Letter to the Editor: Affordable Housing in Los Gatos? 'Not In My Downtown!'

Recently the Los Gatos Planning Commission was called upon to plan for future affordable income housing units throughout town. The commission’s response was a resounding “Not in my downtown!”

Paying only lip service to the concept of building affordable housing in Los Gatos, the commission’s plan—which will come before Los Gatos Town Council within a few weeks—is to essentially dump hundreds of low-income housing units in the “faraway lands” north of Highway 85.  

The commission’s proposal to segregate low-income housing primarily into these “remote” parts of Los Gatos is mind-boggling, since it:

• Exacerbates income disparity, by keeping future affordable housing away from affluent parts of town
• Worsens congestion, by keeping future affordable housing away from the less-dense parts of town
• Introduces a community divide, by maintaining future affordable housing away from the predominantly-white neighborhoods of town

During a Nov. 14 public hearing, the Commission heard broad and strong feedback from the local community about the implications of the commission’s lopsided plan; the Commission also received a note from the Campbell school district warning the Commission of the implications of its plan on local schools. However, the Commission brushed aside the community feedback, ignored the local school warnings, and rushed through the decision process, approved a hastily—written Environment Impact Report (without any comment or edit—very unusual for the Commission) and essentially decided to let the Council make the call.  

This plan makes no sense! It would segregate the community, load up local schools, drive up traffic congestion in our busiest intersections and routes, and hurt the environment; it will also do a disservice to the potential low-income residents whom we all would like to accommodate in Los Gatos.

We—a group of local residents—have put together significant analysis showing the bias in the Commission's decision; we urge everyone to learn more about this situation by contacting our neighborhood group, at ChallengePlans@Outlook.com.