• Affordable Housing - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines “affordable housing” as housing on which the occupant pays no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities.
• Gap Financing – is the last funding required to cover a shortfall in capital needed to develop otherwise shovel-ready affordable housing projects. The City of San José’s Housing Department functions as a gap financer and shall be the last funder needed in an affordable housing deal. Learn more on our Gap Financing Program Regulation Page.
• RFP – Request for Proposals(RFP) is a document that announces a project and invites qualified vendors to submit proposals outlining how they would fulfill the project's requirements. Essentially, it's a formal way for an organization to solicit bids and select the best vendor for a specific project or service. Learn more on our Rolling RFP/NOFA page.
• CDLAC - The California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) was created to set and allocate California’s annual debt ceiling and administer the State’s tax-exempt bond program to allocate the debt authority. CDLAC’s programs are used to finance affordable housing developments for low-income Californians, build solid waste disposal and waste recycling facilities, and to finance industrial development projects. Learn more on their website.
• AMI - is the Area Median Income(AMI) for a specific geographic area, meaning half the households in that area earn more, and half earn less. It's a crucial benchmark for determining eligibility for various housing programs and subsidies. Calculate your AMI on the Housing Choices website.

• To learn more about the City’s Homelessness Response, please visit Homelessness Response Page.
• To learn more about the Interim Housing, please visit - Interim Housing Page.
• To learn more about the Supportive Parking, please visit - Supportive Parking Page.
• To read Success Stories from participants who moved upward from Interim Housing, visit our Success Stories Page.

• Visit our page to learn more about Nonprofit Grant Programs
• Learn more about the Consolidated and Annual Plans
• Current 2020-2025 Consolidated Plan
• Portuguese Organization for Social Services and Opportunities (POSSO)

• Visit the Housing Element website to learn more.

• San José's Envision 2040 General Plan

• Learn about Chapter 3: Housing Goals and Strategies

• Check out the Housing Catalyst Workplan Dashboard to keep up with the progress made in San José.

• Please visit our Housing Department Website to learn more about the work we do for our community.
• Sign up for The Housing Department Newsletter
• For all the updates, follow us on Social Media:
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
• Housing Element - State law requires that every City and county in California adopt a Housing Element as part of its General Plan. The purpose of the Housing Element is to ensure that local governments adequately plan to meet the housing needs of all people within the community - regardless of their income.
• Soft Story Retrofit Program - Modern building codes developed by the State of California and enforced locally by the City of San José include standards for earthquakes that have resulted in buildings that are resilient to most earthquakes. However, buildings constructed before these earthquake standards went into effect may not be as resilient unless they have been retrofitted.

Affordable Housing - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines “affordable housing” as housing on which the occupant pays no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities.

• Learn more about EAH Housing
• Apply for Affordable Housing
• Visit the Doorway Portal in your language:
  • English
  • Español
  • Tiếng Việt
  • 中文
• Visit Santa Clara County Housing Authority to learn about the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.
• Visit the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to read the Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet

• To learn more about Planning Building and Code Enforcement, please visit CSJ Planning Building and Code Enforcement home page
• Learn more about the 2040 General Plan
• Learn about the 4-year review
• General Plan - In California, cities and counties are required by State law to have a General Plan. It is the local government's long-term blueprint for future development. Pursuant to State law, the General Plan must accommodate the required amount of projected population growth the State of California estimates for each city.

• To learn more about Renting Has Its Rights, please visit sanjoseca.gov/rentalrights.
• To learn more about San José Housing Ordinances, please visit - Housing Ordinances
• Visit our Eviction Process Page to learn about resources and steps involved during the eviction process.
• Petition - Petitions are written request to appeal actions taken by landlords or tenants.
• Apartment Rent Ordinance(ARO) - Landlords may increase rent one time in a 12-month period, and the increase may be up to 5%. The City has a petition process in place to resolve landlord/tenant disputes regarding rent increases.
• Tenant Protection Ordinance(TPO) - There are 13 “just causes” for which landlords may evict tenants. When a landlord notifies a tenant of their intent to terminate a lease, the landlord must cite one of the 13 just causes, and must provide the City with a copy of the notice within three days.
• Ellis Act Ordinance(EAO) - When landlords remove an apartment from the rental market under the Ellis Act, they must provide tenants with 6-12 months notice, and they must provide tenants with relocation benefits.
• Mobilehome Ordinance(MHRO) - Mobilehome park owners may increase the rent for mobilehome spaces once a year. A formula is used to determine rent increases, which are at least 3% but not more than 7%.