Client: San Jose Evergreen Community College District

San Jose Evergreen Community College District retained Gruen Gruen + Associates (“GG+A”) to design and analyze a survey of San Jose Evergreen Community College District faculty and staff in order to estimate the potential demand for below market rate rental housing. GG+A reviewed the issues with District representatives prepared the questionnaire, cover letter, and posted the survey electronically. The response rate was very high at 44 percent.

The survey was directed to obtaining information and preferences about locational and product preferences, ability to pay, and factors influencing decisions. The survey elicited information about the current housing patterns and costs of faculty and staff. The survey also obtained information about vehicle ownership, parking preferences, and transportation modes and journey to work times. The survey also elicited information on the needs and preferences and willingness to pay for child-care assistance. In addition, the survey obtained demographic, income, and employment data.

GG+A coded and cross tabulated the responses and analyzed the results of the survey. GG+A prepared an extensive report that summarized the results of the survey and analysis of the results. GG+A used the synthesis of the results to estimate the demand for below market rate rental housing and to identify the characteristics of those respondents which would rent the housing if made available, and how much they could afford to pay and what locations and products they would prefer. GG+A also identified the number of faculty and staff which would enroll children in child-care assistance programs and what they would pay for child-care assistance.

GG+A put the demand estimates into perspective by conducting research to estimate rental housing costs by location in the District, size/number of bedrooms and bathrooms. GG+A used GIS to map the residential locations of faculty and staff and compared the existing locations and associated housing costs to where faculty and staff indicated they would prefer to live and what they could afford to pay for rental housing. GG+A presented the findings and conclusions to the District Board.