Open letter to the San Jose City Manager

Dear Ms. Maguire,

Thank you for starting the process to select a new Housing Director in your memo dated 4/21. I have several concerns about the process that I will outline in this letter.

6 interview panels are incomplete

• 6 Interview Panels do not include: ARO housing providers, neighborhoods experienced with: PSH, tiny homes, & large encampments, neighborhood leaders, single family homeowners, small businesses, and other housing providers

Housing Providers must be included as strategic stakeholders

ARO housing providers are a significant stakeholder due to the amount of San Jose housing staff dedicated to regulating ARO housing as a primary function. In addition, ARO are critical in that they provide the only naturally occurring affordable housing in San Jose that are not subsidized by taxpayers. ARO Housing Providers should be a clearly marked standout stakeholder in this process.

Housing providers cannot be lumped in with developers. We don’t have the same customer set, we don’t do the same jobs, and we don’t provide the same services. And as a category, Housing Providers should be listed as stakeholders because they are actually doing the service of housing for San Jose.

Please change the memo and recreate the process to include providers of housing and specifically list ARO housing providers, of naturally occurring affordable housing, as a standout stakeholder.

Please consider updating your recruitment criteria to include ideas such as these.

Recruitment criteria:

• Proven track record of reaching out to different opinions — housing providers, single family homeowners, and those with lived experience with crime
• Measurable results in successfully reducing homelessness & increasing housing production at all income levels not solely affordable housing
• Demonstrated independence from the Industrial Housing Complex and an ability to separate from status quo solutions such as Housing First
• Demonstrated ability to keep ethical arm’s length from organizations receiving money from the City of San Jose
• Provides auditable evidence of holding NPO (special interests, advocates) accountable for measured success metrics

Please let me know if you have any questions and I would enjoy the opportunity to discuss this further.

Thank you,

Irene

Irene Smith, JD, PhD

United Housing Alliance