Moving Silicon Valley Forward concludes that the mismatch in the supply of affordable housing and the number of growing Silicon Valley jobs forces people to commute from far away, contributing to already congested roadways. Despite the economic slowdown, the typical Silicon Valley auto commuter still lost a total of 37 hours sitting in traffic in 2010.
The research authored by NPH and Urban Habitat found that over 67 percent of Silicon Valley’s projected job growth, and its largest workforce, is not in high-paying technology sectors but in sectors paying less than $50,000 annually, yet, regional plans for housing and transportation do not meet the needs of this workforce. The report provides compelling new reasons to increase affordable housing and transportation opportunities in the Silicon Valley.