Families & Homes (F&H), a prominent San Jose neighborhood advocacy group, contends that City staff is misinterpreting the plain language of the city's Housing Element regarding density increases on single-family parcels. Separately, Pat Waite from Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility has criticized the San Jose City Council's recent decision to study options for increasing residential density, arguing it constitutes a misuse of taxpayer funds. These groups are urging city leaders to reconsider their approach to housing development and planning.
F&H, in a letter to city leaders, expressed significant concern about staff’s interpretation of Housing Element Program P-35, known as "Missing Middle Housing." This program establishes an objective to allow "at least four units and up to 10 units" on single-family parcels. However, F&H claims that staff and the Council are translating this into a citywide General Plan density ranging from 32 to 80 Dwelling Units per Acre (DU/AC). The group argues that proposing or interpreting "Missing Middle" housing could be up to 80 DU/AC in standard single-family residential parcels distorts the program's core objective.
According to F&H, this interpretation would create "severe spatial and planning contradictions relative to the City’s designated commercial corridors." The organization has respectfully requested that this density misinterpretation be corrected, stating it is "obviously in error." F&H emphasized the imperative nature of this correction, noting that any upzoning proposed under this interpretation would be "permanent and irreversible."
In a separate critique, Pat Waite of Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility stated that the City Council’s recent decision to direct staff to study options for increasing residential density throughout the city wastes taxpayer dollars. Waite acknowledged that building more housing of all types is needed, but pointed out that many approved projects currently do not make financial sense for developers.
Waite highlighted that San Jose Planning has entitled or approved projects totaling over 21,000 market-rate units since 2018, yet only 9,859 building permits were issued during that same period. This suggests, according to Waite, that the city's housing market is "stuck." Waite argued that simply waving a magic wand to change allowable density does nothing to make projects "pencil out."
The Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility representative urged the City Council to instead focus on solutions for "unlocking the market." Waite suggested that policies like the Council-approved Multifamily Housing Incentive Program are much more likely to increase housing production. The organization believes that directing staff to find such practical solutions would be a better use of "scarce taxpayer dollars" and better serve the community.
