"San Jose leaders are delaying a vote on a plan to revamp a development program responsible for generating a significant portion of the city's affordable housing. The decision follows vocal pushback from opponents who warn the policy change would mean less housing support going to those most in need. The change proposed by city staff would increase target income brackets for beneficiaries of San Jose's inclusionary housing policy, which requires market-rate housing developers to direct a portion of their investments toward affordable housing."
"It aims to shift the program's focus from low- and moderate-income residents toward middle-income working professionals. The City Council was expected to vote on the policy change Tuesday, but the city's Rules and Open Government Committee voted last week to delay the decision until January. "I think it will give us a better picture of balancing both our housing goals and our development realities," District 1 Councilmember Rosemary Kamei said at the committee meeting."
"The proposed change - which stems from a directive given earlier this year by Mayor Matt Mahan - caught local affordability advocates off guard. "We feel like any changes to a tool that is working well to produce affordability really needs to be thoroughly analyzed," Alison Cingolani, a director for the San Jose-based affordable housing advocacy nonprofit SV@Home, told San José Spotlight. "They're consequential decisions. They affect the lives of thousands of people.""
San Jose leaders postponed a City Council vote on revising the city's inclusionary housing policy after opponents warned the change would reduce support for the lowest-income residents. City staff proposed raising target income brackets so that affordable units would serve more middle-income working professionals instead of low- and moderate-income households. Developers currently meet obligations by allocating 15% of units as below-market-rate housing or by paying an in-lieu fee to fund other affordable projects. Mayor Matt Mahan directed staff earlier in the year to draft the proposal. The Rules and Open Government Committee delayed the vote until January to allow further analysis.
Read at San Jose Spotlight
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