|  | Do You Want More Affordable Housing? | Support The Regional Bond!
Over 161,000 Californians are currently unhoused. The Bay Area is severely behind on producing the affordable housing needed for its families. Increasing our supply of housing and general obligation bonds at the local level is one of the most powerful affordable housing financing sources available.
The Regional Bond will unlock billions of dollars for the construction of up to 45,000 affordable homes for Bay Area residents across 9 counties over the coming decades. This measure will also raise billions for preservation of existing affordable housing and ensure protection for at-risk tenants.
Click Here to explore how your endorsement of the Regional Bond can directly increase your chances of accessing more affordable housing. By supporting this crucial initiative, you're taking a significant step towards securing a brighter housing future for yourself and your community. | | | CURRENT LEASE - UPS |  | The Kelsey Ayer Station | San JoseN First Street, San Jose, CA - Expected Opening Late Spring 2024
The Kelsey Ayer Station, located in the heart of downtown San Jose, is a mixed-ability, mixed-income housing community in a transit-oriented neighborhood. This inclusive development has 115 units, including 22 designated for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Of the 22 IDD units, 18 are studios and 4 are two-bedroom units.
Property Amenities: Fitness Room Maker Space Rooftop Resident Terrace Sensory Garden Support Staff Offices Dog run and Pet-friendly units Transit passes and Coordination Community lobby Bike parking On-site Inclusion Concierge that connects residents to each other, the community, and desired services and supports.
While Ayer Station is not a Partner Property, as onsite support will not be provided by us, Housing Choices will still to refer individuals for the HUD 811 units. To fill these units, we are collaborating with the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC).
Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be SARC adults aged 18 to 61. Household income must not exceed 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Applicants must have Medi-Cal coverage. Priority 1 Applicants seeking to exit specific types of institutional care, including Skilled Nursing Facility, Intermediate Care Facility, or Developmental Center.
Priority 2 Homeless individuals Those at imminent risk of homelessness Individuals living with a caregiver who will soon be unable to provide care (e.g., aging parents) Individuals at risk of being placed in institutional care (defined broadly as any Medi-Cal funded or licensed care facility).
For more information, you can visit the website at www.livethekelsey.com To sign-up for our interest list, please click the button below. | | |  | The Meridian | Santa ClaraThe Meridian in Santa Clara is welcoming referrals for 10 set-aside one-bedroom units designed for individuals with IDD. This wonderful opportunity is exclusively available for Housing Choices clients and those associated with the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center.
These 10 set-aside, one-bedroom IDD units include HUD 811 vouchers, so rent is only 30% of the household income. That means there's no minimum income requirement. DDS will determine final eligibility.
Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be SARC adults aged 18 to 61. Household income must not exceed 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Applicants must have Medi-Cal coverage. Priority 1 Applicants seeking to exit specific types of institutional care, including Skilled Nursing Facility, Intermediate Care Facility, or Developmental Center.
Priority 2 Homeless individuals Those at imminent risk of homelessness Individuals living with a caregiver who will soon be unable to provide care (e.g., aging parents) Individuals at risk of being placed in institutional care (defined broadly as any Medi-Cal funded or licensed care facility).
To Apply: Contact your Housing Coordinator to check eligibility. If eligible, your Housing Coordinator will fill out a form with your Medi-Cal number. The form will go to DDS for final approval. You'll be notified with the next steps.
| | |  | The Meridian | Sunnyvale
The Meridian in Sunnyvale is one of our newest Partner Properties with a total of 90 rental units. 23 of these units are exclusively set- aside for those with IDD. The sizes of the units include 7 studios, 11 one-bedrooms, 3 two-bedrooms, and 2 three-bedrooms. These units include central air and heating, a dishwasher, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, and easy access to public transportation.
The Meridian in Sunnyvale features a total of 27 units specially modified to meet ADA standards, catering to mobility, visual, and hearing impairments as needed. The lobby and community room are wheelchair accessible, and the building offers common area accessible bathrooms and an elevator.
All of our units are monitored by the City of Sunnyvale and are subject to specific restrictions. Rental rates, as displayed in the chart below, are set at 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Income limits may vary slightly based on AMI percentages and utility allowances. These income limits are subject to change in line with HUD's published AMI updates.
