Silicon Valley Suburbia (cc) by Travis Wise on Flickr.com

The cost of living in Silicon Valley continues to skyrocket: The median sales price has soared above $800,000 while the median rent is almost $2,900 in Santa Clara County, according to Zillow. New membership organization SV@Home is focusing on promoting more affordable housing in a region booming from a technology-driven economy.

Launched this summer, SV@Home already has a number of organizational members on board, including Knight Foundation, Google and LinkedIn. The goal is to try and change the conversation around area housing so people understand its importance, says Executive Director Leslye Corsiglia.

High land prices in the Bay Area are part of the region’s housing crunch, so Corsiglia hopes to push for increasing density and for subsidies.

“We need to be able to bring in funds that can essentially write down those rents so that people can afford to live here,” she said.

Increasing density in a place such as downtown San Jose can be a more practical approach, rather than developing single-family homes in the outer suburbs: “Getting the police coverage, getting the fire coverage, getting the water pipes that you need, and electricity … to a site where all the units are in one place is more efficient than sprawl,” Corsiglia said.

SV@Home also strives to promote innovative ways of creating new housing. The enormity of the region’s housing crisis was highlighted this summer when a Mountain View man listed a tent for rent through AirBnB in his parents’ backyard for a rate that equates to more than $900 a month. But in reality, Corsiglia says there are ways to increase the supply of affordable housing without building large housing developments. She suggests low-cost backyard units that meet California housing codes.

Other solutions might also be smaller units that aren’t necessarily affordable for low-income individuals, but cheaper than the current median rent cost. “Not all tech jobs pay six figures and more, so there is a real interest,” even for employees at major companies, Corsiglia says.

One unique approach Corsiglia wants to explore is working with architects who are reimagining the interiors of large homes and converting them into multifamily properties without changing the exteriors.

Corsiglia also hopes SV@Home can help dispel myths about housing in general – such as the common misconception that housing can create transportation problems.

“Being able to tell the story that actually transportation problems are created when you have the jobs but no housing, and so people have to drive far away to get to their jobs … is really important,” she said.

She also wants to demonstrate that affordable housing leads to better educational outcomes when children are not moving constantly or under fear of where they’ll be sleeping each night.

Finding a long-term funding source to provide subsidies for creating more housing is key, Corsiglia said. Affordable housing funding was hit hard across California when the state abolished all redevelopment agencies in 2012. These agencies had been required to devote 20 percent of every redevelopment dollar toward affordable housing initiatives, which had amounted to about $1 billion a year. These days, more resources will be needed to get back on track, Corsiglia said.

SV@Home’s board includes former San Jose mayor Ron Gonzales and leaders from organizations across the community such as the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California, Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley, Google and Housing Trust Silicon Valley.

Knight Foundation is supporting initiatives to improve housing in San Jose and the greater Silicon Valley, including recent $75,000 grants to Housing Trust Silicon Valley to establish more affordable and equitable housing policies; and to Destination: Home to tackle homelessness in Santa Clara County.

Vignesh Ramachandran is a Bay Area-based freelance writer. He can be reached via email at [email protected].