Across the street from VTA’s future Downtown San Jose headquarters is a newly completed affordable housing development located at 500 Almaden Boulevard. It’s not just our neighbor, it’s an example of how VTA is helping build healthier, more sustainable communities through partnerships utilizing the Affordable Housing Sustainable Community Program (AHSC).
Arya is an 87-unit affordable housing development designed for low-income households earning 30%-60% of the area median income. The development is a model for how coordinated investments in housing and transportation can create healthier, more connected communities.
Funding for this housing development comes, in part, from a $12.7 million loan from California’s AHSC program. VTA partnered with the City of San Jose and the project developer to successfully apply for AHSC funding, an effort that brought in not only housing dollars, but also funding for transportation and other public improvements.
As part of the AHSC grant, VTA secured $2 million to purchase two electric buses to serve Route 66, which serves the Arya neighborhood. These buses enhance connections to Milpitas Transit Center, which includes BART service and VTA Light Rail, advancing our Transit Service Plan, and improving access to jobs, schools, and essential services for residents.
Meanwhile, the City of San Jose implemented active transportation and neighborhood upgrades funded through the AHSC award, including Class IV protected bike lanes, Class II bike lanes and new trail connections, pedestrian safety improvements like flashing beacons and curb extensions, and wayfinding signage.
Together, these investments help create a walkable, transit-oriented community that reduces car dependence, improves air quality, and connects more people to opportunity.
More about AHSC
The AHSC program is a statewide initiative that funds integrated housing and transportation projects with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a unique model, requiring developers, transit agencies, and local governments to work together. This ensures new affordable housing is paired with sustainable mobility investments.
Since its launch in 2015, AHSC has funded over 20,000 affordable housing units, provided over 28,000 free transit passes to residents, avoided 5.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and delivered an average of $10,566 in annual rent savings per household.
VTA is a longtime partner on AHSC funded projects across Santa Clara County. Through this program, we’ve secured funding for critical transit improvements, from electric buses to bus-only lanes, all of which support our goals around access, climate, and ridership.
What’s Next?
To build on past successes, VTA is developing an AHSC Strategic Plan that will position us to partner on even more applications in the years ahead. This effort will help bring more funding for transit improvements, support funding for VTA’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) program, and support additional affordable housing near high-quality transit.