Eligibility Criteria:
To Apply: Contact your Housing Coordinator to check eligibility. If eligible, your Housing Coordinator will sign you up for the waitlist and help you with any necessary paperwork You'll receive notifications for the next steps
| | | UPCOMING PROPERTIES |  | Mary Avenue | Cupertino
After years of dedicated effort and collaboration with Charities Housing and the Cupertino Rotary Club, we have finally secured a city-owned site on Mary Avenue for an affordable housing project.
For over 20 years, we have worked with our partners to develop at this site but we faced significant challenges and delays from housing-adverse and housing-skeptical individuals.
However, on February 6, the Cupertino City Council unanimously agreed to begin discussions with Charities Housing about using the current balance in the BMR fund for a development on this site.
“I am so glad to see some progress being made on this project… There is a tremendous need for extremely low-income (ELI) housing, and we need to be doing our job to help this along,” expressed Cupertino resident Jean Bador during public comment.
The proposed Mary Avenue project aims to include 40 units, with 18 designated for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD),
This project is particularly important as Cupertino has a glaring lack of affordable housing options for people with IDD.
According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development's 2015-2023 data, Cupertino has not met even 10% of its low-income housing target.
The council's agreement to negotiate is a significant step forward. We couldn’t have done this without the support from the Cupertino Rotary Club, housing leaders of the community, and resilient parents.
While this initial agreement is promising, we must continue advocating for substantial funding and budget allocation for the project.
We invite you to join our efforts and further support the Mary Avenue project with IDD units.
Click the button below to join our Cupertino Task Force, a pro-housing advocacy group dedicated to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
The best is yet to come! | | |  | Mitchell Park Place | Palo Alto
Mitchell Park Place in Palo Alto is an upcoming mixed-use development that will feature new office space for public social services and 50 high-quality affordable rental apartments for households earning at or below 60% of the area median income.
Notably, 25 of these units are designated for individuals with IDD, catering to lower-income households. | Nearby Amenities Include: |
| Property Amenities Include: Computer learning center Community room Laundry facilities Outdoor courtyard with planters for growing fruits and vegetables All-electric building with solar panels on the roof, low-flow water fixtures, drought-tolerant planting, and dedicated bike parking.
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| On February 28 at 1 PM, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held in Palo Alto to officially mark the start of the construction process.
Our work would not be possible without the commitment of developers like Eden Housing, who are dedicated to creating affordable and inclusive housing for individuals of all income levels and abilities. This commitment is particularly crucial in the Bay Area, which has some of the highest housing costs in the country.
Thank you to Eden Housing and all stakeholders whose unwavering commitment has brought this project to life. Their dedication to sustainable solutions empowers individuals with IDD to claim their human right to independent living and equitable housing opportunities. | | UPCOMING EVENTS |  | Findings Overview on Black Californians’ Homelessness Experiences
📆 Wednesday, February 21, 2024 | 12:00 PM 📍Online Event
Why are Black Californians nearly four times more likely than White Californians to experience homelessness?
Between October 2021 and November 2022, The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative conducted the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness.
The team is now hosting a webinar to deep dive into the causes and consequences of homelessness among Black Californians. Experienced professionals alongside the Lived Expertise Advisory Board Members will discuss the study's findings, including demographics of homelessness, pathways leading to homelessness, and barriers to securing housing.
The panel will also highlight key policy recommendations for system improvement and service expansion, share stories from real-life experiences of homelessness, and respond to questions from the audience.
To learn more about the study, you can read the full report Here | | |  | Policy in Action: Learning from San Jose’s Interim Shelter Model
📆 Friday, February 23, 2024 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 📍Online Event
SV@Home’s Policy in Action @ Home series (PIA) is a monthly discussion gathering housing activists to engage on hot housing topics. This February, SV@Home invites you to a critical discussion on tackling homelessness through San Jose's pioneering Interim Shelter Model.
Join SV@Home as Deputy Director of San Jose’s Housing Department Ragan Henninger shares valuable insights about the design, implementation, and outcomes of temporary shelters built as a response to our community's housing crisis.
With homelessness on the rise, driven by a shortage of affordable housing, exploring San Jose's model offers a unique opportunity to understand potential solutions, their costs, and their impact.
For any accommodation requests or accessibility inquiries, reach out to cesia@siliconvalleyathome.org.
