Apartments under construction near VTA’s Tamien Light Rail station in San Jose will be a mixed-income housing community developed in partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), the Core Companies, and Republic Urban Properties.
“VTA has a responsibility to contribute to the community’s wellbeing,” said Carolyn Gonot, VTA general manager and CEO, “and we are proud to be part of the solution to Silicon Valley’s housing crisis.”
The 1.6-acre site was previously a parking lot owned by VTA and was made available through a long-term lease to the Urban Co Tamien LLC which will bring in revenue to VTA to support transit service. The deal includes a requirement to provide affordable housing.
In addition to building 135 new affordable homes, the first phase of the project will also include a childcare center and an expanded transit plaza.
“Providing affordable housing in locations that capitalize on other necessary services such as daycare and public transit is critical in the housing equation,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez. “The Tamien Station Affordable Housing project is the gold standard when it comes to bringing all these elements together.”
Funding for the project comes from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee, Santa Clara County’s voter-approved Measure A, the City of San Jose, and Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities.
It’s one of seven projects VTA has in the pipeline to create mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhoods connected by transit that better support pedestrians and bicycling. Others include a property next to the Berryessa Transit Center, which houses the BART station, Blossom Hill Station, Capitol Station, Branham Station, Winchester Station, and the prior Evelyn Station Park and Ride lot.
The VTA increased its affordable housing goals to ensure that 40 per cent of residential transit oriented development will be affordable units (up from 35 per cent) In addition, the affordable set-aside in each market-rate project was increased from 20% to 25%.
“With over one-third of the Bay Area’s growth over the next 25 years projected to occur in the San Jose metro area, this is exactly the type of transit-oriented, affordable housing project we need to keep families of all incomes here while achieving our climate and mobility goals,” said Mayor Matt Mahan.
