Affordable Housing Week is near! May 3-10 2019

Article Source: Housing leadership Council

Affordable Housing Week is near!

We’re officially less than a month away from Affordable Housing Week! Join us from May 2nd-10th for a fantastic lineup of events showcasing how SMC is addressing the housing shortage.

Announcing our HLC Housing Hall of Fame Awardee -- Alicia Carmen Aguirre
HLC is proud to present our Housing Hall of Fame award to Alicia Aguirre, current Councilmember and former (first Latina) mayor of the City of Redwood City! Alicia is also a professor at Cañada College, and is actively involved in her community. We are very excited to be joined by her at our policy mixer event on May 10th from 4-6pm at Main & Elm in Redwood City. Click here to register for our event and celebrate Alicia with us!

Event Spotlight -- Moving San Mateo County Forward
Join us for a conversation with Senator Scott Wiener, San Mateo County’s Board of Supervisor David Canepa, and our ED Evelyn Stivers to discuss what the More HOMES Act could mean for our region. The More HOMES Act (SB 50) would create affordable housing near jobs and transit and may be instrumental in creating environmentally friendly/socially equitable solutions. This event will take place on May 3rd, noon-1:15pm, at the Merced Room, 145 Lake Merced Blvd, Daly City. Click here to learn more and register!

Become a Sponsor
Want to be a sponsor for AHW and receive cool benefits? There is still time! Click on this link to learn more about our different sponsorship levels and benefits. We would love to work together with you to create and advocate for equitable housing. If you have any questions, please contact Nadine at nmakki@hlcsmc.org.

Calling Youth Writers and Artists
It’s not too late to submit a written or visual art piece for our contest! We are asking high school students to submit art pieces that express their personal opinion or experience with the San Francisco Bay Area housing crisis. Top 5 submissions will receive a cash prize at our awards event on April 29th at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park. Submissions should be emailed no later than April 10, 2019 to Angie at AEvans@hlcsmc.org. Click here for more details.

San Mateo Red Tag Ordinance
This week the San Mateo City Council held a study session on the Displaced Tenant Assistance or “Red Tag” Ordinance, which is intended to deter negligent landlord behavior and provide relocation assistance to tenants who are displaced due to living conditions that are a threat to their health and safety. To quote our organizer Alex: “You have heard loud and clear that people in the community value diversity and inclusion. We also pride ourselves in being a community that upholds high standards of decency, where everyone has a right to live in safe, sanitary and decent housing. Please help secure good public policies that uphold the City’s values of diversity, inclusion and decency.” The City Council supports the existing ordinance as-is. Read more here.

Public Land for Public Good
This Thursday HLC spoke before the members of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board of Directors about the importance of continuing to prioritize affordable homes near transit. Quoting HLC organizer Karen, “Finding ways to solve our housing crisis has become a focal point in our state legislature, and one thing has become clear: the land use decisions are in your hands, and you have the monetary and political backing to take action”. While the director ascribes the need for fiscally responsible development that will continue to generate revenue for the agency, there seems to be a misunderstanding that housing developers do not pay for land. This is simply not true. Because no policy is set in place, the agency is building market rate housing on public land that was paid by taxpayer money. It is not building affordable housing or commercial development. We need to think long-term about our land use decisions, and we are hopeful that the Board will continue to put this issue at the forefront of its discussions.

Gateway at Millbrae Station Update
After a very lengthy design review period that started back in February 2018, the Millbrae City Council, at their March 26th meeting partially approved the development’s design review permit. In a 3-2 vote, the council decided to approve some designs, the exceptions being the development’s hotel features, public arts, signs, bike amenities details, and the council desire for a water feature. While we were hoping for a full design review approval, the process for these much needed homes is ongoing. We thank the Millbrae City Council for moving these homes for families and veterans one more step forward. We eagerly anticipate the groundbreaking for what will be a landmark transit oriented development in the Bay Area, hopefully this year! For more information the development check out this link

Menlo Park Approves Affordable Homes
On March 26th, Menlo Park's City Council unanimously approved 140 affordable multi-generational homes for individuals, seniors, and families. Community members have been sharing their vision for this proposal since it was sited in the Housing Element almost 7 years ago! Thank you to everyone who helped make this a reality! We know it will change people's lives. Read more.

Upcoming Event -- April 16: East Palo Alto Inclusionary Housing
On April 16th the East Palo Alto City Council will hold a study session on its Inclusionary Housing Ordinance. Inclusionary housing is an effective tool for cities to ensure new housing developments are affordable to low-income households, helping mitigate displacement. The City Council will look at what levels of affordability can help address the community’s housing needs. The median household income in San Mateo County is over $100,000, while the median household income in East Palo Alto is about half that amount (see comparisons here). This means that East Palo Alto needs deeper levels of affordability to accommodate its current population. Join us at the City Hall on Tuesday, April 16th in supporting deep levels of affordability! Email Karen at kcamacho@hlcsmc.org to RSVP.

Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County
2905 S El Camino Real | San Mateo, California 94403

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Robert Riechel

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Source Credit: Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County CA

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