Staff Report.Housing Study Session
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Community Development
Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
STUDY SESSION REPORT
MEETING DATE: 04/06/2022 ITEM NO: 1
DATE: March 31, 2022
TO: Mayor and Town Council, Planning Commission, and Housing Element
Advisory Board
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Nuts and Bolts of Affordable Housing
REMARKS:
Several residents requested that the Town Council convene a study session with the Planning
Commission and Housing Element Advisory Board to learn more about the challenges of
building affordable housing, particularly the financial and legal realities.
To this end, the Community Development Director and I have been working with these
residents to put together a panel of experts to answer questions regarding the nuts and bolts of
affordable housing. The residents have provided discussion questions to the panel members.
The Town Council, Planning Commission, and HEAB members will also have an opportunity to
ask questions of panel members.
The panel consists of:
• Josh Selo, West Valley Community Services Executive Director. He will serve as
moderator for the panel discussion.
• Barbara Kautz, Goldfarb Lipman Attorneys. She will explain the current legal landscape
for Housing Elements.
• Don Caprobres, Harmonie Park Development. He brings expertise in market rate
development and partnerships with affordable housing developers.
• Andrea Osgood, Eden Housing. She has hands-on knowledge of affordable housing
development and working with market rate developers.
• Chris Neale, The CORE Companies. He has experience with both market and affordable
housing development.
PAGE 2 OF 2 SUBJECT: Study Session: Nuts and Bolts of Affordable Housing DATE: March 31, 2022
For background on what is a Housing Element and why all cities/towns/counties need one,
please visit the Town’s Housing Element website frequently asked questions at:
https://engagelosgatoshousing.com/faqs
In addition, West Valley Community Services hosted an introductory meeting on Housing
Elements earlier this month. The Zoom recording can be found at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/ymIgfPV6ZjbaETrLkzre5SGAXSZQJEM0n9RwKlwnJBwQhSS
OOZsEy25UssRi39xY.HynASOIOGAjBZ9JA (Access Passcode: HEtownhall1!).