Between 2010 and 2016, over 500,000 Bay Area residents were at high risk for displacement. These displacements are disproportionately occurring in Latino, Asian, and Black neighborhoods that also experience more overcrowding and poverty than citywide averages. While displacement is a complex market-created phenomenon, San José is taking a leading role in producing policies and funding priorities to help alleviate the problem in both the short- and long-term. In September 2020, the City Council approved the Citywide Residential Anti-Displacement Strategy. This Anti-Displacement Strategy is a multi-year plan with 10 recommendations to help the city grow more equitably and to help mitigate low-income residents’ displacement.
City staff is now working to address Recommendation #2: Establish a Neighborhood Tenant Preference for Affordable Housing. San José will partner with FUSE to advocate for, develop, and implement these anti-displacement tenant preferences. The FUSE Executive Fellow will pair holistic thinking and creative problem-solving with rigorous quantitative analysis to support sound policy recommendations to Departmental and City leadership as well as advance legislation to address the city’s most pressing displacement challenges. This work will ensure fair and equitable affordable housing assistance, supporting San José in reaching its goal of reducing and mitigating the effects of residential displacement on its residents.
