REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Proclamation of May 2025 as Affordable Housing Month and Recognition of SV @ Home for organizing educational events throughout Santa Clara County to raise awareness and to ensure everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable home.
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
Housing affordability continues to be a top concern in Santa Clara and throughout the region. In March 2025, the median price for a single-family home in Santa Clara was $2,065,000 and over 35% of renters in Santa Clara pay more than 30% of their income on housing. In addition, over 461 people were counted in the City as being unsheltered in 2023. Over the next six years, the City’s regional housing goal is to facilitate the construction of over 2,872 new extremely low and very low-income housing units by 2031.
Affordable housing and supportive services continue to be a top priority in Santa Clara as they help ensure an outstanding quality of life locally. In recent years, Santa Clara has contributed greatly to increasing housing at all income levels. The City has paved the way for a large amount of development through the completion of several specific plans. The City has also been successful at leveraging local and state funding to build 100% affordable housing.
The City’s current pipeline includes over 650 units of 100% affordable housing and potential for an additional 459 low- and moderate-income rental units from projects that are subject to the City’s Affordable Housing Ordinance.
While the City has done a lot to boost affordable housing production, more is needed. To make meaningful progress, the City will need new sources of funding, new partnerships, and community support for new affordable housing.
Each year communities around the country organize events in recognition of Affordable Housing Month. The purpose of these events is to invite a wide range of stakeholders to discuss housing related needs and solutions. Participants often include neighbors, advocates, renters, homeowners, landlords, people experiencing homelessness, housing developers, lenders, service providers, government agencies, and others.
The intention of Affordable Housing month is to raise awareness about housing related issues and solutions and to build support for continued efforts and resources. These events provide information about best practices and generate support to produce affordable housing, the preservation of affordable housing, and for the protection of residents from housing discrimination and displacement.
DISCUSSION
In Santa Clara County, the nonprofit SV @ Home works with a broad coalition of partners to advocate for solutions that address Santa Clara County’s urgent need for housing. SV @ Home has partnered with a wide range of organizations and individuals to organize educational events throughout the month of May. These events encourage the sharing of best practices, opportunities, and solutions to provide affordable housing for all. This year events included the following:
• Site tours of affordable housing developments
• Affordable housing policy forum
• Forum on Social Housing at San Jose State University
• Tree planting
• Housing Finance 101 workshop
• Career pathways to property management
• Community land trust and housing cooperative workshops
• Housing for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Housing for farmworkers
• Documentary film screening about homelessness
• Youth housing summit
• Resources for emerging developers
• Poetry Readings and more
The City wishes to proclaim May as Affordable Housing Month and to recognize SV @ Home for its important role of calling attention to the region’s housing and community development challenges and highlighting effective solutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact other than staff time.
COORDINATION
This memorandum was coordinated with the City Attorney’s office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
Staff
Reviewed by: Afshan Hamid, Director, Community Development Department
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proclamation of Affordable Housing Month 2025