ]