Add housing to your list of worthy causes

TWO VALLEY FIRMS SET AN EXAMPLE ON GRANTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES

Mercury News Editorial


If lower-cost housing is so badly needed in Silicon Valley, why don't more individuals give to affordable-housing programs the way they do to other social causes?

Maybe they've never been asked.

Two companies participating in the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County have broadened the fund drive to their employees -- in one case top executives but in the other, smaller company, to the whole workforce. In both cases, a little incentive helped.

The Housing Trust was the first public-private-non-profit partnership in the nation to help first-time home buyers and builders of affordable apartments and homeless shelters. Having raised more than $20 million in its original fund drive from corporations, foundations, the county and local cities, it's in the midst of a new $10 million drive led by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, formerly known as the Manufacturing Group, one of the founders of the Trust.

Companies support the Trust because home prices make it difficult to recruit and keep workers here. But individual workers have concerns too. Some need help to buy a home close to work. Many worry that their children won't be able to stay here because of the costs.

Here's what leaders of two companies did to broaden the appeal for funding:

Coherent Inc.

The laser-systems company based in Santa Clara, with about 500 employees in the valley, is contributing $30,000 to the latest Housing Trust drive. On top of that, an anonymous donor offered to match other employee contributions up to $15,000, said CEO John Ambroseo. By Tuesday, donations were over the halfway mark, some in amounts as small as $20 from the manufacturing floor.

Seagate Technology

The world's largest maker of disk drives, based in Scotts Valley, has about 2,000 employees in the valley. It has a tradition that all executive vice presidents pick a favorite charity to work for, said CEO William Watkins, and Bill Hudson, Seagate's general counsel, chose the Trust. Hudson proceeded to twist the arms of his fellow top executives -- another tradition, said Watkins -- and got five pledges of $15,000 apiece. This will add $75,000 to the corporate pledge of $105,000.

The Housing Trust so far has helped some 4,500 individuals and families rent or buy homes here. The next $10 million will benefit an additional 3,000. If companies all over the valley added employee drives to their corporate contributions, the Trust could help even more.

Contacting the Housing Trust

For information on the Housing Trust, see www.housingtrustscc.org or call Taylor Dial at the Trust at (408) 436-3450.

To donate, contact fundraising chair Carl Guardino at (408) 501-7864.