| | Affordable Housing Month 2023 |
|  | ✧Thank you for joining our Policy Breakfast and Bus Tour!✧ Thank you so much for joining us at our Policy Breakfast and Annual Bus Tour in celebration of Affordable Housing Month 2023! Together, we heard from elected officials, learned about the latest housing policies, and celebrated recent victories with those working tirelessly to make housing more affordable and accessible for all. Then, we went on an amazing bus tour of affordable homes throughout the county. Thank you for making it possible!
✧Tenants Belong✧ |
|  | Last week, in collaboration with Menlo Together, YUCA and Fain in Action, we also hosted Tenants Belong, a bi-lingual event centered around Bay Area tenants stories. We heard first person stories and discussed tangible solutions. We explored the policies shaping the rental experience and examined tenant outcomes. Thank you for joining us and furthering tenant protections!
Missed the event? See our infographics here!
It’s not too late to celebrate Affordable Housing Month 2023. We still have two more events for you to join! |
| Housing Elements & You: Next Steps for Affordable Housing Tuesday, May 23 Join our panel discussion and learn how to take the next steps in implementing effective housing elements. Don't miss out on the chance to make a real impact in creating more affordable housing options in your community. |
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Equitable Housing Decarbonization — Visualizing Intersections Wednesday, May 24 Join us at our Equitable Housing Decarbonization event to discover how to achieve equitable outcomes for reducing homes' carbon impacts. Our collaborative diagram provides a tangible visual tool to reference, ensuring inclusivity and strengthening communities in planning processes. |
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| If you have any questions about Affordable Housing Month or our events, please contact Fernanda at fdevelasco@hlcsmc.org. |
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| | Thank you to all our sponsors! |
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| |  Housing Elements Review |
| At long last, Daly City has released its first draft housing element, meaning every city in San Mateo County has produced at least a draft housing plan. Half Moon Bay (HMB) and Daly City are the final first draft housing elements to be released. Public comment for the HMB housing element ended this past Tuesday, though the city will continue to accept comments; Daly City’s public comment is due June 11. Most cities are farther along in the housing element update process, on their second or third round of review with the state. Housing elements were technically due on January 31, at which point local jurisdictions became subject to penalties such as the Builder’s Remedy. However, jurisdictions now face a secondary housing element deadline on May 31, after which point they will lose access to a range of state transportation and infrastructure grants if their housing element has not yet been certified by the state. On Thursday, Brisbane received a letter from the state certifying their housing plan. Brisbane received certification from HCD primarily because the city specified a timeline for the development of the long-delayed Brisbane Baylands, as well as a combination of policies to remove development constraints and promote “missing middle” housing like duplexes. The specificity in the timelines and the programs are clear and achievable, and the site that they are focussing on has real development potential. Other cities, such as South San Francisco and San Carlos, are also nearing certification. In its most recent letters to the cities, HCD deemed those cities in compliance with “most” housing element statutes, an indication that the agency is nearly prepared to sign off on their housing plans. Both cities’ housing elements plan for significant upzoning to accommodate denser, more affordable housing, particularly near transit. |
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| | ✧Faith Summit on Ending Homeless✧ |
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|  | Faith communities across San Mateo County have been meaningfully engaging in Affordable Housing Month. One of HLC’s events took place on May 11th – a Faith Summit on Ending Homelessness sponsored by San Mateo County’s Home for All and the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort. 75 people from faith communities, service agencies, and the county came together to support affordable housing. Mike Callagy, the county manager, gave an impactful presentation and lifted the work the county has been doing. A resident gave a moving personal story about his own experience of homelessness. The panelists were wonderful, each speaking from their own experience and challenging faith communities to continue to step up and participate in every way possible. Each of our 9 tables was hosted by a skilled facilitator inviting people into deep conversation, generating ideas about how faith communities could be more involved in housing justice. Several people sent emails expressing their renewed commitment to ending homelessness in San Mateo County. Jessica Stanfill Mullin, Sustainability Program Manager, said: “As we work together to end homelessness in San Mateo County, partnering with faith communities will be a key component. The Summit provided an opportunity for energized conversations on how to collaborate and coordinate our efforts to provide resources and shelter to all residents experiencing homelessness.” Last Thursday’s summit was a huge step forward in faith communities participating more fully in making San Mateo a more affordable and inclusive county, especially around housing. |
| | Policy Updates ✧SB4✧ Breaking news: SB 4 officially passed the Sen. Appropriations Committee today. Now we turn to getting 21 votes on the Senate floor before June 2! ✧Belmont - Firehouse Square Grand Opening✧ |
|  | Publicly owned land is one of the best tools we have at our disposal to build affordable homes for the community members who need it most. Providing 66 quality affordable homes in the City of Belmont, Firehouse Square is a great example of how the city can partner with an affordable housing developer (MidPen Housing, in this case) to create homes at the deepest affordability levels on city-owned land.
