Thanks to a brave move by the Gilroy City Council, more Gilroy
residents with regular incomes will be able to purchase a new home.
The new Neighborhood District Policy passed by the City Council two
weeks ago mandates that 15 percent of new construction in six
Neighborhood Districts be affordable.
Thanks to a brave move by the Gilroy City Council, more Gilroy residents with regular incomes will be able to purchase a new home. The new Neighborhood District Policy passed by the City Council two weeks ago mandates that 15 percent of new construction in six Neighborhood Districts be affordable. This means that people who work non-professional jobs (or low-paying professional jobs) can stay here, rather than move to far-away towns like Patterson and Atwater and Visalia just so they can have a piece of the American Dream, owning their own home.
In addition to benefiting regular income earners, the Neighborhood District Policy benefits the entire community in a number of ways. It distributes affordable housing throughout the city, rather than concentrating it in one area; it creates income integrated neighborhoods, rather than exclusive enclaves of wealth; it provides a tool to help Gilroy retain its residents, especially young families composed of born-and-raised Gilroyans who want to remain here to raise a next generation who will also have deep roots in the community.
The new policy won’t stem the tide of skyrocketing housing costs in our area. But it’s more than symbolic. It shows that we value a balanced and healthy community, and that we’re committed to trying to furnish affordable homes through a reasonable policy.
With the median price of a house at more than $500,000, Gilroy’s is no longer the last bastion of affordability for our county’s rapidly disappearing middle class. Some worry that this policy is simply government meddling with the market, and puts the onus on builders. The housing market has defied all previous economic trends, with housing prices continuing to escalate to the stratosphere while jobs continue to be cut and wages stay flat or even decrease.
This new policy is a tool to try to stave off the damage such a market can do to our community. We congratulate the City Council for its action in taking such a step.
