Publication Date

Fall 2004

Degree Type

Master's Project

Degree Name

Master of Urban Planning (MUP)

Department

Urban and Regional Planning

First Advisor

Dayana Salazar

Second Advisor

Rubina Baseer

Abstract

“Affordable Housing” refers to housing provided for low-income population. The generally accepted definition of affordability is for a household to pay no more than 30 percent of its annual income on housing.'’ Since the median cost of housing in California is higher than the median cost for the nation, even moderate-income households end up spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. The lack of affordable housing is a significant hardship for these households preventing them from meeting their other basic needs, such as nutrition and healthcare, or saving for their future and that of their families. It is a well-recognized fact that there's a housing crisis for the State of California in general and for Silicon Valley in particular. According to the California’s Foundation for Economic Growth, California’s housing supply is inadequate relative to the demand and too expensive for too many of its residents. The same source also identifies that since the post-World War II, California has produced the lowest number of housing in the first six years of this decade. Because of this shortfall in housing supply, an imbalance between jobs and housing markets has emerged, resulting in a steep escalation of housing prices. The City of Santa Clara, at the center of Silicon Valley, inherits a major share of this problem. The city has been trying to address the affordable housing problem through its housing element. The purpose of this report is to examine what the City of Santa Clara has done so far through its Housing Element and to evaluate how effective the Housing Element has been in addressing the affordable housing needs for the city.

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