When Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino spoke to over 100 members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors at a virtual meeting last week, he said SVLG is trying to do its best to add value during these difficult times. His mantra "Silicon Valley Better Together" calls for all sectors of the region to work together and get the region through the pandemic and re-imagine better things ahead. He invited Silicon Valley's Realtors to join in.
"I suggest we work together and stay on top of the wave, rather than have the wave come crashing down on us," Guardino told members of the local Realtor group.
One way SVLG is helping make a difference is by providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers. Guardino said a key criterion for re-opening the region is to make sure frontline healthcare workers have a 30-day supply of PPE. SVLG hopes to raise enough money for 300,000 disposable isolation gowns, a cost of about $7 per grown, a total dollar value of about $2.1 million. Anyone who can help with a donation or with sourcing help, may contact Brian Brennan at bbrennan@svlg.org.
Guardino said the formation of a Silicon Valley Recovery Roundtable with 59 CEOs and deputy officers from a wide range of businesses, from tech, health care, retail, non-profits, including builders, developers and real estate will focus on the safe re-opening of businesses and economic recovery, specifically four areas: how to reduce risk and re-open safely and productively; how to make recovery inclusive for the community's most vulnerable members; how to enable businesses to survive and thrive; and how to innovate and build the foundation of the "new normal."
The goal is to "re-imagine" Silicon Valley re-opening. "This will be a 12 to18-month struggle, not just three to six months," said Guardino.
The future will change as many Silicon Valley companies have become more liberal about having their employees work from home if they can. Guardino said the silver lining to working remotely is clearer roadways, clearer skies, less stress from to traffic and long commutes. He acknowledged such policies could lead to more people moving out of the state, but pointed out that it is already happening due to neglect of housing for three decades.
The pandemic has impacted mass transit ridership. Due to COVID-19, BART ridership has shrunk from 440,000 to 24,000. He expects ridership will increase once shelter-in-place orders are fully lifted, but also remarked fear of the virus could prompt more people to drive their own cars to work instead of taking public transit.
"That would be bad," said Guardino.
Second Harvest Food Bank is another agency impacted by the pandemic, said the SVLG CEO. The Food Bank doesn't just need food to feed more people; the agency needs volunteers, as that number is down to less than half.
"This is a difficult time we are traveling through. We're not going to stop here; we will get through it," said Guardino.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
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For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.