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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

June 13, 2003

Opinion: A voice for housing

FOR 10 YEARS, DIVERSE COALITION HAS SPOKEN UP FOR SMART DEVELOPMENT

But somebody did show up on Perkins' behalf. It was the Housing Action Coalition -- a rare partnership of business, environmental, labor and other advocacy groups that share one common and very worthy goal: creating more homes for people of all incomes near transit hubs and Silicon Valley jobs.

Today Perkins lives at Eden Housing's Ohlone Chynoweth Commons, where she can leave 2-year-old Jakob in the day care center and hop light rail to work. "I couldn't live around here otherwise -- anywhere in the Bay Area, really," says the single mom, who works as a retail salesperson and doesn't drive.

The Housing Action Coalition, celebrating its 10th anniversary this week, can count thousands of Debben Perkinses among its beneficiaries. The group has testified in support of 128 developments -- more than 33,000 units -- in 17 cities, often countering stiff opposition from neighbors. Only eight of those projects have been rejected.

Some would have been approved anyway. But elected officials who hear only opposition have a tough time ignoring it. When credible people step up to support projects, it gives council members a choice.

Convened by the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, the coalition has drawn strength from its diverse membership -- some 150 individuals and organizations.

It's powerful to see, for instance, a Barry Boulton from the Sierra Club and perhaps a Bud Mission from Roche, in the corporate world, step to the microphone together to applaud a development. Or to see Realtors testify that well-designed affordable housing will not erode property values.

The coalition doesn't show up for just any development. It has to be all affordable or mixed income; it has to follow smart growth principles, with higher densities near transit stops and workplaces to make efficient use of land within cities.

Council members and county supervisors have a tough job, balancing the wishes of today's constituents with the long-term needs of the broader community. The Housing Action Coalition keeps those broader goals front and center. The community needs more people like them -- who work to open doors for others.

Part of the Housing Action Coalition's mission is to debunk myths about affordable housing -- that it overburdens schools and roads, that it reduces property values and brings crime. All untrue, particularly in Silicon Valley. This brochure breaks down the arguments. For a copy, call 408-501-7859 or email housing@svmg.org.

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