December 2017 - In This Issue:
LinkedIn Invests $10 million in TECH Fund

Big news from LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network based in Silicon Valley, which just invested $10 million in TECH Fund, an initiative of Housing Trust Silicon Valley to get more high-tech organizations, large employers and philanthropists involved with creating affordable housing in the Bay Area. The fund launched in March 2017 with an initial investment from the Cisco Foundation that has since been followed by investments from the Sobrato Family Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. 
With this Mountain View-based investment LinkedIn is the first company to use their investment in the TECH Fund to make additional voluntary contributions to benefit their community.  TECH Fund, which was created to help developers with short-term capital needs to compete more effectively with market-rate developers and purchase property faster, is a critical new tool to fill a need in the affordable housing development process. Housing Trust, which created TECH Fund, also noted LinkedIn's contribution to TECH Fund brings the total investment level to... Read More

HELP Debuts to Assist First-Time Homebuyers
 
Our new Homebuyer Empowerment Loan Program (or HELP) was featured in the San Jose Mercury News last month in a story by  Richard Scheinin.  
 
HELP was created to assist middle-income first-time homebuyers with down payment assistance of up to 10% of the purchase price with a maximum purchase price of $800,000. The loan is a 30-year deferred loan plus a share of appreciation, Borrowers will repay the principal loan amount plus a share of the appreciation based on the percentage of the loan borrowed through H.E.L.P with no monthly principal or interest payments required.

When we shared the news of this new program on the Housing Trust Facebook page it was our most active posts of the year - demonstrating just how much of a need and interest there is in programs that can lift people into homes. 
 
For eligibility information, visit our  HELP page.
 

Construction Racing Along At Second Street 

Second St. Studios, Dec. 6
On Dec. 6th we got to visit First Community Housing's newest development that Housing Trust provided predevelopment funding towards and watched the fascinating, Lego brick-like construction of the 134 home project. 

Proset, the company which makes the housing modules, says they are more durable than ordinary construction since each has to withstand hundreds of 
Second St. Studios, Dec. 18
miles o f tra vel by truck to get to the site. 35 homes are designated for those with developmental 
disabilities and there will be 6,000 square feet of retail 
in additi on to so me on-site services.

We took a follow-up picture last night - not even two weeks from the Dec. 6 visit - showing all of the units in place and showing a real "Wow!" factor in terms of how fast construction can move with this type of design.

The opening of the building, which is the first permanent supportive housing development in San Jose, is scheduled to take place in October of 2018 - which means that a year from now some of our currently homeless neighbors will be living in a place to call home. 
 

There's Still Time to Give the Gift of Home
We often look at our work through the moments we help create. The moment the keys drop into the hand of a single mom buying her first house. The moment a parent tells their son or daughter they are moving into a home. The moment a child opens the door to their own room for the very first time. 
Housing Trust makes loans but we also make moments like these happen. As a charitable organization we cannot sustain our efforts without contributions from donors like you. A contribution to Housing Trust will help ensure we can continue operating our homeless assistance grant programs, give a leg up to first-time homebuyers and finance rental homes for the less fortunate. 
You can help us make more "I'm home!" moments possible. Please make a donation today and help us give the gift of home . 


Housing Trust Silicon Valley
95 S. Market St., Suite 610
San Jose, CA 95113