I recently met a husband-wife veterinary team. The woman works at an animal clinic in Daly City, and her husband is a research fellow at Stanford. When they moved here, they couldn’t afford rent for an apartment, so they considered buying and living in an RV. The upfront costs of an RV, not to mention the challenges of owning a home on wheels, forced them to live in a garage for $2,500 a month — an illegal and unsafe solution.
This couple is certainly not alone. According to the County Manager’s Office, between 2010 and 2014, 54,600 new jobs were created in San Mateo County, while only 2,100 new housing units were built, or one home for every 26 jobs.
Leora Tanjuatco Ross
This mismatch of housing and jobs is forcing workers to choose between driving long distances to work (causing terrible traffic) or living in substandard housing. Families with secure jobs that would be considered well paying in most of the country are living in unsafe and unstable conditions.
But even in the face of desperate need, some communities are failing to pursue solutions.
One of the most effective strategies available to local governments is affordable housing impact fees, which allow cities to establish their own affordable housing funds. These fees are placed on new developments, both commercial and residential, and then set aside for affordable housing.
Many cities have adopted these fees, but five are still holding out: South San Francisco, Brisbane, Pacifica, Half Moon Bay and Millbrae.
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If South San Francisco had adopted impact fees in 2015, the city would’ve collected over $18 million for affordable housing. If Brisbane moves forward with the Planning Commission’s recommendation for development on the Brisbane Baylands (2 million square feet of office space), it could require that the developer pay up to $30 million in affordable housing fees. Millbrae has two plans under review right now that could generate over $7 million for new affordable homes.
It’s completely irresponsible for cities to approve millions of square feet of office space without considering the impact that these office buildings would have on traffic and affordability. There are dozens of high-rise office buildings in the county, but housing has been downsized and delayed for decades.
But there’s good news too: Belmont, Burlingame, Colma, Foster City, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Bruno and San Mateo have already adopted affordable impact fees.
Menlo Park was one of the earliest adopters of commercial linkage fees, introducing the ordinance in 1988. On July 18, 2017, the City Council allocated $6.7 million to refurbish 82 old affordable units, and add 59 homes to the Family Gateway Apartments community in Belle Haven. This project is a perfect example of how impact fees can translate into affordable places to live. The city is also currently reviewing residential impact fees, which would allocate even more money for affordable homes.
Every city in San Mateo County has an obligation to pass affordable housing impact fees. It is short-sighted and foolhardy to assume that our jobs and economy will continue to grow, as the cost of living skyrockets.
Leora Tanjuatco is the organizing director for the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County. She lives in Millbrae.
Comrade By Leora Tanjuatco, We don't live in a communistic country so it's not the governments role to redistribute money so the government can become landlord-in-chief. Taxing people/business to death makes matters much worse. You are advocating policies which exert control over people's lives. Even though some cities have instituted "developer fees" it doesn't mean it's proper or right. If you want to help people afford to live here, advocate for reducing fees and taxes which will allow citizens the freedom to control their owns lives.
This is the commie bay area. Don't you know govt knows what's best for all of us, even though they skrew it up royally every time. It's what they do best.
Clearly developer fees alone haven't worked to solve the affordable housing crisis.... Menlo Park has had a program in place since 1988, and today, how much is the average cost of a monthly rental in Menlo Park ?
It is obvious to most rational thinking people that extorting fees from developers or mandating affordable housing units will do absolutely nothing to alleviate the need for affordable housing in fact the effect is just the opposite as the costs are just passed on to the renters or buyers further raising housing prices.
The housing situation in the Bay ARea and particularly along the peninsula is desperate. I'm tired of the NIMBY's and the "it used to be so much better" crowd. People want to move here because the economy is good and because it's a great place to live. Anything to address the crisis helps, key word - "crisis".
"This mismatch of housing and jobs is forcing workers to choose between driving long distances to work (causing terrible traffic) or living in substandard housing." This article leaves out a 3rd option, That is the worker refuses to accept the position after comparing what he/she has elsewhere to San Mateo County.
Government should stay out of the Real Estate Business Period. Stop adding Extortion Fees to the Builders cost in the name of Affordable Housing Fees.
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(10) comments
Comrade By Leora Tanjuatco,
We don't live in a communistic country so it's not the governments role to redistribute money so the government can become landlord-in-chief. Taxing people/business to death makes matters much worse. You are advocating policies which exert control over people's lives. Even though some cities have instituted "developer fees" it doesn't mean it's proper or right. If you want to help people afford to live here, advocate for reducing fees and taxes which will allow citizens the freedom to control their owns lives.
This is the commie bay area. Don't you know govt knows what's best for all of us, even though they skrew it up royally every time. It's what they do best.
[thumbup]
Perhaps your right about the Country but this State is pretty darn close.
[thumbup]
Clearly developer fees alone haven't worked to solve the affordable housing crisis.... Menlo Park has had a program in place since 1988, and today, how much is the average cost of a monthly rental in Menlo Park ?
It is obvious to most rational thinking people that extorting fees from developers or mandating affordable housing units will do absolutely nothing to alleviate the need for affordable housing in fact the effect is just the opposite as the costs are just passed on to the renters or buyers further raising housing prices.
[thumbup]
The housing situation in the Bay ARea and particularly along the peninsula is desperate. I'm tired of the NIMBY's and the "it used to be so much better" crowd. People want to move here because the economy is good and because it's a great place to live. Anything to address the crisis helps, key word - "crisis".
"This mismatch of housing and jobs is forcing workers to choose between driving long distances to work (causing terrible traffic) or living in substandard housing."
This article leaves out a 3rd option, That is the worker refuses to accept the position after comparing what he/she has elsewhere to San Mateo County.
Government should stay out of the Real Estate Business Period. Stop adding Extortion Fees to the Builders cost in the name of Affordable Housing Fees.
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