Dear Neighbor,

Helping solve the affordable housing crisis in the greater Bay Area is personal to me – this is my home. Our efforts this past year have helped us reach a milestone $500 million cumulative investment, resulting in the creation of more than 25,000 affordable housing opportunities, helping almost 47,000 of our neighbors. While these statistics are impressive, we know that the figures do not tell the true story.

There is the story of Brenetta, a resident of Jordan Court in Berkeley, who joyfully welcomed us at the grand opening of the first new affordable housing development in North Berkeley in more than 30 years. She never imagined that she would be able to return to the city that she loved, much less find a safe home she could afford, after having to move out of the area years ago when her apartment sold.

Or the story of new homeowners Kristy and David, who now have the opportunity to create generational wealth for their two daughters in Morgan Hill through the Empower Homebuyers SCC down payment assistance program.

These are only a few of the neighbors whose lives have been transformed this past year by the stabilizing effect of living in safe, decent, and affordable housing. This is why we do this work—for our seniors, our neighbors experiencing homelessness, our families debating whether or not they can continue to afford rent in the city where their children attend school—our vulnerable community members.

Our work is transformational thanks to our many partners, investors, public sector officials and their staffs, developers, and advocates who demonstrate their commitment to addressing the housing affordability crisis challenging our region on a daily basis. We are fortunate to have them join us in this journey and are thankful to them for partnering with us!

I am grateful to the Housing Trust staff for the tireless commitment they demonstrate every day to create and preserve more housing opportunities for our neighbors in need. We also deeply appreciate the support of our Board of Directors. This spring, after more than two years seeing each other virtually due to the pandemic, we were able to celebrate the impact of our collective work with our public and private partners at Investor Briefing 2.0. We look forward to more celebrations, more groundbreakings, and more grand openings.

As I near my two-year work anniversary and nearly 30 years working in the affordable housing space, I know first-hand how living in a safe, stable, affordable home can change the trajectory of someone’s life. I am driven to do this work because I know that if each one of us decides to make a difference, together there is nothing we can’t accomplish. Our goal at Housing Trust is to create and preserve more affordable homes and spaces where our vulnerable neighbors can thrive may seem ambitious, yet we have proven that it can be done. There is still much more work we need to do. I hope you will join us on this journey to building a more just and equitable Bay Area region. Let’s make an impact, together.

With gratitude,

Noni Ramos
Chief Executive Officer,
Housing Trust Silicon Valley

Noni Ramos

"I know first-hand how living in a safe, stable, affordable home can change the trajectory of someone’s life."