Now at full capacity, Firehouse Square held a grand opening ceremony this past Tuesday as a part of HLC’s Affordable Housing Month! Click here to read the San Mateo Daily Journal’s coverage of the opening.. |
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| | ✧HLC's Organizing Internship✧ Are you or someone you know looking for an internship in affordable housing advocacy? We have an opening for an Intern Organizer at HLC! Click here to learn more and apply today! |
| ✧San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) - Board of Directors Vacancy✧ |
| | The SamTrans has an opening for one public member to serve on its Board of Directors! This is your opportunity to help set the policy for the Transit District, which oversees SamTrans bus and paratransit services. To apply, you must be a resident of San Mateo County outside of the coastal region, and you cannot be an elected official or have served as an elected official within the previous 12 months. Regular committee and board meetings are scheduled for the first Wednesday of each month at 2:00 pm. Click here to download the application. The application deadline is Monday, June 5, 2023, at 5:00 pm. Please email, send, or fax your completed application to Dora Seamans, District Secretary
San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans)
PO Box 3006
San Carlos CA 94070-1306
Fax: 650-508-6281
Email: seamansd@samtrans.com If you have any questions, please contact Dora Seamans at 650-508-6242. |
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| ✧On the Verge: Transitional aged youth leadership development opportunity✧ |
|  | On The Move is still recruiting youth for their housing justice-focused cohort of On The Verge. They are particularly looking for young people from Marin, Contra Costa, and San Mateo to ensure representation from across the bay area. Program Description On the Verge offers a year-long, paid leadership development program for transitional-aged youth (TAY). Participants will have an opportunity to develop their personal, interpersonal, and professional growth while building key leadership skills and working on collaborative high-stakes projects to address housing justice in the Bay Area. For more details about the program, please review this slide deck from a previous info session or schedule an appointment with Erin and Adrian to discuss this further. Erin Gutierrez eagutierrez@dons.usfca.edu Adrian Maldonado adrian@onthemovebayarea.org The application link is here. The application is also available in Spanish here. The deadline to apply is May 23, 2023 ✧Partnership for the Bays Future is Hiring for a fellow in South San Francisco✧ Coro is hiring a Fellow with expertise in affordable housing to participate in the Partnership for the Bay's Future Fellowship, a collaboration between Coro, San Francisco Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners, and Informing Change. This Fellow will work with the South San Francisco Site Team. Apply today and/or share this post with your network. Job Description: https://lnkd.in/gAbB4xNn Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gxzvzQAw (position open until filled) |
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| HLC News ✧Affordable Housing Infrastructure Recap✧ |
|  | The Housing Leadership Council, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, and Peninsula for Everyone joined forces for a FANTASTIC Affordable Housing and Bike Month kick-off! On Saturday, May 6, bicycle, public transit, and housing advocates gathered with community members, city staff, and leaders to celebrate these movements and their recent accomplishments and participate in a seven-mile affordable housing bike tour. With the support of South San Francisco, the Grand Avenue Library hosted event-goers on its scenic outdoor patio, where folks mingled while munching on donuts and sipping on coffee. We were also honored to receive a warm welcome from several partners from South San Francisco, including Mayor Flor Nicolas, Vice Mayor Mark Nagales, Council Member James Coleman, City Manager Sheron Ranals, and some city staffers. Read more about the event and the route we took to learn about affordable homes in North San Mateo County here! |
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| Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County
2905 S El Camino Real | San Mateo, California 94403
650-242-1764 | info@hlcsmc.org |
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