Assembly Bill (AB) 2263, authored by Assemblymember Kalra (D-San José), has been signed into law by Governor Newsom and will greenlight Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (VTA) ability to set aside affordable housing for their employees.
A news conference held Thursday, October 1 to announce the signing featured the bill’s author Assemblymember Ash Kalra, VTA General Manager Carolyn Gonot, and representatives of VTA-affiliated unions SEIU, TAEA (IFPTE) and AFSCME.
“As a former Chair of the VTA Board of Directors, I was honored to author this bill and thankful to see it signed into law. Setting aside workforce housing in the robust transit-oriented developments that VTA is already taking on will significantly benefit our region by enhancing housing affordability, reducing emissions from commutes, and improving road safety,” said Assemblymember Kalra. “I look forward to seeing these developments built in our Assembly District 25 and beyond!”
“AB 2263 gives VTA an important new tool to support the dedicated employees who keep our transit system moving every day. By creating workforce housing opportunities near transit, we can help reduce long commutes, strengthen our workforce, and support safer, more sustainable communities. We thank Assemblymember Kalra for his leadership in making this possible,” said Carolyn Gonot, VTA General Manager/CEO.
While VTA workers make competitive middle-class wages, they are living in one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation. The high cost of housing has priced many VTA workers out of the area, leading them to long commutes ranging from one to two hours one-way. AB 2263 will give VTA the authority to set aside affordable housing for its workforce so they can have improved livelihoods with shorter commutes, resulting in overall safety.
“Like many working people, I moved farther away because I could no longer afford to live close to where I work,” said Ronald Acosta, Transit Supervisor for VTA and member of AFSCME. “Today, I commute 86 miles each way from Riverbank, and it can take me three hours or more just to get home. Between gas, tires and wear and tear on my car, I spend thousands of dollars every year just getting to work. Having an opportunity to live closer to where I work would have been life changing,”
“Keeping experienced transportation workers on the job is critical to keeping Santa Clara County moving,” said Tammy Dhanota, SEIU 521 Vice President and VTA employee. “But when the people who operate our transit system can’t afford to live in the communities they serve, we risk losing highly skilled workers and weakening the services our families depend on. AB 2263 is an important step toward creating more affordable housing opportunities for VTA employees and community members alike, helping working people stay in Santa Clara County and ensuring we can build and retain the workforce our public transit system needs.”
Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D-Cupertino) said, “We must use every tool to address the housing affordability crisis, and I applaud my colleague Assemblymember Kalra for authoring AB 2263 to ensure VTA can build affordable employee housing. I am the proud co-author of AB 2263 because it will help attract and retain vital transit employees, as well as improve transit service safety and reliability for residents. All local workers should have an affordable place to call home in our community.”
“IFPTE Local 21 is thrilled that AB 2263 is now law, paving the way for the hardworking public servants we represent at VTA to live in the county they serve. This investment in VTA’s workforce will improve employees’ quality of life and deliver lasting benefits to our entire community,” said Marc Delong, President of VTA Chapter of IFPTE Local 21.
AB 2263 is co-authored by Assemblymembers Ahrens (D-Cupertino) and Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz). It goes into effect in January 2027.