chafin wants to build between eight to 16 affordable apartments for teachers, charging them $2,000 a month. >> i'd only charge them $1,000 a month in rent and then $1,000 would go towards a down payment so that within three years they can have -- buy a $650,000 condo. >> reporter: but chafin can't move forward because her land is owned commercial. she plans on keeping the hair salon which sits on the property but she needs the city to grant her a permit for mixed-use residential so she can go forward with housing. the planning department has recommended to deny it. city officials say san jose doesn't have enough land for commercial use which helps generate tax dollars. >> what people may not know is that in san jose only 15% of our land is zoned commercial and industrial. generating important money into our general fund, that funds libraries, parks, police and fire. those are important services. >> reporter: city planners want chafin to put more commercial property on the land. but she says it's unrealistic and points to the growing number