Dwellings: Recent Episodes
City of San José Housing Department
Dwellings is a podcast from the City of San José Housing Department, where we discuss ending homelessness, building affordable housing, and housing policy at the City and State level with local experts in the field.
Theme music: "Speed City," composed and performed by Etienne Charles, courtesy of San Jose Jazz.
Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (IHO) - a local policy that requires developers to include a portion of affordable units in new residential projects or pay a fee instead, helping cities ensure mixed-income communities.
Area Median Income (AMI) - a measure of the average household income in a region used to determine eligibility for affordable housing programs and to set rent or price limits.
Market-rate housing - housing rented or sold at prices determined by the open market, without income restrictions.
Missing middle housing - includes housing types like duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes that fall between single-family homes and large apartment buildings and are often more affordable.
Entitlement process - the phase where a developer gets approvals from a city for a project’s design, density, and use before construction can begin.
Workforce housing - typically refers to housing affordable to moderate-income earners such as teachers, nurses, and service workers, often within a defined AMI range.
Incentive programs are financial or regulatory benefits offered by cities, such as fee reductions or tax waivers, to encourage developers to build housing that might otherwise be too costly.
Podium construction refers to mid-rise buildings where residential units are built on top of a concrete base, typically used for parking or retail, and is generally cheaper than high-rise construction.
Office-to-residential conversion is the process of transforming underused commercial buildings into housing units, though it depends heavily on building design and feasibility.
Predevelopment refers to the early stages of a project, including site acquisition, financing, design, and approvals, all of which involve significant time and risk before building starts.
Administrative burden describes the time, cost, and complexity associated with complying with regulations, paperwork, and program requirements in housing development.
This episode of the Dwellings Podcast features Jennifer Loving, CEO of Destination: Home, who offers a wide-ranging look at homelessness in Silicon Valley and the mix of hope and urgency driving local solutions. Jennifer discusses the unique roles of the City of San José and Santa Clara County, the importance of data-driven strategies like Housing First, and the growing need for new revenue sources to build housing that extremely low-income families can actually afford.
- Visit our page to learn more about your Rental Rights in San José
- Eviction Prevention Program
- Unlawful Detainer - If the tenant does not voluntarily move out after the landlord has properly given the required notice to the tenant, the landlord can begin the court eviction process. In order to evict the tenant, the landlord must file an unlawful detainer lawsuit in Superior Court in the county where the rental unit is located and then properly serve you with a summons and a copy of the unlawful detainer complaint.
Targeted Outreach and Engagement Program(TOEP) - a model focusing on resolving encampments. Collaboration between departments helps bringing specific services and resources to sites and encourage unsheltered residents to seek shelter and forge a path to rehabilitation.
The Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool(VI-SPIDAT) - an assessment tool for frontline workers at agencies that work with homeless clients to prioritize which of those clients should receive assistance first. The SPDAT tools are also designed to help guide case management and improve housing stability outcomes.
- To learn more about the City’s Homelessness Response, please visit Homelessness Response Page.
- To learn more about the Interim Housing, please visit - Interim Housing Page.
- To learn more about the Supportive Parking, please visit - Supportive Parking Page.
- To read Success Stories from participants who moved upward from Interim Housing, visit our Success Stories Page.
- Affordable Housing - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines “affordable housing” as housing on which the occupant pays no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities.
- Gap Financing – is the last funding required to cover a shortfall in capital needed to develop otherwise shovel-ready affordable housing projects. The City of San José’s Housing Department functions as a gap financer and shall be the last funder needed in an affordable housing deal. Learn more on our Gap Financing Program Regulation Page.
- RFP – Request for Proposals(RFP) is a document that announces a project and invites qualified vendors to submit proposals outlining how they would fulfill the project's requirements. Essentially, it's a formal way for an organization to solicit bids and select the best vendor for a specific project or service. Learn more on our Rolling RFP/NOFA page.
- CDLAC - The California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) was created to set and allocate California’s annual debt ceiling and administer the State’s tax-exempt bond program to allocate the debt authority. CDLAC’s programs are used to finance affordable housing developments for low-income Californians, build solid waste disposal and waste recycling facilities, and to finance industrial development projects. Learn more on their website.
- AMI - is the Area Median Income(AMI) for a specific geographic area, meaning half the households in that area earn more, and half earn less. It's a crucial benchmark for determining eligibility for various housing programs and subsidies. Calculate your AMI on the Housing Choices website.
- To learn more about the City’s Homelessness Response, please visit Homelessness Response Page.
- To learn more about the Interim Housing, please visit - Interim Housing Page.
- To learn more about the Supportive Parking, please visit - Supportive Parking Page.
- To read Success Stories from participants who moved upward from Interim Housing, visit our Success Stories Page.
