The City is working to create a feedback loop for homelessness solutions that will improve resource utilization and make solutions more accessible to those in need. A key part of this process is listening to people with lived experience with homelessness to understand how we can make it easier to navigate the complex system for obtaining and using homelessness solutions. On today’s episode, I’m joined by Chad Bojorquez, chief program officer at Destination: Home, and Greg Pensinger, homelessness response manager in the City of San José Housing Department. We talk about the Live Experience Advisory Board and how homelessness solutions are evolving to better meet the needs of homeless residents.

Terms and topics discussed

Thanks so much, Chad and Greg, for joining me on today’s episode. To learn more about the Lived Experience Advisory Board, please visit https://leabsv.org/.

Homebase

Destination: Home

Continuum of Care (COC)

Info on Interim Housing Communities

Lived Experienced Advisory Board(LEAB) - The board is a leadership development community created and operated by individuals with current or past lived experience of homelessness. Members make recommendations for improvement and assist with the implementation of programs and services. LEAB is a platform to evaluate and shift power from traditional systems of care to those with lived experience.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws.

Transcript: Episode 18: The Lived Experience Advisory Board

There's a constant need for affordable housing in Silicon Valley, and there are a variety of tools the City and other entities can use to finance the construction and operation of that housing. There are also myriad requirements that must be satisfied, so investors must take numerous steps to bring affordable to fruition. On today's episode, I'm joined by Rachel VanderVeen, deputy director of the City of José Housing Department. We talk about how financing affordable housing in San José actually works.

Terms and topics discussed

To learn more about Affordable Housing Financing, please visit our website at www.sjhousing.org.

Bond Funding

Inclusionary rental compliance

Developer Fees and Charges

Learn about Rent Stabilization

Commercial Linkage Fee

Requirements for City Funding

SOMOS Mayfair – their mission is to support children, organize families, and connect neighbors to uplift the dreams, power, and leadership of the community and address systemic inequities.

Transcript: Episode 17: How does affordable housing financing work?

Project Homekey has helped fast-track solutions for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. It does this by allowing public entities to develop a variety of housing types and convert existing buildings into permanent or interim housing. We'll dive into the details of this initiative and explore its potential impact on communities across the region. On today’s episode, I’m joined by Consuelo Hernandez, Director of the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing. We are going to talk about Project Homekey, a statewide effort to rapidly expand housing opportunities for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

Terms and topics discussed

To learn more about Project Homekey, please visit the State website at https://www.hcd.ca.gov. 

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) - CEQA requires public agencies to “look before they leap” and consider the environmental consequences of their discretionary actions. CEQA is intended to inform government decision-makers and the public about the potential environmental effects of proposed activities and to prevent significant, avoidable environmental damage.
If you are just beginning to learn about CEQA, visit their Getting Started page.

Continuum of Care (COC)

Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness 2020-2025

Jamboree Housing

Lifemoves

Notice of Funding Availability

Transcript: Episode 16: Project Homekey

The Apartment Rent Ordinance has had a significant impact on San José apartment renters since 1979 through rent stabilization, the petition process, and the rent registry to name a few examples. It also has rules on how rent is raised in a year and how data is used for policy decisions. On today’s episode, I’m joined by Noel Padilla. Noel is a Senior Analyst with the San José Housing Department’s Rent Stabilization Program. He and I are going to talk about the City’s Apartment Rent Ordinance, which affects more than 100,000 residents in San José.

To learn more about the City’s Apartment Rent ordinance and other housing ordinances, visit our website at www.sjhousing.org. 

• San José Ordinances
• Learn about Rent Stabilization
• Learn about the Rent Registry

 Transcript: Episode 15: How the Apartment Rent Ordinance Impacts Rental Housing in San José

What does it mean to be homeless as a foster youth after turning 18? Many young adults who have aged out of foster care have nowhere to go and few places where they can seek help. With many rules (some in conflict with one another) creating significant obstacles to housing opportunities, a number of organizations have taken up the cause of advocating for transition-age youth. This group is loosely defined as people 18-24 years old. On today’s episode, I’m joined by Sparky Harlan, a nationally recognized leader in youth services. Sparky is the longtime CEO of the Bill Wilson Center. We talk about homelessness among youth and young adults, and what is being done to address it.

Terms and topics discussed:

• To learn about more about the Bill Wilson Center, visit https://www.billwilsoncenter.org.
• John Burton Advocates For You
• Rapid Rehousing
• Runaway Homeless Youth Act
• United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Youth Homelessness Demonstration grant
• Handbook for HUD - Housing for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care
• The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws.
• Transitional Housing Program provides funding to counties for child welfare services agencies to help young adults aged 18 to 24 find and maintain housing, with priority given to those formerly in the foster care or probation systems.   
• Point-in-Time (PIT) count is a biennial effort led by HUD to estimate the number of Americans, including Veterans, without safe, stable housing. Cities and counties across the country conduct a physical count of homeless residents. 

Transcript: Episode 14: Addressing Homelessness Among Transition-Age Youth

How can solutions be scaled to meet the housing demand in our region? According to the Regional Housing Needs Assessment estimates, we need to create 441,000 new homes to solve the Bay Area housing shortage. The solutions to help us get there include innovative approaches to building affordable housing, streamlining regulations, and leveraging new types of financing. On today's episode, I'm joined by Vince Rocha, vice president of Housing and Community Development at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. We will discuss the economic implications of increasing or failing to increase the housing supply in our region, and ideas to help get more housing built.

Terms and topics discussed:

• To learn more about the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, please visit https://www.svlg.org.
• Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA)
• The National Association of Realtors shortage tracker
• L.A. Times Article
• FactoryOS
• Measure E
• Bill AB 2234
• Deed-restricted affordable housing refers to housing units, such as apartments, that have a use-restriction that limits the rent or purchase price and requires occupancy by low-income households for a set period of time. Without deed restrictions, affordably priced housing can rise with the market, pricing out residents.
• Joint Powers Authorities (JPA) is a term used to describe government agencies that have agreed to combine their powers and resources to work on their common problems.

Transcript: Episode 13: Increasing Our Supply of Housing.