Proposed Affordable Family Housing
📍 3331 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134
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Learn more about VTA’s transit-oriented communities here!
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Help us envision a vibrant, connected, family-focused affordable housing community at River Oaks Station!
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Eden Housing, VTA, Architects FORA, Engage FORA, and BASE Landscape Architecture are inviting community members to share ideas, priorities, and local insights for the proposed first phase of the River Oaks Station Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Your input will help shape affordable rental homes, resident amenities, open spaces, and connections to transit so the project can better serve future residents and the surrounding North San Jose community.
This community engagement website focuses on the affordable housing portion of the River Oaks transit-oriented development. To learn more about the overall River Oaks Station TOD outreach efforts, please visit the VTA project webpage.
Project Details / Upcoming Events / Join the Conversation / Community Engagement Overview /
Past Events / FAQs (coming soon) / Who Benefits from Affordable Housing? (coming soon)
/ At a Glance:
The vision for the project is a transit-oriented, mixed-income development proposed at the site of VTA’s River Oaks former Headquarters, which is being relocated. The initial phase aims to utilize a portion of the site to provide vibrant, high-quality, and connected affordable multi-family housing serving low-income families and households. A future phase includes a public park along the Guadalupe River trail with a spectrum of amenities that reflect and serve the community.
La visión del proyecto es desarrollar una comunidad de ingresos mixtos orientada al transporte público en el terreno de la antigua sede de VTA en River Oaks, actualmente en proceso de reubicación. La fase inicial busca utilizar una parte del terreno para brindar viviendas multifamiliares asequibles, vibrantes, de alta calidad, y bien conectadas, destinadas para familias y hogares de bajos recursos. Una fase futura incluye un parque público a lo largo de Guadalupe River Trail con una amplia selección de amenidades que reflejen y beneficien a la comunidad.
Tầm nhìn về dự án là một khu phát triển hỗn hợp định hướng giao thông công cộng (TOD), được đề xuất tại vị trí Trụ sở cũ của VTA tại River Oaks (hiện đang được di dời). Giai đoạn đầu nhằm mục đích tận dụng một phần mặt bằng để cung cấp khu nhà ở đa gia đình có giá cả phải chăng, kết nối tốt, chất lượng cao và sôi động, phục vụ cho các gia đình và hộ gia đình có thu nhập thấp. Giai đoạn tương lai bao gồm một công viên công cộng dọc theo đường mòn sông Guadalupe với một chuỗi các tiện ích phản ánh và phục vụ cho cộng đồng.
本項⽬的願景是在VTA正在搬遷的River Oaks前總部所在地建造⼀個以捷運為導向的混合收⼊發展項⽬。初期階段計劃利⽤該地塊的⼀部分，為低收⼊家庭和住⼾提供充滿活⼒、⾼品質且連通的平價多⼾型住宅。未來階段將包括沿Guadalupe River步道建設⼀個公共公園，配備⼀系列反映和服務社區的便利設施
Development Schedule:
Upcoming Events Coming Soon!
/ Join the Conversation
Share Your Ideas💡
Can’t join us in person? No problem!
Take a minute to share your thoughts about the project using the quick form below. Your input helps shape what gets built.
New questions are posted every few months—check back to stay involved!
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/ Community Engagement Process
Design is better when diverse perspectives are at the table. Buildings that best provide for the needs of future residents, reflect their community and place, and are deeply valued by the community, are created by listening to those they strive to serve and including them throughout the design process.
Jump to a Section:
1 / Connections Phase (complete)
2 / Listening Phase (complete)
✅Phase 1 / Connections Phase
We always begin community engagement by developing an understanding of the project’s context, including its location, history, and surrounding community. During the Connections Phase, we interviewed community leaders such as community organizations, non-profits, local businesses, and neighborhood leaders to gain hyperlocal insights.
✅Phase 2 / Listening Phase
The first public phase of community engagement process is the Listening Phase. This phase is about understanding the community’s collective values and visions. Your critical insights help ensure the project is designed to best serve its community.
Please find a link to the Listening Phase Report, which shares more details and findings, here. In addition, the original pop-up posters are linked here.
Past Listening Phase Events / Engaging with local stakeholders
Guadalupe River Trail Pop-up
Sunday, March 22nd, 2026 | 10:00am - 12:00pm | Trail Entrance off of River Oaks Place
Purpose: To engage the broader North San Jose / Santa Clara neighborhood, especially trail-users. Our team's goal was to gather input to help shape the design of the project, from site and neighborhood insights, to amenities, architectural and landscape design.
Outcome: We reached ~22 participants at the event and gathered insight from the perspective of trail-users.
River Oaks Station Pop-up
Tuesday March 24th, 2026 | 4:00pm - 6:00PM | Corner of VTA Park & Ride near River Oaks Light Rail Station
Purpose: To understand project priorities for people who live, work, and recreate near the site, this Station pop-up engaged with a variety of North San Jose / Santa Clara neighborhood stakeholders. Our team's goal was to to gather input to help shape the design of the project, from site and neighborhood insights, to amenities, architectural and landscape design.
Outcome: We reached ~10 participants at the event and gathered insight from the perspective from local residents, employees and commuters.
➡️Phase 3 / Co-creation Phase
We are now in the Co-creation Phase, which begins by reporting back the findings and major themes and values heard during the Listening Phase. A series of interactive design activities help inform the project design. Upholding a process based on transparency and integrity, the design team will describe the requirements and key design drivers for the development and only present feasible options.
Please find the posters from the events here. Please find the Co-creation Report for the two events here.
Past Listening Phase Events / Engaging with local families
Food Pantry Pop-up
June 17, 2026 | 2:00pm - 4:00pm | Orchard District Food Pantry
Background: By joining a community food pantry event, we were able to meet families where they already were, introduce the proposed affordable housing, and hear from people who may benefit from it in the future. Offering activities in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Vietnamese helped more community members participate and share their ideas.
Outcomes: The food pantry was a great place to connect with a diverse group of families; we reached around 70 participants at the event. About half of the participants preferred a language other than English, and having interpreters made it easier for everyone to participate. Children's games kept kids engaged, giving parents time to visit the activity stations and share their feedback.
Alviso Library Workshop
June 18, 2026 | 4:00pm - 7:00pm | Alviso Branch Library
Background: We partnered with the Library to hold the workshop during Family Bingo Night, when many local families were already visiting. The smaller group created a relaxed setting where participants could ask questions, share their experiences, and provide detailed feedback on housing, amenities, and design ideas.
Outcomes: We reached around 30 participants at the event. The small-group setting encouraged open conversation. Participants felt comfortable sharing not only their responses to the activities, but also additional ideas, concerns, and personal experiences that helped shape the project.
🔜Phase 4 / Accountability Phase
The Accountability Phase is a robust effort to gather and organize the valuable feedback we receive from the community throughout the engagement period, distill it into key themes and values, and clearly document how those insights are integrated into the project design. Once complete, a final report will be linked below highlighting the priorities and perspectives shared by the community and illustrating how input has meaningfully shaped the project.