- Visit our page to learn more about Nonprofit Grant Programs
- Learn more about the Consolidated and Annual Plans
- Current 2020-2025 Consolidated Plan
- Portuguese Organization for Social Services and Opportunities (POSSO)
• Visit the Housing Element website to learn more.
• San José's Envision 2040 General Plan
• Learn about Chapter 3: Housing Goals and Strategies
• Check out the Housing Catalyst Workplan Dashboard to keep up with the progress made in San José.
- Please visit our Housing Department Website to learn more about the work we do for our community.
- Sign up for The Housing Department Newsletter
- For all the updates, follow us on Social Media:
- Housing Element - State law requires that every City and county in California adopt a Housing Element as part of its General Plan. The purpose of the Housing Element is to ensure that local governments adequately plan to meet the housing needs of all people within the community - regardless of their income.
- Soft Story Retrofit Program - Modern building codes developed by the State of California and enforced locally by the City of San José include standards for earthquakes that have resulted in buildings that are resilient to most earthquakes. However, buildings constructed before these earthquake standards went into effect may not be as resilient unless they have been retrofitted.
Affordable Housing - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines “affordable housing” as housing on which the occupant pays no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities.
- Learn more about EAH Housing
- Apply for Affordable Housing
- Visit the Doorway Portal in your language:
- English
- Español
- Tiếng Việt
- 中文
- Visit Santa Clara County Housing Authority to learn about the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.
- Visit the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to read the Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet
- To learn more about Planning Building and Code Enforcement, please visit CSJ Planning Building and Code Enforcement home page
- Learn more about the 2040 General Plan
- Learn about the 4-year review
- General Plan - In California, cities and counties are required by State law to have a General Plan. It is the local government's long-term blueprint for future development. Pursuant to State law, the General Plan must accommodate the required amount of projected population growth the State of California estimates for each city.
- To learn more about Renting Has Its Rights, please visit sanjoseca.gov/rentalrights.
- To learn more about San José Housing Ordinances, please visit - Housing Ordinances
- Visit our Eviction Process Page to learn about resources and steps involved during the eviction process.
- Petition - Petitions are written request to appeal actions taken by landlords or tenants.
- Apartment Rent Ordinance(ARO) - Landlords may increase rent one time in a 12-month period, and the increase may be up to 5%. The City has a petition process in place to resolve landlord/tenant disputes regarding rent increases.
- Tenant Protection Ordinance(TPO) - There are 13 “just causes” for which landlords may evict tenants. When a landlord notifies a tenant of their intent to terminate a lease, the landlord must cite one of the 13 just causes, and must provide the City with a copy of the notice within three days.
- Ellis Act Ordinance(EAO) - When landlords remove an apartment from the rental market under the Ellis Act, they must provide tenants with 6-12 months notice, and they must provide tenants with relocation benefits.
- Mobilehome Ordinance(MHRO) - Mobilehome park owners may increase the rent for mobilehome spaces once a year. A formula is used to determine rent increases, which are at least 3% but not more than 7%.
- Visit our page to learn more about the Rent Stabilization Program
- Received a Notice to Vacate? Understand what they mean on ourUnderstand Eviction Procedures
- Eviction Help Center
- Sacred Heart Community Service – Rental Assistance
- Unlawful Detainer - If the tenant does not voluntarily move out after the landlord has properly given the required notice to the tenant, the landlord can begin the court eviction process. In order to evict the tenant, the landlord must file an unlawful detainer lawsuit in Superior Court in the county where the rental unit is located and then properly serve you with a summons and a copy of the unlawful detainer complaint.
- Visit the Heading Home website to learn more.
- Continuum of Care (COC)
- Santa Clara County Rapid Rehousing
- Bill Wilson Center – Here4You – Hotline (408)385-2400
- Emergency Housing Voucher(EHV)
- Casitas de Esperanza
- Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program
- Family Supportive Housing prioritizes shelter services for families facing urgent need - Call (408)926-8885
- Functional Zero - the number of housing placements for families is greater than the number of families entering homelessness.
- Please visit The Office of Emergency Management websiteto learn more.
- Sign up for AlertSCC
- For guides, alerts and more information visit CalOES.ca.gov
- Tips on how to prepare Ready.gov
- BePrepared
- BeInformed
- Be Trained
- Request an Inspection
- Emergency Operations Center(EOC) - the City, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is a location from which centralized emergency management can be performed during a major emergency or disaster. This facilitates a coordinated response by the Director of Emergency Services, Emergency Management Staff, and representatives from organizations that are assigned emergency management responsibilities.
- Impact fees - one-time charges assessed by a local government against a new development project to help pay for new or expanded public capital facilities that will directly address the increased demand for services created by that development.
