San José In-Person Forum — SPUR

SPUR has scheduled a San José in-person forum for Tuesday, May 19, 2026, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., according to the nonprofit urban policy group’s events calendar. The event is titled “Financing the Missing Middle: Making Small-Scale Housing Feasible.” SPUR says the session will examine why smaller-scale housing types are increasingly allowed across Bay Area cities but remain uncommon in practice. The group lists registration, location details and event information on its online calendar. ### What is SPUR putting on in San José this week? Tuesday’s program is a public in-person forum in San José focused on planning and housing policy, SPUR’s calendar shows. The organization describes the event as part of its regular public programming on city and regional issues. The May 19 session is set for 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. SPUR says most of its programs are free to attend, and its events page directs attendees to register online and check the listing for venue details. ### What does “missing middle” mean in this event? SPUR says the forum will focus on “missing middle housing,” which it describes as smaller-scale housing forms that are increasingly permitted in cities across the Bay Area but are rarely built. The phrase generally refers to housing types between detached single-family homes and larger apartment buildings, though the event listing centers on feasibility rather than offering a formal glossary. The event description says panelists will discuss policy, construction, regulation and financing barriers. SPUR says the conversation will also offer tools to encourage smaller-scale multi-family homes instead of single-family housing. ### Why is financing the focus of the discussion? SPUR’s listing says the central problem is not only whether local rules allow these projects, but whether they can be financed and delivered. The organization says smaller multi-family developments face a mix of policy and cost hurdles that can keep them from moving forward even when zoning has changed. The event description points specifically to financing alongside construction and regulatory barriers. That framing suggests the session will look at the gap between legal permission and actual production, with panelists expected to address what incentives or tools could make such projects pencil out. ### Where can people find the location and sign up? SPUR directs readers to its events calendar for registration and venue information. The organization’s San José office is at 76 South First Street, according to its contact page, but attendees are still told to check the individual event listing for the exact event location. The calendar entry is part of a broader May schedule that includes public programs in San José, Oakland and San Francisco. SPUR’s site says recordings and slide decks from previous events are available through its past-events section, while current events remain listed on the main calendar. ### How does this forum fit into SPUR’s recent San José programming? SPUR has recently used San José events to cover both election issues and development topics, according to its site. A May 12 event in San José, titled “Ballots and Brews: San José,” ran from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and focused on local and state measures on the June primary ballot. The May 19 forum shifts back to housing production. SPUR’s calendar says the next San José session will examine how to make small-scale housing feasible, placing financing and implementation at the center of the discussion. Tuesday, May 19, is the scheduled date for the event, and SPUR’s listing says the session begins at 5:00 p.m. People seeking to attend can find registration, location details and any updates on SPUR’s events calendar.