Investing in our community by providing affordable housing

It’s no exaggeration to say that the struggle for affordable housing is a defining challenge for our region. We need to build more housing – and more affordable housing – to ensure that folks don't get pushed out of our area simply because they can no longer afford to stay. 

On our County Board of Supervisors I’ve worked to increase funding for affordable housing, and to address the root causes of homelessness. I’ve championed affordable housing specifically for local agricultural workers, teachers, adults with disabilities, and low-income residents, because the needs are different sector to sector. I’m excited to see these efforts now come to fruition. Here’s a small sampling:

Educators

After hearing too many stories about teachers commuting long distances or living doubled-up in tiny apartments because they can’t afford housing near the schools where they teach, I knew there had to be a better way. Last summer we broke ground on an innovative teacher housing project I proposed a few years ago: a 110-unit housing development for teachers and other school employees at 231 Grant Avenue in Palo Alto in partnership with a half dozen local school and community college districts, and Meta, which provided a $25 million grant for the project. 

The development will be completed in the summer of 2025 and it won’t just be the educators who’ll benefit; students will get more time to interact with their teachers before and after school.

Following that first effort, I proposed a second County project to develop housing for teachers and school staff in the West Valley. I’m pleased to report that earlier this month our Board approved Eden Housing as the developer for this teacher housing development off Wolfe Road in Cupertino. A dozen local school districts have already expressed interest in participating.

It will take the combined effort of our school districts, local educators and school staff, city governments, neighborhood groups, community members, public and private funders, and various other stakeholders to get these teacher housing projects done. But it’s worth the effort. 

Having teachers and school staff live nearby strengthens their role in our community. Less time in the car means more time helping a struggling student, more time preparing lesson plans, and more time attending any number of events that make up the fabric of our schools. It also means more time with loved ones for our teachers and school staff. 

People with Disabilities

I’ve also made it a priority to champion housing for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), many of whom live on fixed incomes that make it difficult to find affordable housing.

At my urging, our County has made a commitment of $40 million over four years to support the development of affordable housing for people with I/DD. As of this month, our Board has awarded that funding to seven housing projects across the County, enabling the creation of more than 700 new affordable housing units, including 130 specifically set aside for individuals with I/DD. 

Included in these efforts is a project I’ve personally championed known as Mitchell Park Place, an I/DD-focused housing development (also slated for completion next year) that will include 50 units, as well as space for AbilityPath (a nonprofit that provides services to residents with I/DD).

Low- and Moderate-Income Households

I’ve pushed for more Measure A affordable housing dollars (from a bond passed by voters in 2016) and affordable housing units to make their way to our West Valley and North County communities, and have actively supported the first 100% affordable housing development in Los Altos, which will provide housing to individuals and families earning 30% to 80% of the area median income. Using these Measure A dollars, we’ve helped create more than 5,000 units of affordable housing throughout the County.

Farm Worker Housing

Seeing a significant need for affordable housing in our County’s more rural areas, where farm workers often face extraordinary challenges – given the combination of low wages and a severe shortage of affordable housing – in 2021 I urged our County to step up to address that particular challenge. 

A year later, our Board approved funding for the development of affordable housing for local agricultural workers as part of an affordable housing initiative in Morgan Hill.

Protecting Existing Affordable Housing

And finally, I want to note that efforts are currently underway to redevelop the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park in Palo Alto; there’s a new plan to include a 61-unit apartment building and 44 new coaches along with a slew of amenities. This is a win for the community, another example of how collaboration holds the key to successful outcomes. This progress is especially gratifying after a 2 ½-year effort to preserve 117 units of affordable housing and prevent the eviction of 400 low-income residents at the park. 

I share these success stories to say we can make progress. Our housing crisis is daunting. No single agency or entity can address it alone. It has taken a community-wide effort – government, the private sector, and nonprofits – and will continue to take such an effort to ensure that every member of our community has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. But we can do it.

We need to do more, and we need to do it faster. But our housing challenges are solvable.