[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6486919,"mediaKeyId","5566367-4ff3ee78f5efbde00b13355c3de84197","parentId",5566367,"title","Milpitas council approves relaunch of rental-assistance program with changes to expand eligibility and guardrails","audioSeconds",2708,"startMs",9766000,"endMs",12474000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5566367-4ff3ee78f5efbde00b13355c3de84197&start=9766&end=12474","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5566367-4ff3ee78f5efbde00b13355c3de84197/thumbnail_9766000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6486919/Milpitas/Santa-Clara-County/California/Milpitas-council-approves-relaunch-of-rental-assistance-program-with-changes-to-expand-eligibility-and-guardrails","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486919-a99f12c85665fbcc1d2ec65e0db14f24/orig.mp4?Expires=1770606592&Signature=VgY-tVG5GeByzO3Oi3Dgnm8Olny95drdzkpBSwt~aBlxJVlQJR~x~XTXfbZ~AxDiQP-JQX1wHo1XtzifR5Pqzeq6JlsE~8cwt2t2ZqbUhd~IE1pvFJFz3aWVVjI95SVlNdoTWtI~NFYWeMvXk92i6kc7xlOy0Fy4cZDFmuvPREWRN7B27fHZorxCSx4HK-Y-r9vgG2JnNMub59dabNiOX1Q-KGV-ZWZjSwvedIWDxA2yc7mz-~50BvPSwTUMu~-jwoUuBPWPwQTn1JsokVdvCTh3jmLAFwAKUGBgzVC6wm8ObF8tJijdqE0iJxIbdxOuhOkKaCx-sXex7iFQhS8HXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Milpitas","date","2025-08-13T00:25:49Z","article","The Milpitas City Council on Aug. 12 approved restarting the Workforce Housing Rental Assistance Program (WRAP) Round 2 using Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funds awarded under the state's SB 2 program, and authorized staff to allocate an additional $20,000 from the Affordable Housing Community Benefit Fund for administration.

Sarah Balcha, senior administrative analyst in the Office of Housing, summarized the program. The city received PLHA awards from the SB 2 funding rounds covering 2019'2021 allocation years; staff described the award total as roughly $1.0 million (net of program administration and homeless outreach set-asides). Under the program approved in October 2023, 22 eligible households are currently receiving $645 per month for up to 24 months. Round 2 seeks to use remaining funds to assist up to 28 additional households at the same $645/month level for 24 months ($433,440 total) and requests a $20,000 one-time fee for the third-party administrator Forward to relaunch the program.

Staff proposed two programmatic changes to increase eligible applicants: (1) remove the requirement that an eligible household must occupy an entire rental unit (to allow shared-living arrangements common at very-low-income levels), and (2) remove the requirement that at least one adult in the household be employed in Milpitas at the time of qualification. Instead, staff recommended eligibility be defined as at least one adult in the household living in and/or working in Milpitas, with priority given to Milpitas residents. Balcha said the low 30% AMI eligibility threshold (for example, about $42,200 for a one-person household and $60,250 for a four-person household) made it unlikely that many eligible households could afford whole-unit rents at local market rates, creating the need for these changes.

Staff noted Forward provides online intake, multi-language support and eligibility checks and that the city lacks internal capacity to administer a program of this scale without a contracted administrator. Staff also reported that round 1 attracted 108 applicants but only 22 met the stricter initial eligibility criteria.

Council discussion added several conditions and clarifications before approving the relaunch: that payouts not exceed the actual rent owed (staff agreed payments would be limited to the rent amount), that staff survey Forward's customer service and include feedback from Forward's work on the city's small-business grants, that the city implement stronger checks to prevent payments continuing if tenants move, and that the city prioritize Milpitas residents for selection. City Attorney recommended and staff agreed the programmatic changes be submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for approval as necessary to ensure compliance with the grant terms.

Council voted 5-0 to receive the report and approve WRAP Round 2 with the program changes, additional $20,000 administrative allocation, and the added direction to survey Forward and strengthen fraud prevention and residency verification checks. The motion recorded the council's request that staff coordinate the changes with HCD and that staff return if HCD requires modifications.

