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Housing

The State of California is in the midst of a housing crisis. By many metrics, Santa Clara County is being hit hardest. Median home prices in Santa Clara County are more than double that of California, and almost 6 times that of the United States as a whole, making the American dream of homeownership unattainable for all but the wealthiest few. Meanwhile, the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is almost $3,000 per month, with more than 30% of residents identified as “highly cost-burdened,” meaning that rent alone eats up more than 50% of their income. This situation is unfair to an entire generation being priced out of their communities, not to mention devastating to the hourly workers, teachers, and public servants who are being forced to live on the street or in their vehicles, or commute as much as two hours or more each way to their jobs serving in our communities. This is unsustainable, and the Santa Clara County Democratic Party is determined to take a leadership role in remedying this crisis. Accordingly, the Santa Clara County Democratic Party:

  • Recognizes that reactionary and exclusionary housing policies in one part of the county increase housing pressure in other parts of the county (particularly South County), which leads to increased reliance on cars (and related environmental problems) and unnecessary pressure on public transportation, elimination of open spaces and agricultural land, and unfair burden on rural communities being asked to house an ever-growing number of commuters.  
  • Supports state and federal legislative changes and funding to help address the housing crisis which extends beyond our county.
  • Embraces people who work, sleep, or attend school in our communities as integral members of our community, regardless of whether they can currently afford adequate housing locally.  

Supply of Market Rate Housing

  • Strongly supports measures designed to increase the supply of market rate housing (with priority for the lower to middle ranges of the market rather than luxury), including, but not limited to, reducing parking minimums, increasing unit and area maximums, streamlining approval processes, expediting CEQA review without lowering environmental standards, ensuring adequate staffing for planning departments, and ensuring that development fees are consistent with housing policy.
  • Supports a moratorium on future single family homes zoning until the housing crisis has been resolved.       
  • Supports the rezoning of current single family home areas into other designations that can accommodate higher density development, particularly in areas adjacent to city centers, malls, and other commercial and retail hotspots that are pedestrian and bicycle friendly.
  • Recognizes the economic importance of agricultural and industrial zones and the need to protect these areas from redevelopment, and believes that these areas should be rezoned for residential only after every effort is made to up-zone appropriate R1 residential areas.
  • Supports increased housing density around major transportation hubs (such as Caltrain, light rail, or BART stations) and along major transit corridors (such as El Camino Real), particularly where such transportation hubs and corridors are located in that area or could easily become bicycle or pedestrian friendly. 
  • Strongly supports expanded access to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) permits throughout the county, especially in cities where high-density development (such as multistory apartment buildings) is politically impractical.
  • Strongly opposes Exclusionary Zoning ordinances that are leading to or exacerbating the racial re-segregation of our cities.
  • Strongly supports policies designed to discourage real estate investors (including foreign purchasers) from purchasing homes as investments and then leaving them vacant, including vacancy taxes or fees.  
  • Opposes downzoning.
  • Opposes net-loss of homes when property is redeveloped.  

Supply of Below Market Rate (BMR) Housing

  • Continues to support reasonable development impact fees designed to provide affordable housing and other services necessary to support new residences.
  • Supports affordable housing mandates in new constructions to ensure that all new development includes opportunities for low- and middle-income families to remain in their communities.
  • Supports the construction of low-cost, subsidized housing for teachers, educational administrators, law enforcement, and other public employees, particularly where such housing can be constructed on repurposed public land.
  • Supports the construction of assisted living housing for seniors and people with disabilities.
  • Supports measures to hold cities accountable for meeting RHNA.  
  • Opposes the destruction of existing affordable housing, unless replaced with greater numbers of homes and current tenants are offered a just transition accommodations and right of return following redevelopment without rental rate increases.  

Renter Protections

  • Believes that reasonable rent stabilization ordinances tailored to the needs of the community are an effective means of protecting renters from unconscionably high rents in high cost markets like Silicon Valley, and we, therefore, support tailored rent stabilization ordinances, particularly where rental cost increases are likely to leave low- and moderate-income people or families homeless or displaced out of the County.
  • Supports renter protection policies, such as “just cause” eviction requirements and renter relocation programs, to prevent landlords from taking advantage of renters in high demand areas and help renters transition to new homes when needed.  
  • Supports the right of tenants to organize and to collectively bargain and advocate for their rights with landlords, financial institutions, voters, and government.  

Homelessness & Vehicle Dwellers

  • Strongly opposes policies that criminalize people who are unhoused, including those who live in vehicles.
  • Supports safe overnight parking programs (particularly on college campuses for homeless and vehicle dweller students), the designation of safe dumping sites, and other public services designed to facilitate the health and safety of vehicle dwellers.
  • Supports the funding and construction of free and low-cost transitional housing for homeless people, with priority for homeless veterans and other vulnerable populations, such as LGBTQ teens and young adults.  
  • Supports permanent supportive housing for homeless people who require ongoing services to ensure they can remain housed and healthy.  
  • Strongly opposes hostile architecture designed to prevent the homeless from using public accommodations, and which also disproportionately harms children, seniors, and persons with disabilities.