- Learn more about the Committee to House the Bay Area(CASA) and the 3 P’s.
- BAHFA Doorway Housing Portal
- City of San Jose Doorway Portal
- Learn about the Regional Bond Ballot Measure – Bay Area Housing For All
- Sign up for the BAHFA mailing list – BAHFA Mailing List
- Builders Remedy - The builder's remedy is a mechanism in the Housing Accountability Act that prohibits any city that has not adopted a compliant housing element by the required deadline from applying its general plan and zoning standards to reject certain housing development projects.
- Housing Accountability Act - empowers the State of California to limit local government's ability to restrict the development of new housing.
- Housing Methodology Committee
- Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Grant
- Learn more about the RHNA
- Learn more about the Housing Element
- To learn more about Planning Building and Code Enforcement, please visit the City’s Planning Building and Code Enforcement home page
- CEQA Review
- SJpermits.org
- Learn more about the San José General Plan
- AB-2162 - require local entities to streamline the approval of housing projects containing a minimum amount of Supportive Housing by providing a ministerial approval process, removing the requirement for CEQA analysis and removing the requirement for Conditional Use Authorization or other similar discretionary entitlements granted by the Planning Commission.
- SB 35 - allows qualified multifamily infill projects to go through a simplified and expedited housing approval process in jurisdictions that are not on track to meet their housing production goals.
- To learn more about the HomeFirst, please visit https://www.homefirstscc.org/.
- To learn more about the AmericanRed Cross, please visit - https://www.redcross.org/
- To learn more about the Office of Emergency Management, please visit - https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/office-of-the-city-manager/emergency-management
- Beautify SJ
- The Bill Wilson Center
Thanks so much, Chad and Greg, for joining me on today’s episode. To learn more about the Lived Experience Advisory Board, please visit https://leabsv.org/.
Homebase
Destination: Home
Continuum of Care (COC)
Info on Interim Housing Communities
Lived Experienced Advisory Board(LEAB) - The board is a leadership development community created and operated by individuals with current or past lived experience of homelessness. Members make recommendations for improvement and assist with the implementation of programs and services. LEAB is a platform to evaluate and shift power from traditional systems of care to those with lived experience.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws.
To learn more about Affordable Housing Financing, please visit our website at www.sjhousing.org.
Bond Funding
Inclusionary rental compliance
Developer Fees and Charges
Learn about Rent Stabilization
Commercial Linkage Fee
Requirements for City Funding
SOMOS Mayfair – their mission is to support children, organize families, and connect neighbors to uplift the dreams, power, and leadership of the community and address systemic inequities.
To learn more about Project Homekey, please visit the State website at https://www.hcd.ca.gov.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) - CEQA requires public agencies to “look before they leap” and consider the environmental consequences of their discretionary actions. CEQA is intended to inform government decision-makers and the public about the potential environmental effects of proposed activities and to prevent significant, avoidable environmental damage.
If you are just beginning to learn about CEQA, visit their Getting Started page.
Continuum of Care (COC)
Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness 2020-2025
Jamboree Housing
Lifemoves
Notice of Funding Availability
To learn more about the City’s Apartment Rent ordinance and other housing ordinances, visit our website at www.sjhousing.org.
- San José Ordinances
- Learn about Rent Stabilization
- Learn about the Rent Registry
- Understanding Eviction Procedures 13 Just Causes
To learn more about the Bill Wilson Center, visit https://www.billwilsoncenter.org.
John Burton Advocates For You
Rapid Rehousing
Runaway Homeless Youth Act
United States Department of Health and Human Services(HHS)
Youth Homelessness Demonstration grant
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws.
Handbook for HUD - Housing for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care
Transitional Housing Program - provides funding to counties for child welfare services agencies to help young adults aged 18 to 24 years find and maintain housing, with priority given to those formerly in the foster care or probation systems.
Point-in-Time(PIT) - count is an annual effort led by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to estimate the number of Americans, including Veterans, without safe, stable housing.
To learn more about the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, please visit https://www.svlg.org.
Terms and topics discussed:
- Regional Housing Needs Assessment(RHNA)
- The National Association of Realtors shortage tracker
- L.A. Times Article
- FactoryOS
- Measure E
- Bill AB 2234
- Deed-restricted affordable housing - refers to housing units, such as apartments, that have a use restriction that limits the rent or purchase price and requires occupancy by low-income households for a set period of time. Without deed restrictions, affordable housing can rise with the market, pricing out residents.
- Joint Powers Authorities(JPA) - a term used to describe government agencies that have agreed to combine their powers and resources to work on common problems.
To learn more about the City's ADU program, please visit the ADU program website.
