Op-ed: Fighting for an affordable San Jose - San Jose Spotlight

"Right now, the median home price in our region is closing on $2 million, nearly five times the national figure. Renters are paying an average of $3,000 a month for apartments, $4,200 for houses. Forty percent of renters spend more than a third of their income just on housing. Child care costs, which can rise to about $2,900 for an infant, are so high that it forces families out of our cities."

"The people being squeezed are the ones who keep this city running: nurses, teachers, police officers, firefighters, cooks, child care workers, construction workers, retail workers. They are leaving Silicon Valley to live in more affordable areas, like Tracy and Los Banos, spending hours each day on their commutes instead of with their families."

"Over the last decade, Silicon Valley's population of children under 18 has gone down by 15%, per the report. As a result, San Jose Unified School District is one of many school districts facing the consequences of declining enrollment and making difficult decisions to balance their budget by closing beloved neighborhood schools."

Silicon Valley faces a critical affordability crisis despite generating unprecedented wealth. The median home price exceeds $1.9 million, nearly five times the national average, while renters pay $3,000-$4,200 monthly. Forty percent of renters spend over one-third of their income on housing alone. Essential workers including nurses, teachers, police officers, and construction workers are leaving for affordable areas like Tracy and Los Banos, enduring lengthy commutes. Even six-figure earners live paycheck to paycheck, and seniors struggle to survive in the region they built. The child population under 18 has declined 15% over the past decade, causing school districts to close neighborhood schools due to declining enrollment. City leadership has prioritized economic growth at the top, hoping benefits trickle down, while implementing living wage policies, renter protections, and immigrant protections.

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