Bonnie Montgomery, San Jose

I am working on the Address Canvassing Operation as a Crew Leader's assistant with the San Jose Local Census Office. I am seeing first-hand, block by block, how much housing stock is sitting vacant. Not only single-family houses, but entire apartment houses padlocked and vacant. We have so many opportunities to work up from the grassroots and help restore these buildings to full occupancy, with section 8 vouchers. Could Federal stimulus money help fund City planning departments, which often hire and fire staff from property tax revenue? These revenues are way down, and California cities are firing almost all their planners, preventing cities from working efficiently to solve housing needs.