San Francisco's Stonestown Galleria redevelopment could include housing
These days at San Francisco's Stonestown Galleria, shoppers co-exist with construction. Whole Foods is replacing Macy's. An 11-screen movie theater is also on the way as well as a Sports Basement.
Santa Clara County supervisors approve $33 million for two new affordable housing developments in San Jose
The developments will provide a total of 176 units, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments.
Facebook pledges $1 billion toward affordable housing in California
Facebook built a multi-billion dollar business on the back of social networking. Now the Menlo Park tech giant is lending its financial broad shoulders to helping solve the California housing crisis. “It’s a continuum. It’s not new. It’s scaling what we’ve done in the past, where we saw benefits from our interventions,” said Menka Sethi, Facebook’s Location Strategy Director. She says the company began its foray into housing in 2016 to explore possible pitfalls. Now, Facebook is pledging $1 billion to construct 20,000 units of housing state-wide over the next decade. The tech giant says $250 million is designated for mixed-income housing on excess state land and $150 million for affordable housing. Another $225 million, this time in Menlo Park land, earmarked for affordable housing. And $25 million to build teacher and essential worker housing in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties “If this is gonna be an effective deployment of capitol, it’s important this be true philanthropy and real money on the ground assistance and not another investment scheme,” said Prof. Kelly Snider, a regional and urban planning expert at San Jose State University. Housing and urban planning experts say over this decade, the Bay Area has created only one new unit of housing for every 10 new jobs. The result has pushed the price of housing skyward and forced many middle-class families to leave. Advocates say Facebook and other tech giants such as Google can make a dent in the problem with large donations, coupled with partnerships with community members to address the housing shortage. “This is critical. It means a range of income level people can stay in our communities.,” said Duane Bay, Executive Director of EPACANDO, an affordable housing organization. Added Sethi, “The urgency to step up now and solve the big problems, it felt real and we felt we could help, and so here we are.” There is $350 million being held in reserve for future commitments. The question now: How fast can the multiple municipalities act?
Millions spent on fixing Bay Area homeless crisis, but where does the money go?
A big chunk of money spent in the Bay Area's three largest cities aimed at trying to tackle the homeless crisis doesn't actually trickle down to the people seen living on the streets. And 2 Investigates found, that's by design.
San Leandro apartment fire destroys one unit, damages 12 others
The fire was first reported at 9:41 p.m. No injuries were reported as of 11 p.m. Saturday, and firefighters remained on the scene.
SF to provide housing subsidies for low-income transgender, gender non-conforming residents
Low-income transgender and gender non-conforming San Franciscans could be eligible for housing subsidies under a new city program, Mayor London Breed announced Thursday.
Gov. Newsom signs law capping rent hikes
California is now the second U.S. state to cap rent increases statewide.
California is now the second state in the country to cap rent increases
California will limit rent increases for some people over the next decade after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Tuesday aimed at combating a housing crisis in the nation's most populous state.
90 new affordable housing units open at MacArthur BART Station
The long-awaited opening of a 90-unit affordable housing complex at Oakland's MacArthur BART station marks the first step in an effort to transform the station from a park-and-ride center to a planned housing and retail hub integrated into the surrounding community.
200-square-foot ‘shed' renting for $1,050 a month in California
A rental listing in San Diego received some backlash from locals who say the rental illustrates how bad the cost of living has become in the city.