Staff will proceed with Forward as the third-party administrator, allocate the requested $20,000 from the Affordable Housing Community Benefit Fund for program administration, and return with implementation details and any required HCD approvals. The city manager and housing staff said they will continue reviewing the program design for future PLHA tranches (2022/2023 allocations and future rounds) and will consider alternate program durations or tiered amounts when those funds are programmed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Milpitas City Council Special Meeting - 08/12/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council approved a relaunch of the Workforce Housing Rental Assistance Program (WRAP) Round 2 using state PLHA funds, removing an employment requirement and allowing shared-household applicants while prioritizing Milpitas residents, subject to state approval and additional oversight steps.","taxTitle","Milpitas , Santa Clara County, California","taxId",2860,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6486924,"Council pauses $75,000 holiday-lighting contract, directs staff to seek lower-cost options",841,8816000,9657000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5566367-4ff3ee78f5efbde00b13355c3de84197&start=8816&end=9657","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5566367-4ff3ee78f5efbde00b13355c3de84197/thumbnail_8816000.jpg","/articles/6486924/Milpitas/Santa-Clara-County/California/Council-pauses-75000-holiday-lighting-contract-directs-staff-to-seek-lower-cost-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486924-f1166dd570528b2626611a355cfb4235/orig.mp4?Expires=1770606592&Signature=fX808WTo~57zXoz7W6A4BU62kmcRO4B415O4KbsSricOSosJU5qleGX8oC08l65T7fhbX764jXuH~FO8Tl3SL8tCVF4xTrfupX-XNN75eImGEmrNE9spQlaMhSjrIO4SwDUdAYu2Fze9fvBRMvOdzazRaRYVXlSTApQp-EbPnaH7gv7OeQe-Yy8U~fGHAYS6a-6Uy-piLAvfjX43kLHBpDW6lfQdw7VLLyOi77apaemjefBMz7EjX8juz4r4faEsNSYw7bs9aDQHuVxD43LCh~DRyjkqraYZyLp~uVKB8Cfi~HAE8LekouTCtEj5kT2v3k3uVyAhK4JAPrCsu00sAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members on Aug. 12 declined to award a proposed five-year, $375,000 contract to install holiday lighting at the City Hall campus and directed staff to seek lower-cost alternatives and return with options.

Councilmember Lam pulled Consent Calendar item C7 to ask questions about the scope and cost. Staff said the bid covered installation (two days) and removal (two days), equipment rental, traffic control and permitting for work that spans Caltrans right-of-way. Assistant City Manager Matt Kano told council the quote was for four total workdays and included storage of the lights; Public Works Director Christian Dorenzo told council the work requires specialized equipment the city does not own. Finance Director Luis Cofresia said the city issued an IFB that drew many expressions of interest but only one actual bid.

\"I feel $75,000 is excessive for this job,\" Lam said, urging staff to explore alternatives such as decorating the building envelope or medians instead of hanging lights in the trees. Other council members agreed that the lights were popular with the public but asked staff to return with options at lower cost. The city manager said the holiday tree itself is separately funded and would proceed regardless of the outcome of this contract item.

Councilmembers voted 5-0 to withhold awarding the contract as proposed and to direct staff to negotiate a lower price or present alternatives (vote: Vice mayor Barbara Dio; Councilmembers Chua, Lam, Lianne; Mayor Montana). Council also directed staff to report back on lower-cost decorations and review whether the city could perform some of the work in-house or identify alternate placements that would reach more residents.

Staff noted the previous year's cost had been reported as about $80,000; the current bid resulted in a slightly lower number but only one responsive bidder. Staff said they would explore options including fewer trees, building decorations, decorations in medians (subject to Caltrans or property-owner agreements) and whether other cities' programs provide models to reduce cost.","Council members questioned a $75,000-per-year quote to light five redwood trees at City Hall, voted to withhold award and asked staff to return with lower-cost alternatives and options to preserve holiday displays within a reduced budget.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6486929,"Milpitas council adopts comprehensive zoning ordinance update, citing modernization and consistency with general plan",2980,5811000,8791000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5566367-4ff3ee78f5efbde00b13355c3de84197&start=5811&end=8791","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5566367-4ff3ee78f5efbde00b13355c3de84197/thumbnail_5811000.jpg","/articles/6486929/Milpitas/Santa-Clara-County/California/Milpitas-council-adopts-comprehensive-zoning-ordinance-update-citing-modernization-and-consistency-with-general-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486929-90c67adcf8faa3ee61b4461a2e55a7c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770606592&Signature=LbVU7ae6iCJXm8AgYZj0IDitSlLkR2YNUN2OfpOtEVdQLi7oLW6Gx0bAJlvRb~zgXp9PhEqFNmCDISrx6uUBzmgh6B9T4FTE6NYEfTMApP6PL0ezjBTbvaujQP~zAk3~qgqonbXrGhrhjupKztp~Bb89uAgjiwrJnNX0-leANolecOo3cdZhVuci-OsoyscHZr3S-bYsLTlhswmJnc7P0uY-Q~quxpsBneE4g7NyOmQ4jaWWy0UP4fUooiCKrJiI2SpcB4iafJSuA93b8M9c~lHLeGMT3gnTu2zGYKEZrWmOxcctVGw9CBdFR8Bs7aqFHZJI5hUN6V393J9CcOwiXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Milpitas City Council on Aug. 12 adopted a comprehensive update to the city's zoning ordinance, approving General Plan amendment GP250001 and introducing Ordinance No. 38.858 to place the updated zoning code in a new Title 13 of the Milpitas Municipal Code.

