County Board of Supervisors Approves Nearly $29 Million in Funding for Five New Affordable Housing Projects

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. — The County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved $28.7 million in funding for four new multifamily affordable housing projects and one affordable homeownership development, all in San Jose, that will add 612 units to the supply of affordable rental and ownership housing.
 
The Board’s decision brings the total County funding for the five projects to $48.2 million, with $38.7 million coming from Measure A, the $950 million affordable housing bond approved by county voters in 2016 to create safe, stable and affordable homes for families, seniors, veterans and other vulnerable residents.
 
Two of the projects will be built on land owned by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) as part of a partnership between the County and the transportation agency to construct transit-oriented affordable housing on VTA-owned sites.

Measure A is on track to fund more than 5,800 units of affordable housing, surpassing the initial goal of 4,800. The Board has committed $892.2 million in Measure A funds so far. There are 2,710 Measure A-funded units in operation that house approximately 6,275 people. In addition, 1,163 units are under construction and 606 units are breaking ground this year that, once complete, will house about 6,413 people.
 
“Thanks to Measure A, the County has been making and continues to make a difference to address the region’s need for housing,” said Board President Otto Lee. “More than 6,000 people who were unhoused or at risk of homelessness now have the safety and dignity of a home. In coming years, the County will provide that same opportunity for 11,000 more people, including seniors, families and children thanks to voters’ approval of Measure A.”
 
Measure A is a key part of the County’s ongoing effort to address housing affordability and homelessness in Silicon Valley, which continues to have some of the highest housing costs in the nation. According to the National Association of Realtors, the Santa Clara County metro area recently registered the highest median sales price for a single-family home in the country at just over $2 million. A lack of affordable housing supply, rising rents, wage gaps, and structural inequities all contribute directly to housing insecurity and homelessness in the county.

To directly address community need and a growing market gap, the County has made a concerted effort to align public resources like Measure A, Santa Clara County Housing Authority vouchers, San Jose’s Measure E, and private funds from partners such as Cisco and Apple to build thousands of units of permanent supportive and affordable housing in Santa Clara County.
 
“As housing costs continue to rise in San Jose and throughout our region, the need for more affordable housing becomes clearer and more urgent by the day,” said County Executive James R. Williams. “Thanks to the leadership of our Board of Supervisors, the County has been a proactive partner, investing millions of dollars directly into the city of San Jose and in 10 other cities across the county to build more affordable housing units for low-income families and seniors. Unless cities significantly expand our housing supply, we will never be able to combat housing insecurity and unaffordability in our community.”
 
The four multifamily projects approved by the Board on Tuesday – VTA Berryessa Station, VTA Capitol Station, East Santa Clara Senior Apartments and East Santa Clara Family Apartments – will include 238 units for people with low incomes, 191 units for people with very low incomes, and 120 units of permanent supportive housing for previously unhoused seniors and families.
 
“The County is thrilled to partner with the Valley Transportation Authority on the Berryessa and Capitol Station projects that demonstrate the importance of what we can achieve together when we align our efforts,” said Deputy County Executive Consuelo Hernandez. “All told, the projects approved today reflect the ongoing success of Measure A and the transformative impact this infusion of resources has had on the thousands of people housed across the county because of it.”
 
In addition to approving funding for the four new multifamily rental projects, the Board approved an affordable homeownership development called East Santa Clara Townhomes, which will feature 36 affordable for-sale housing units. Adding opportunities for affordable homeownership is important for the diversity of the local housing ecosystem.
 
The County pursued Measure A in 2016 following the Board’s decision to take on an unprecedented role in housing, which is typically the responsibility of cities, following recommendations from a Housing Task Force convened by former supervisors Dave Cortese and Cindy Chavez. The County is in the ninth year of implementation, and Measure A is recognized as one of the most successful housing bonds in California because of the deep partnerships the County has created with cities throughout the county and the affordable housing community.

ABOUT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA  
The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multicultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, making it more populous than 14 states in the United States. The County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and solutions, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many other public benefits.
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