Senate sends housing bill to Governor

SB 680 allows Santa Clara to go forward with unique ‘agrihood’ project

Sacramento

An urgency bill by State Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) to modif y the terms of a land sale between the state Department of General Services and the Santa Clara Housing Authority, was approved with strong bipartisan support in the Senate today. Senate Bill 680 will allow an innovative affordable housing project to move forward in the city of Santa Clara. The bill now goes to Governor Brown.

“Affordable housing is badly needed in the Bay A rea and Santa Clara is ready to move forward with an important project to give veterans and seniors a home,” said Wieckowski, a member of the Senate’s Transportation and Housing Committee. “ This i s a n i nnovative development project with an urban farming component that f its the history of the site as a long-time agricultural research extension center.”

Supporters of the affordable housing agrihood project can urge Governor Brown to sign the bill by adding their names to a Change.org petition at <www.tinyurl.com/scagrihood>. The bill would take effect once it is signed by the Governor.

In 2005, the Santa Clara Redevelopment Agency agreed to purchase the property, which was the former site of the University of California’s Bay Area Research and Extension Center (BAREC). Last fall, the Santa Clara City Council selected the Core Companies to develop the site. Neighborhood activists spearheaded the push for the agrihood component, an urban farm within the development, to bring together the multi-generational residents who will reside at the s ite.

SB 680 will allow residents, city staff, and The Core Companies suff icient time to design a project that the people of Santa Clara have been working to see for more than 10 years, Santa Clara Vice- Mayor Teresa O’Neill noted as the bill moved through the A ssembly.

Senator Wieckowski represents the 10th Senate District, which includes northeast Santa Clara County and southern A lameda County.

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