Cupertino hits home run with Housing Element
State approves city’s 8-year development plan.
Housing Element approved
The state Department of Housing and Community Development recently signed off on Cupertino’s Housing Element, paving the way for the city council to adopt the document that outlines how much housing should be built in Cupertino over the next eight years, and where it should go.
“Together, we’ve reached a milestone that reflects our collective commitment to building a stronger, more vibrant Cupertino,” said Mayor Sheila Mohan in a release.
The Housing Element was three years in the making and went through numerous iterations and vetting processes by city staff and residents.
HCD’s letter to the City is available at https://www.cupertino.org/our-city/departments/community-development/housing. The City’s draft housing element is available for review at https://engagecupertino.org/hub-page/housingelement.
Community services in Cupertino
Cupertino residents made up 24% of the client base using rental and food assistance programs provided by West Valley Community Services (WVCS) in fiscal year 2022-23. Based in Cupertino, the nonprofit also serves residents living below the poverty line in Los Gatos, Saratoga and West San Jose.
According to the WVCS annual report, Cupertino-based clients were 72% single adults, 19% households with children and 9% households with adults only.
According to the report, WVCS distributed almost $1.5 million in emergency rental and utility assistance in 2022-23. Fiscal year 2019-20 marked the first year the nonprofit distributed more than $1 million in emergency assistance.
Of the households receiving assistance, 70 were in Cupertino. Overall, the nonprofit’s client base increased by 6%.
WVCS’s revenues for that fiscal year were a little more than $8.1 million; expenses were a almost $7.6 million.