Big THANK YOU to MTC and ABAG Board Members Supervisor David Canepa and Noelia Corzo and Council Members Gina Papan and Carlos Romero for their votes in support of placing a first-of-its-kind $20 BILLION regional housing bond on the November 2024 ballot! When it passes, peninsula communities will receive $2 BILLION to support producing and preserving affordable homes. Finally, THANK YOU to our San Mateo County members for speaking and sending in letters of support every step of the way; your advocacy got us to this point, now let's take it past the finish line in November! 

Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10 (ACA 10) on the November Ballot!

Last Thursday (6/27), our leaders in the California State Legislature voted to put ACA 10 on the statewide November 2024 ballot. When passed, the measure will increase and speed up the approval of much-needed affordable housing and infrastructure improvements in our communities by lowering the voter threshold to 55% for public bond funding. This is a crucial step in the right direction since it would also apply to the $20 billion region housing bond!

Millbrae Lawsuit Dismissed In Court

On June 26, presiding Judge Nancy Fineman dismissed the City of Millbrae's case against the County of San Mateo. The city's lawsuit attempted to prevent the county from purchasing the La Quinta Inn in Millbrae. The county intends to convert the property into permanent supportive housing, utilizing a successful statewide program, Project Homekey, aimed at developing homes for people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. We hope the judge's decision inspires the city to work with the county on a political solution. Thank you to all of you that signed petitions, wrote letters, showed up at hearings, and made donations. We appreciate you!

Supreme Court Ruling in Grants Pass v Johnson

We are deeply disheartened by the Supreme Court's decision to allow the criminalization of homelessness. This ruling rolls back decades of work by homeless advocates as well as federal best-practices promoted by the United States Interagency Council of Homelessness (USICH) and advocates throughout the country including many of our closest allies here in the Bay Area. We must stand together and advocate for a compassionate approach that truly addresses the root causes of homelessness and organize for solutions that work.  Now, more than ever, we need the regional bond and other funding to create housing opportunities.

Taxpayer “Protection” and Government Accountability Act (TPA)

The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously on June 20th to remove the California Business Roundtable-backed TPA from the November 2024 ballot. HLC supports this decision as the measure threatened to reclassify fees (e.g. driver’s license fees) as taxes. It would have required any new taxes to undergo both a two-thirds legislative vote AND receive a two-thirds majority support from voters. Additionally, it would have retroactively invalidated more than 100 ballot measures and new laws passed after January 1, 2022, potentially placing important state-funded programs and services — including education, health care, transportation, and housing and homelessness services — at further risk of funding cuts.

County Funding for Planning Staff

Earlier this month, San Mateo County unveiled plans in its 2024-2025 budget to create a new real estate development team, allocating $940,332 to fund five staff positions. The County’s investments reflect HLC requests for more planning capacity to ensure the County can fully implement its housing element objectives and manage its affordable housing portfolio. 

We are excited to announce Housing Leadership Day 2024, set to take place on Friday, October 25, 2024, at the South San Francisco Conference Center. This annual event is a unique opportunity for housing advocates, policymakers, developers, and community leaders to come together and discuss the most pressing issues and innovative solutions in the housing sector.

Submit your workshop Proposal

We are currently seeking enthusiastic individuals and organizations to submit proposals for workshops. This is your chance to share your expertise, innovative ideas, and successful strategies with a diverse audience committed to advancing housing solutions. Whether you have a new approach to affordable housing, insights into policy development, or a successful community initiative, we want to hear from you!

Submit your workshop proposal by clicking the button below:

Sponsor Housing Leadership Day

Join us in sparking change by sponsoring Housing Leadership Day 2024! Your sponsorship helps us host impactful workshops and celebrate housing heroes in the county. As a sponsor, your organization will enjoy benefits like shoutouts on all of our social media platforms., complimentary tickets, and more! Click the link to learn more about our sponsorship benefits and sponsor today!