Model Places Illustration

Housing

We Believe: Housing is a human right and should be affordable to everyone.

Our Goals

• Increase the supply of housing.

• Provide more affordable housing for low- and middle-income residents.

• Protect low-income communities of color from displacement.

Monte Vista Gardens apartments in San José

SPUR Report

Structured for Success

A key cause of California’s high housing costs is its decentralized and fragmented housing governance system. SPUR makes 11 recommendations to set California and the Bay Area on the path to produce the housing we need.
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photo of balconies on an apartment building

Research

Losing Ground

SPUR examines how the Bay Area’s housing market has become shaped by scarcity and wide economic divides — not only among income groups but also among races and ethnicities.
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Apartment Building

Research

Housing the Middle

SPUR digs into the housing market’s failure to meet the needs of middle-income households. California can look to innovative programs across the country as models for how to address the state’s housing challenges.
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Apartment Construction

Research

Planning by Ballot

SPUR has created the most up-to-date database of local land use ballot measures that impact housing production in California. Over the long term, measures that restrict infill housing can undermine housing affordability and have the potential to exacerbate racial segregation.
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Updates and Events

Regional Coalition urges MTC to uphold compliance requirements for its own Transit-Oriented Communities Policy

Advocacy Letter
On October 25th, MTC Commissioners discussed and voted on proposed amendments that will eliminate the need for jurisdictions to comply with the Transit-Oriented Communities Policy in order to receive transit extension funding. A coalition of regional policy and advocacy organizations urged the Commission to not arbitrarily lower thresholds for policy compliance due to some Bay Area cities resisting compliance. These actions will weaken incentives to comply with the policy and undermine its purpose of helping the region achieve its goals for the climate and equity under Plan Bay Area.
California State Capitol

Governor Newsom Signs SPUR-Sponsored Bills Into Law

News /
The close of the 2023 state legislative year brought a number of big wins for SPUR. Governor Newsom signed nine pieces of SPUR-sponsored legislation that will, among other things, prevent the misuse of environmental review processes to stop or delay new housing, pilot speed safety cameras on streets with high crash rates, and speed up timelines for connecting all-electric buildings and EV charging stations to the power grid.

Regional Coalition urges MTC-ABAG Planning Committee to retain TOC Compliance Requirements

Advocacy Letter
On October 13th, MTC staff presented to the MTC-ABAG Planning Committee proposed actions to amend funding conditioning for transit rail extension projects from complying with the TOC Policy. Our coalition expressed concern with the proposed amendments that would delay or lower thresholds for compliance - weakening the policy in the process and undermining its purpose of helping the region achieve its goals under Plan Bay Area. We are particularly concerned that the proposed changes could significantly undermine the climate and equity goals of the policy.
New affordable for-sale homes created by Develop Detroit

Making Detroit Home: Addressing the Challenges of Housing Stability and Habitability

News /
In the wake of the Great Recession, Detroit went bankrupt and home foreclosures skyrocketed. Philanthropic dollars have come to the rescue, but the city must now reckon with the factors that keep many Detroiters from thriving: a high property tax rate and punitive tax foreclosure system, lack of access to equitable mortgage lending, and institutional racism.

SPUR Comment on San José's Measure E Expenditure Plan Reallocation

Advocacy Letter
SPUR submits this letter in regard to proposed changes to percentage allocations and the spending plan for FY 2023-2024 Measure E funds that will alter current policy by reallocating funds away from the existing balanced commitment to the creation of new affordable housing and homelessness prevention, support, and management. We ask that the City consider alternative policy measures that include current funding strategies for the creation of affordable housing to mitigate impacts from any changes to the FY23-24 Measure E percentage allocations and spending plan that would effectively zero funds toward the development of affordable housing.

SPUR Comment on San José's Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (2023)

Advocacy Letter
On April 25th, the City Council considered and discussed COPA for San José as a component of a comprehensive housing preservation strategy. The COPA draft policy was developed with extensive community and stakeholder engagement, technical research, and feedback. San José included the program as an anti-displacement measure under the requirements of affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH) in the City’s draft Housing Element.
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