Letter: Gilroy must continue to work on housing

Since my last housing post in July 2023, Gilroy has made strides to plan and promote housing opportunities for our workforce that are typically more affordable. 

The state released new income guidelines, in which a household of one whose income is $102,300 is considered low income. The same is true for a household of four who earns $146,100. This is many of us. We are in a housing crisis and the dream of owning a home is not a realistic opportunity for everyone. 

Gilroy must continue to promote the development of more housing for all income levels while looking at creative policies and funding through our local control to make them more livable, bikeable and walkable with access to transit. 

Gilroy can’t grow or consider itself equitable and diversified in housing type when 75% of our land is zoned for single family homes. This may have worked in the past, but now that these homes are out of reach for most families, we need to course correct and continue to create a diversified housing stock to meet the needs of our residents.

I support Gilroy’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) program in single-family and multi-family residential lots, while having the additional option for junior accessory dwelling units. As more residents want to age in place, having the option to move into a smaller unit on your property while being able to rent out the larger home, allows income and stability for you to stay in your neighborhood. 

While 38 ADUs built in year one of our eight-year housing plan is a good start, our production of much needed housing for all is already behind schedule. Through our local control we created programs to build rental/owner opportunities like duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes. 

The annual SB 423 (formerly SB 35) list based on past housing performance was published in June 2024 and contains cities and counties subject to SB 423 streamlining provisions when proposed developments include at least 50% affordability. Gilroy is one of the jurisdictions that has insufficient progress toward their lower income RHNA (Very Low and Low income) and are therefore subject to the streamlined ministerial approval process (SB 423 Streamlining Chapter 778, Statutes of 2023) for proposed developments with at least 50% affordability.  

Several plans and policies including a Transportation Demand Management (TDM), Vehicle Mile Traveled (VMT) and Climate Action Plan are currently being drafted. These will help enhance all of our developments to shift modes of transportation and connect them to transit in line with our General Plan 2040. 

Many residents are employed outside of Gilroy, but we have a large population that work, play, attend school and are retired in Gilroy. Improving our infrastructure is always on my mind, and that’s why year-to-date my office has worked with our state and federal legislators to secure $5.2 million for project funding that directly benefits our residents, from a bike/ped trail extension on the westside, San Ysidro Park on the eastside, and an enhanced crosswalk for senior housing on the southside.

Data from our Housing Element shows 21% of households are considered extremely low-income, making less than 30% of Area Median Income (AMI)I. Thirty-eight percent of our population is 24 years old or younger and they live, play, go to school and work in Gilroy. 

The consequences of failing to effectively and aggressively confront this crisis is hurting thousands of our residents, robbing future generations of the chance to call Gilroy home, stifling economic opportunities for workers and businesses, worsening poverty and homelessness and undermining our environmental and climate objectives.

Zach Hilton

Gilroy City Councilmember