☆ What to make of SJ's Measure E compromise

San Jose's nonprofit affordable housing complex took a body blow earlier this month, as its widely discredited Housing First strategy was—for the first time—examined fully in a frisky citywide public debate. And the end result was a compromise weakening nonprofits' unquestioned control over Measure E spending. Planning Commission Chair Pierluigi Oliverio and Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility chief Pat Waite parse the politics of it all and the way forward for our homeless neighbors and advocates of smart housing policies. First in an Opp Now exclusive series.

Pierluigi Oliverio:

My biggest takeaway from the most recent adopted City of San Jose budget was less about the slight variations over a relatively small amount of the overall budget but more about the Mayor's Budget Roadshow. The Mayor seemed to have visited all the corners of the city speaking to any gathering that was willing to listen. The Mayor has a unique role where people are genuinely interested, and the Mayor did not hold back on each and every opportunity to share his priorities. 

Regardless of the final iteration of the budget passed by the City Council, what really occurred was educating residents at scale—which I have not seen in the past. If only the $11 billion County budget was messaged in the same way for everyday residents to understand priorities as clearly and concisely articulated by the City.

Pat Waite:

Voters passed Measure E to help provide homes for our neighbors unfortunate enough to be living on the streets due to our exorbitant housing costs. Construction of permanent subsidized housing is part of the solution but will take years, with costs upwards of a million dollars per unit. Our homelessness situation is a today crisis.

The rapid-build transitional housing proposed by Mayor Mahan is a cost-effective today solution. It quickly provides dignified living spaces for people suffering the inhumanity of trying to survive along our roads and creeks. Those objecting to expenditures for this solution should be ashamed of themselves.

See more on the Measure E reallocation vote here.

Read more on the Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility here.

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