Low-income housing projects are not like they used to be. The mean streets of Sunnyvale are not mean at all. Hardly any Council members are unsympathetic to the plight of people being displaced by regional economic conditions and the application of City policy.

From the dais and reading accounts of community meetings, it has come to my attention that many people make assumptions about affordable housing. I can only assume that ideas about such projects come from gritty detective shows where cops wander around grimy halls of urban tenements. Views about affordable housing have changed quite a bit since those kinds of exclusionary housing projects were built in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.

If all you know about low-income housing is what you have seen in movies, I will speculate that you may have some confirmation bias. To challenge yourself and expand your point of view, there are two events in particular I want to let you know about.

Friday, May 12th marks the beginning of Affordable Housing Week 2017 and there’s no time like now to educate yourself.

Silicon Valley Leadership Group Affordable Housing Tour

I’m very pleased about and proud of some of the great housing projects for low and very low income people. Back in the day, I used to organized affordable housing bus tours in Dallas, so when I say I’m proud of what we do here in Silicon Valley, I am comparing it to Dallas in the late 1980s.

These days, low-income housing facilities are like nothing you have seen in movies. I encourage anyone reading this who has not seen what true low-income housing looks like these days to sign up for the 2017 Silicon Valley Leadership Affordable Housing Tour.

Hurry and sign up now because you have fewer than 36 hours to get a seat on the SVGL bus.

El Camino Real Walking Tours

Some of our Sunnyvale neighbors have a vision of what El Camino Real could become. They are so  enthusiastic about the possibilities for our cities that they are offering to lead walking tours of several potential mixed-use notes along El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. They can help you identify your confirmation biases about what mixed-use might look like. (And, who knows? – you can probably return the favor.

• Eastern Node At Wolfe and El Camino, May 13th. Tour Leader Mike Serrone, mikeserrone@comcast.net
• Community Center Node on Remington Drive, May 23 and 27. Tour Leaders Karen Schlesser and Jason Uhlenkhott, sign-up at SouthBayYimby@gmail.com
• Downtown Node at Mathilda Avenue, May 17. Tour Leader Sue Serrone at sueserrone@comcast.net
• Western Node at Bernardo Ave, May 13 and 15. Tour Leader James Tule
  

  El Camino Real at dawn in Sunnyvale

  ya at jtuleya@yahoo.com

Sign up here for one of four tours of potential future mixed-use nodes along El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. The impetus behind their offer is that the City of Sunnyvale will be updating our El Camino Plan. Visit the City website at PlanElCaminoReal.inSunnyvale.com for more information.

I walk along El Camino almost every day at sunrise when my hip isn’t broken. I’m glad people are wanting to envision a transformed street.