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Missing middle housing is a key part of meeting San Jose’s housing needs. The city is currently falling far short of the level of housing production needed. One reason for this is that most of the city remains largely off limits to new housing development and almost no space is dedicated to the lowest-cost housing type: low-rise multifamily housing. Legalizing missing middle housing across San Jose neighborhoods can help San Jose meet its housing goals and produce more housing affordable to working and middle class families.
Missing middle housing will make San Jose’s housing policy more equitable and inclusive. Many of San Jose’s best-resourced neighborhoods, with great schools and job access, are currently off limits to all those who cannot afford a million-dollar-plus mansion. Restrictive housing policies were often established with exclusionary intent, and their presence today helps maintain historic patterns of exclusion. Legalizing missing middle housing in San Jose’s highest opportunity neighborhoods will help give more people from more walks of life access to the great resources available there.
The city of San Jose is currently updating the housing element of its general plan, and now is an important time to prioritize and support missing middle housing. Please sign this petition and/or contact San Jose city council and advocate for the city to:
• Strengthen implementation of SB 9 and advance further missing middle housing opportunities. These programs will help San Jose better meet its housing needs while advancing equitable access to more neighborhood resources.
• Implement these crucial policies as quickly as possible and prioritize feasibility, streamlined approval processes, and incentives for more deeply affordable housing.
• Establish design standards, promote prototypes for market-feasible missing middle housing, and identify and implement pre-approved designs eligible for the same kind of streamlined approval as ADUs as soon as possible.
I write in support of Senate Bill (SB) 4 – Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act. This act makes it easier, cheaper and faster for faith organizations and nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing on their land.
Building more homes is central to resolving California’s housing crisis and reducing homelessness throughout the state. The California Department of Housing and Community Development found that California has a staggering shortage of over one million affordable housing units, posing a disproportionate burden on our low-income and unhoused communities. Without implementing significant streamlining measures for affordable housing projects, California’s ability to fulfill the housing needs of all its residents remains severely compromised.
Faith-based organizations and nonprofit colleges offer a viable and valuable solution to meeting the housing needs of Californians. With deep experience in charity, these organizations often partner with nonprofit developers to make their excess land available for affordable housing. A substantial portion of this land is situated in the state’s “high” or “highest” resource opportunity areas, which opens doors to developing in neighborhoods that provide greater access to essential resources and opportunities.
However, the potential of this partnership has been stifled by restrictive local rules and regulations. Overcoming these requirements is consuming and costly, deterring organizations from moving forward with projects that would benefit their low-income and unhoused neighbors.
SB 4 will allow faith-based organizations and nonprofit colleges to pursue 100% affordable housing developments on their properties, regardless of local zoning restrictions. This bill also guarantees that environmental rules like the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) cannot be twisted to block these projects that help California meet our climate goals.
Empowering organizations and communities to build more homes is a key part to addressing California’s housing shortage. This bill is an important step towards increasing California’s housing supply, ensuring individuals and families of all income levels have access to safe, affordable housing.