Renting Has its Rights is a campaign to educate the public on the ordinances that cover over 20,000 people in San José. Rachel and Vanessa give us a rundown of the campaign and some frequently asked questions the Rent Stabilization Team has answers to. Rachel will talk to us about what to expect in our push to educate tenants and landlords about our 4 biggest ordinances and the amazing team behind the scenes. At the end, Vanessa goes over frequently asked questions related to the San Jose Housing Ordinances. This is a widespread effort from the Housing Department to educate and inform the public through billboards, bus ads, social media, and our website.To learn more about Renting Has Its Rights, please visit sanjoseca.gov/rentalrights. 

Terms and resources discussed:

• If you have questions about the housing ordinances please call (408)975-4480
• Visit our Housing Ordinances Page to learn more about the ordinances that cover San José.
• Visit our Eviction Process Page to learn about resources and steps involved during the eviction process.
• Petition - Petitions are written request to appeal actions taken by landlords or tenants.
• Apartment Rent Ordinance (ARO) - Landlords may increase rent one time in a 12-month period, and the increase may be up to 5%. The City has a petition process in place to resolve landlord/tenant disputes regarding rent increases.
  
• Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO) - There are 13 “just causes” for which landlords may evict tenants. When a landlord notifies a tenant of their intent to terminate a lease, the landlord must cite one of the 13 just causes, and must provide the City with a copy of the notice within three days.
  
• Ellis Act Ordinance (EAO) - When landlords remove an apartment from the rental market under the Ellis Act, they must provide tenants with 6-12 months notice, and they must provide tenants with relocation benefits.
  
• Mobilehome Ordinance (MHRO) - Mobilehome park owners may increase the rent for mobilehome spaces once a year. A formula is used to determine rent increases, which are at least 3% but not more than 7%.

A general plan represents the official policy regarding where new development may occur and serves as a blueprint to achieve the City’s social, economic, and environmental goals. Envision San Jose 2040 was created in 2007 and centers on 12 Major Strategies that reflect the community’s expressed desire to see San José grow. Today we're covering this comprehensive plan and digging in to see what it takes to receive the Award of Excellence for the extensive community engagement process and its contributions to long-range planning.

Terms and resources discussed:

• To learn more about Planning Building and Code Enforcement, please visit CSJ Planning Building and Code Enforcement home page
• Learn more about the 2040 General Plan
• Learn about the 4-year review
• General Plan - In California, cities and counties are required by State law to have a General Plan. It is the local government's long-term blueprint for future development. Pursuant to State law, the General Plan must accommodate the required amount of projected population growth the State of California estimates for each city.

A lot is happening around affordable housing, but do you know how residents qualify to live there? And does affordable housing look any different than market-rate housing? We dig into the basics of affordable housing and discuss the planning process for each site. Lester Fontecha from EAH Housing gives us insight into what affordable housing looks like throughout the Bay Area and how financial vehicles like vouchers come into play. Affordable housing is a game changer for families looking for stability, and seniors who want peace of mind without worrying about the ever-increasing cost of living. We also talk with Lester about the varying income limits for affordable housing. This kind of housing is not without its challenges, however, and Lester takes us through each step in the development process and explains what it takes to make affordable housing happen in San José.

Terms and resources discussed:

Affordable Housing - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines “affordable housing” as housing on which the occupant pays no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities.

• Learn more about EAH Housing
• Visit the Doorway Portal in your language:
  • English 
  • Español 
  • Tiếng Việt 
  • 中文
• Visit Santa Clara County Housing Authority to learn about the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.
• Visit the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to read the Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet

This year, the Housing Department welcomed its new director, Erik Louis Soliván. With over 17 years of experience in the housing sector, Erik is an expert at collaborating with diverse public, private, and community partners to preserve and produce housing for families at all income levels. Today, Erik talks about his vision for San José and strategies that align with the Housing Department’s missions and goals of affordable housing portfolio management, affordable housing production and preservation, homelessness interventions and solutions, neighborhood capital investment and public services, and rent stabilization and tenant protection. Find out how a department servicing the community is focused on improving the quality of life for its residents.

Terms and resources discussed:

•  Please visit our Housing Department Website to learn more about the work we do for our community.
• Sign up for The Housing Department Newsletter
• For all the updates, follow us on Social Media:
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
• Housing Element - State law requires that every City and county in California adopt a Housing Element as part of its General Plan. The purpose of the Housing Element is to ensure that local governments adequately plan to meet the housing needs of all people within the community - regardless of their income.
• Soft Story Retrofit Program  - Modern building codes developed by the State of California and enforced locally by the City of San José include standards for earthquakes that have resulted in buildings that are resilient to most earthquakes. However, buildings constructed before these earthquake standards went into effect may not be as resilient unless they have been retrofitted.

The Housing Element is part of San José's Envision 2040 General Plan, a community-based plan that serves as the blueprint for the City's growth. Every 8 years the plan gets updated with new strategies that identifies the city’s housing needs. Our conversation today covers the Housing Department and Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department efforts in the Housing Element to establish the goals and strategies that meet the ever-changing needs of San José.

• Visit the Housing Element website to learn more.
• San José's Envision 2040 General Plan
• Learn about Chapter 3: Housing Goals and Strategies
• Check out the Housing Catalyst Workplan Dashboard to keep up with the progress made in San José.

The Housing Department’s Grants Team oversees funds received from various sources and distributes them to local organizations to benefit the community. Residents of San José can make their voices heard in this process through the Consolidated Plan, and many types of organizations apply for the grants. Lastly, the grants provided are tracked by the team to make sure all grants, big and small, are used for their intended purposes. In this episode, we will go over where these funds come from, the various forms of grants, how organizations can apply, and how these funds make a positive impact on the residents of San José.

• Visit our page to learn more about Nonprofit Grant Programs
• Learn more about the Consolidated and Annual Plans
• Current 2020-2025 Consolidated Plan
• Portuguese Organization for Social Services and Opportunities (POSSO)