Click the button below to join the conversation and help shape the future of housing! | | | Tenant Protections Listening Sessions with HCD
📆 Wednesday February 28, 2024 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST 📍Online Event
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is working on updating the state's fair housing plan. To understand what matters to the community, HCD is organizing six listening sessions focused on specific topics.
On Wednesday, February 28, HCD will host a session to talk about the latest data and new laws related to tenant protections in California.
This is also an opportunity for you to share your feedback and personal experiences as a tenant.
Register for the webinar now to voice your opinions on tenant protections, share your personal experiences, advocate for your interests, and explain to policymakers why tenant protections are important to you and what specific protections you need.
Reasonable Accommodations are available for individuals who require auxiliary aids, services, or sign language interpreters for HCD meetings should contact Spring Packard, Americans with Disabilities Act Responsible Employee, at (916) 776-7723 or aifairhousingreport@hcd.ca.gov or contact Relay California at 800-735-2929 at least three business days before the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Non-English-speaking individuals who require interpreters for meetings should contact Spring Packard by phone at (916) 776-7723 or by email at aifairhousingreport@hcd.ca.gov at least three days before the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
For questions, please email HCD’s AI fair housing team at aifairhousingreport@hcd.ca.gov | | | PAST EVENTS | Disabilities & Aging Population Listening Session with HCD
We need your input! The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) wants to enhance support for individuals with disabilities.
On February 7, HCD conducted an online listening session to gather insights and recommendations for improving assistance for people with disabilities and older adults. Participants voiced their concerns about accessibility of online housing applications, the need for disability-specific financial support, and the need for universal design in housing development.
Don’t miss the chance to tell the government what you need to make your community thrive!
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey linked below about your housing needs and experiences. You can also share your housing concerns and suggestions by emailing your written comments to aifairhousingreport@hcd.ca.gov to help HCD understand how to better serve you and others in the disability space.
Your feedback is vital in guiding HCD towards creating more disability-specific and affordable housing options, reducing housing barriers, and enhancing the availability of housing vouchers. | | | Catalyze SV 101 Affordable Housing Game Night | | Housing Choices and SV@Home co-sponsored Catalyze SV's 101 Affordable Housing Game Night in the Mountain View Community Center on Monday, January 29. Catalyze SV is dedicated to engaging community members in efforts to promote inclusivity, vibrancy, and diversity within neighborhoods.
The event was free and included a chicken sandwich dinner with vegetarian options from Starbird, complemented by sweet pastry desserts from Panera Bread. Guest speaker Sarah Vaccaro from Architects FORA gave an educational presentation on the unique and thoughtful architectural designs of affordable housing developments.
Participants engaged in a Jeopardy-style quiz covering topics related to housing, such as the Three P’s (Protection, Preservation, Production), Advocacy, and Access to Housing. The Three P's form a comprehensive approach to housing issues. Protection focuses on safeguarding tenants' rights and preventing unfair evictions, ensuring that people have a secure place to live without the fear of unjust displacement. Preservation emphasizes the importance of maintaining and upgrading existing housing stock to keep it safe, affordable, and available for current and future generations. Production addresses the need to increase the supply of affordable housing to meet the growing demand and to combat housing shortages that drive up prices and exclude low- and middle-income families from adequate living conditions.
Additionally, the quiz highlighted the significance of Advocacy in influencing policies and mobilizing resources to support housing justice.
Access to Housing was another key topic, underscoring the importance of creating pathways for all individuals to find stable, affordable housing. This involves removing financial, legal, and bureaucratic obstacles that prevent people from securing housing, especially marginalized and vulnerable populations like those with disabilities.
Through this interactive quiz, participants were not only educated about the critical issues surrounding housing but were also encouraged to think about practical solutions and the roles they could play in advocating for a more equitable housing system. | | Housing Choices client and Monterey Villa resident, Jacob Atteberry, attended the game night alongside his live-in support staff, Rizalio, on Monday, January 29.
Jacob selected the “Advocacy” category, prompting attendees to answer questions about advocacy language, materials, and responsibilities in affordable housing.
Jacob smiled and waved to express his enjoyment of the game night and his anticipation for future similar events. |
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| | 🥰 Share the LOVE this February! 🤍 | Your donation makes it possible for more people with developmental disabilities to have an affordable home. $250 can help someone like Jacob move into a new home! | | With appreciation,
Todd Marans
Board Chair
Dennise Jauregui
Executive Director |
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