Taylor Nguyen: Dynamic Work at the Santa Clara County Housing Authority
My time at the Santa Clara County Housing Authority (SCCHA) has been nothing short of fulfilling and eye-opening as this placement has grown and blossomed into a plethora of discussions and various types of work. Per my last blog post, I was engaged in a lot of reading–reading various articles from different sites which helped me gain various perspectives on the same subjects, more city council agendas and their items’ memorandums, and even a public document released by Gavin Newsom, laying out his strategy and his reflections on the past year and the year ahead. However, I’ve also been getting my feet wet in several projects, some of which have been gathering and wrangling data to help the housing authority with ongoing projects of their own and projects they’d like to engage in the future.
The SCCHA is classified as a Moving To Work housing authority, meaning that they are able to implement unorthodox strategies and other avenues that other housing authorities around the country are not able to do as bestowed upon them by the U.S. government. Given this, their ability to negotiate and set rent prices is a little different than other authorities, and they wanted to see how many times they’ve done so since 2020. I was tasked with creating a spreadsheet with data that included the fair market value of rents for each year from 2020 to present for various sizes of units, ranging from studios up to 5 bedrooms. Furthermore, I was to identify the value of the rent set if it was different from the fair market value and the asking price from the owner of the unit(s). With this data sheet, the housing authority is able to present outwards to other government officials and those within the team to get a better understanding of the efficacy of their actions in regards to their Moving To Work status.
During the quarter, I was also able to visit some sites that the housing authority has developed and worked on along with a new site on Race St in San Jose that is currently being constructed. It was very interesting to see such sites, especially the one being constructed, as I feel that I’ve read about them (not these ones specifically but in general) a whole lot, so it was fascinating to be in a physical environment of something that I’ve seen so many times on paper. Furthermore, this event was also unique because high ranking officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) were in attendance, and the department works very closely with the housing authorities around the nation. Hearing about what makes each site so special along with testimonies and thoughts from current residents made the event even more captivating and important to understand. It was very interesting to see the impact that the housing authority has had in the community.
This winter quarter at the SCCHA has been very unique, and I can’t wait to see where else it takes me. Continuing to do heavy, dense reading but moving on to do more dynamic work with projects in other areas of the authority, the winter quarter has been nothing but eventful. A highlight of this quarter’s experience thus far is being able to go to Las Casitas de Esperanza with the rest of the cohort. To hear the mission and drive of the project and the ongoing effort to provide a place to call home, even if it is temporary, for those who need it was very heartwarming and special, especially because of the work that I am engaged in on a weekly basis at the housing authority.