SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose City Council voted to reserve 50 below-market apartments in a downtown high-rise for law enforcement officers and families, the San Jose Spotlight reported.
The city initially gave first priority for the affordable units for public employees when the project was approved in February, according to the report. The new vote places law enforcement officers at the front of the line.
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“With 114 vacant police officer positions, recruitment and retention is of paramount importance,” District 10 Councilmember George Casey, who championed the proposal, said at the meeting. “We know that the cost of housing is probably one of the largest, if not the largest, barriers we face.”
Under the voucher program, the city will provide up to $11.2 million for vouchers at The Fay, a 23-story glass-walled luxury apartment complex, according to the report.
“San Jose must focus on how to compete with other agencies for a shrinking pool of applicants, and this type of program will only help ensure there are enough officers to try and keep our city safe,” San Jose Police Officers’ Association spokesperson Tom Saggau told the Spotlight.
Is prioritizing housing for police officers a smart way to fix staffing shortages — or missing the bigger problem?
- This has been tried many times before in various forms in different jurisdictions with minimal success. Tragically, in today’s world, this will only make officers and their families highly visible targets for cop-haters. We need to stop kidding ourselves — no amount of money or benefits will change anything until the political and legal landscape shifts back to supporting the efforts of law enforcement not undermining them at every turn.
- With the cost of living so high in the South Bay Area (Santa Clara County), helping police find decent housing they can afford. It is a great idea to do so. More high-priced housing cities and counties should do the same. I am sure it will assist in recruitment as suggested.