City Planning Director Jay Lee and consultant Jen Morello described Phase 2 of a two-phase zoning rewrite as a reorganization and modernization effort meant to make the zoning code easier to use and internally consistent with the Milpitas 2040 General Plan. Lee said the update is focused on formatting, clearer standards, tables and graphics and compliance with recent state and federal law: \"This project is a full reorganization and modernization and updating of the zoning ordinance,\" he told the council.

The update does not, staff emphasized, change existing land use designations or materially increase development potential. The draft ordinance aligns density and floor-area-ratio standards with the recently updated general plan and integrates earlier zoning changes adopted under Phase 1, staff said. Consultant Jen Morello told council staff efforts included consolidating and recategorizing uses, adding procedures to streamline approvals and creating a new minor deviations approval that allows staff to authorize small departures from standards.

Planning Department project manager Holly Pearson and the consultant team described outreach that included a zoning advisory group, two community workshops (each attended by fewer than 10 people), online materials, office hours and study sessions with the Planning Commission and council. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended adoption and found the project could proceed under an addendum to the Milpitas 2040 General Plan EIR under CEQA Guidelines sections 15162 and 15164.

Public comment during the hearing included Yoli Garcia of Milpitas Involved Citizens (MIC), who said the group's review supported staff recommendations and thanked staff for their outreach: \"MIC would like to ask counsel to go with your staff recommendations. They did an awesome job as usual,\" Garcia said. Another speaker, Walter Montemayor, offered general support for preserving agreed elements of prior plans.

Council members asked for clarifications about outreach, community workshop attendance, the relationship between zoning FAR limits and the general plan, and how the ordinance responds to recent state housing laws. Director Lee and staff said changes that might appear to increase density are intended only to align city zoning with the general plan and state law, and that any future increases in FAR would first require a general plan amendment. Staff also reviewed a letter received earlier the same day about accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules and said they would submit the adopted ADU regulations to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for review as required.

Councilmember Chua moved to approve the staff recommendations, and Councilmember Lynn seconded. The council voted 5-0 (Vice Mayor Barbara Dio; Councilmembers Chua, Lam, Lianne; Mayor Montana) to approve the resolution adopting GP250001 and to introduce Ordinance No. 38.858. The ordinance title was read into the record before the vote.

The city manager and planning staff said staff will implement the new code numbering and bring any necessary clarifications or amendments back to the council as needed. Staff also noted that the update preserves single-family protections and does not rezone single-family areas to higher density uses.

Adoption of the zoning ordinance completes Phase 2 of a two-phase process that began with Phase 1 (adopted June 18), which established several new zoning districts to implement the updated general plan and the Metro Specific Plan.

The council's action will become effective per the city's ordinance-adoption procedures; staff will publish the updated code and notify stakeholders.","The Milpitas City Council voted unanimously Aug. 12 to adopt a comprehensive update to the city's zoning ordinance and associated general plan amendments, a multi-year rewrite city staff said is intended to modernize organization and ensure legal consistency rather than increase development capacity.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Milpitas council approves relaunch of rental-assistance program with changes to expand eligibility and guardrails

Council pauses $75,000 holiday-lighting contract, directs staff to seek lower-cost options

Milpitas council adopts comprehensive zoning ordinance update, citing modernization and consistency with general plan