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Community Perceptions of Affordable Housing A continuing impediment to affordable housing development is the sometimes negative perception of affordable housing held by many members of the public. The City of Pleasanton provides locals funds annually to East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO) to implement an ongoing program aimed at improving residents' perceptions and understanding of affordable housing. The goal is to foster greater acceptance of new affordable housing so that negative public sentiment is not an impediment to the City's efforts to create and maintain its affordable housing stock. Pleasanton collaborated with its neighbor cities in the Tri- Valley to hold a tour of affordable housing developments and issues in February 2009. The current Housing Element update process is providing an additional forum for discussion of affordable housing issues. Three community workshops were held in March 2011 and were widely attended by a broad spectrum of community members. In conjunction with other Tri - Valley cities, the City of Pleasanton will work with EBHO in FY 2011 in activities related to Affordable Housing Week, held annually in May. This will include media presentations, affordable housing tours, and other activities focusing specifically on affordable housing efforts past, present, and future in the Tri- Valley area. As the focus of Affordable Housing Week several years ago, the City worked with other Tri - Valley jurisdictions to highlight the appointment of the first board of directors and the first successful buyer from the Tri- Valley Housing Opportunity Center cited earlier. The City has also worked with local housing advocacy groups such as Citizens for a Caring Community (CCC) which has adopted the issue of affordable housing in the Tri - Valley area as the focus of its organizational efforts. In collaboration with EBHO, the groups held a workshop on affordable housing issues in 2005. The event was widely attended by a diverse representation of community residents and leaders. In March 2007, City staff participated in an affordable housing forum held at St. Elizabeth Seton church in Pleasanton and will continue to work these groups in FY 2011 to promote the benefits of affordable housing in the community. The February 2009 Tri- Valley housing tour highlighted the tangible benefits provided to communities through the state's Work Force Housing program which has provided financial rewards to communities that have been able to produce housing to meet the needs of the state's work force. The Pleasanton Housing Commission has sponsored similar workshops to promote the understanding of affordable housing, particularly financing issues. A 2002 workshop was oriented specifically to our local commu.nity and targeted decision makers as well as community partners and the general public. The City collaborated with other cities in the Tri- Valley area to sponsor another housing forum in August 2002. The latter event was widely attended and featured Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher as a key -note speaker. [Congresswoman Tauscher was instrumental in the establishment of the Tri- Valley Housing Opportunity Center.] The City will assist the BayEast Association of Realtors in its sponsorship of a "real estate town hall meeting" on April 26, 2011. In May 2009, a similar event also highlighted the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Action Plan - FY 2011 City of Pleasanton Page 33