Visit the Mayor's website at SJBackyardHomes.com
In the state of California, developers are required to build a certain number of apartments and housing units following ADA accessibility requirements. But do those requirements actually make a difference? Is there more that can be done? On this episode, we sit down with Allie Cannington, Manager of Advocacy and Organizing for The Kelsey, and Jacky Morales-Ferrand, Director of the Housing Department, to learn about building inclusive housing for people with (and without) disabilities.
To learn more about The Kelsey and the work they're doing on building affordable, inclusive housing, please visit their website.
Review the Kelsey's Housing Design Standards for Accessibility and Inclusion
Learn more about the Curb-Cut Effect from the Stanford Social Innovation Review.
Priced Out (Technical Assistance Collaborative)
Learn more about the various local funding mechanisms for affordable housing:
- Measure A (Santa Clara County)
- Measure E (San José)
- Commercial Linkage Fee (San José)
- Inclusionary Housing Fees (San José)
To learn more about the City's Housing Element process and review past Housing Element plans, please visit the Housing Element Update webpage.
To learn more about the Housing Element process in other cities in Santa Clara County, please visit LetsTalkHousingSCC.org.
Jargon glossary:
- Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA): Identifies the total number of housing units for a region, separated into four affordability levels.
- Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG): Regional planning agency for the nine-county Bay Area of California.
- Assessment of Fair Housing: In-depth analysis of residential segregation and access to opportunity. State law AB 686 (2018) requires all cities and towns in California include an Assessment of Fair Housing as part of their Housing Element updates. Learn more about the City's draft Assessment of Fair Housing in a recent June 2021 memo.
To learn more about opportunity housing, please visit the Planning Department's Opportunity Housing webpage.
Learn more about the City's interim housing program: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments/housing/ending-homelessness/bridge-housing-communities
Check out SV@Home's Affordable Housing Month: https://siliconvalleyathome.org/events/#affordable-housing-month
2020 was a whirlwind year, challenging our collective notions about what the world around us should look like. Housing, already top of mind in California, became a national conversation. On today’s episode, we’re joined by David Friedlander, CEO of the Change Order Group, a climate and innovation-focused development company. We talk about what needs to change in the world of planning and development to ensure fewer people are unhoused, and what the future of housing might look like in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Episode Transcript
San José Housing Department: www.sjhousing.org
Research by Issi Romem:
- "Young People Don’t Want Construction Jobs. That’s a Problem for the Housing Market." Wall Street Journal, 2018.
- "Disparity in Departure:Who Leaves the Bay Area and Where Do They Go?" Terner Center for Housing Innovation, UC Berkeley.
"Phoenix has hit 100 degrees on record-breaking half of the days in 2020." Washington Post, 2020.
"Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things." Netflix, 2016.
"Making Room: Housing for a Changing America." National Building Museum exhibition, November 2017 - January 2019.
"Reinventing the Residential Hotel: One Way to Help Solve the Housing Crisis Affecting San Francisco and other American Cities." Panoramic Interests, 2017.
"Living downtown: the history of residential hotels in the United States." Paul Groth, 1994. San Jose State University Library Listing.
"In Stockholm, a Turn to Sharing Homes." New York Times, 2019.
"Vienna’s Affordable Housing Paradise." Huffington Post, 2019.
Office of Supportive Housing for Santa Clara County: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/osh/Pages/home.aspx
San José Housing Department: www.sjhousing.org
Continuum of Care: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/osh/ContinuumofCare/Pages/home.aspx
Community Plan to End Homelessness: https://housingtoolkit.sccgov.org/take-action/santa-clara-county-community-plan-end-homelessness-2020-2025
2016 Measure A Affordable Housing Bond: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/osh/HousingandCommunityDevelopment/AffordableHousingBond/Pages/home.aspx
Episode Transcript
San José Housing Department: www.sjhousing.org
Housing Ready Communities Action Network: www.destinationhomesv.org/hrcaction
Episode Transcript
San José Housing Department: www.sjhousing.org
PATH: epath.org/
Destination: Home: www.destinationhomesv.org
Housing Ready Communities Action Network: https://destinationhomesv.org/hrcaction/
Episode Transcript
San José Housing Department: www.sjhousing.org
Destination: Home: www.destinationhomesv.org
Sacred Heart Community Service: https://sacredheartcs.org/volunteer/
HomeFirst Services: https://www.homefirstscc.org/how-to-support
LifeMoves: https://www.lifemoves.org/make-an-impact/
Abode Services: https://www.abodeservices.org/ways-to-give
Silicon Valley Strong: https://www.siliconvalleystrong.org
Episode Transcript
Destination Home: www.destinationhomesv.org
Housing Ready Communities Action Network: https://destinationhomesv.org/hrcaction/
San José Housing Department: www.sjhousing.org
Episode Transcript
City of San José Housing Department: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments/housing