San Mateo County

In his tenure as Governor, Gavin Newsom has signed a beautiful flurry of pro-housing bills. Most recently, he signed AB 2907, which eliminated parking mandates on sites near transit. Not to mention SB 9 and 10, which repealed single-family zoning throughout the state. We are proud to endorse him, and look forward to four more years of his leadership.

Rob Bonta has brought an unprecedented passion for enforcing state housing law to the Attorney General’s office. His leadership of the Housing Accountability Unit and his dedication to protecting pro-housing legislation from NIMBY nonsense has earned him the title Housing Champion.

Marc Berman is a proud, full-throated supporter of landmark housing legislation to end exclusionary zoning. With roots in Palo Alto, Assemblymember Berman understands that it is not sustainable for communities to keep saying ‘no’ to new housing as the housing crisis continues. Assemblymember Berman believes in supporting cities to build the homes their communities so desperately need.

Assemblymember Berman has supported and co-authored bills that generate new funding for affordable housing, that streamline the approval process of certain urban infill projects, and that set baseline standards for zoning. With his in-depth technical expertise and legislative skill, Assemblymember Berman is helping the state make huge strides in ending the housing crisis.

Noelia has a long history of activism for tenants’ rights, and has experienced first-hand the benefits that new, dense, mixed-income housing brings to Peninsula communities. Having seen families pushed out of the area by the housing crisis, she knows there is a dire need to build more, and in her professional role as a social worker, she sees the many ways people in our community are falling through the cracks. Noelia is building bridges with people who have been anti-growth and working to bring them into the YIMBY community, and is also a strong advocate for Seamless Transit in the Bay Area.

A San Carlos Councilmember and small business owner, Laura Parmer-Lohan prioritizes addressing the devastating effects of drought; expanding water capacity by using more recycled water; preventing wildfires; and protecting our reproductive freedoms, including access to abortions and contraceptives. She is endorsed by CAL FIRE, local firefighters and Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte among many others. Councilmember Parmer-Lohan shows courage & contrast to her opponent in her Supervisor run, coming out vehemently against Menlo Park’s Measure V, a ballot measure which would significantly restrict housing in Menlo Park.

Over the past 25 years, Gina has led efforts to serve the community and improve the life experience of people in Belmont. She is a mom and small business owner. Gina is well versed in the Belmont’s housing element, encouraging the removal of development constraints. As a Planning Commissioner, she brings deep knowledge of the city’s specific plans and the methodology of Belmont’s housing needs to make Belmont a more inclusive, diverse and affordable place to live.

Ray Buenaventura is a housing champion who has shepherded several housing projects to construction in his time on the Daly City City Council. He is a solid vote, despite fierce opposition at times. We look forward to his re-election.

Rod Daus-Magbaul’s experience as an ethnic studies teacher informs his politics and his pro-housing stance. His housing philosophy is deeply rooted in anti-racism and equity. He has shown incredible leadership with his support of the JUHSD teacher housing and the market-rate housing proposed alongside it. Daly City would be well-served by Dr. Daus-Magbaul for the next four years.

Manufou Liaiga-Anoa’i is a celebrated Samoan activist, revolutionary leader and visionary whose representation as a courageous advocate and public elected has opened doors not just for her Pacific Islander people, but for many marginalized communities. She was part of the first San Mateo County elementary school district to kick off a workforce housing development. In addition to her housing advocacy, she has also worked as a project manager for several housing developments.

Ruben Abrica has extensive experience in East Palo Alto—he was involved in the movement to form a city government and served on the first East Palo Alto City Council in the 1980’s. Now, he’s well-positioned to take on the challenges that East Palo Alto faces as a community of color surrounded by affluence. He is a housing champion and a tenant’s rights advocate. We couldn’t be more excited to support four more years with Ruben Abrica on Council.

We’re thrilled to endorse Evan Adams, an active member of Peninsula for Everyone since our inception. Evan’s vision is a sustainable future for Foster City’s next 50 years—a bright future including smart growth, conserving and improving Foster City’s parks and open spaces with inclusive and diverse neighborhoods connected with seamless transit.  Evan’s ethical compass shows a moral duty to act as a leader on our housing and climate crises.

Mayor Betsey Nash has been a critical vote on housing in Menlo Park. She has helped shift the housing discussion to one of equity, fairness and inclusion. Mayor Nash has a clear record of supporting transportation and pro-housing actions in Menlo Park. Mayor Betsy Nash deserves to be re-elected for her efforts to make Menlo Park a quality, affordable place to live and work.

Robby Bancroft won our YIMBY hearts when he worked to build community support for Pacifica’s safe parking program. The coastal town has been inundated with vehicle-dwellers, and Bancroft has been a compassionate and pragmatic supporter of all those who need homes. He was clear from the beginning that the goal is housing, and we need to make it accessible for everyone.

Planning Commissioner Chris Sturken is a tireless housing advocate, having devoted his entire career to increasing housing and affordable housing. He works for HIP Housing, a local nonprofit affordable housing organization that manages affordable homes throughout the Peninsula and facilitates an innovative home sharing program. On the council, he’ll expand these types of programs to improve housing affordability, as well as carry on the pro-housing legacy of Redwood City.

Planning Commissioner Auros Harman brings expertise in engineering and management to his efforts in advocating for smart housing policy. He is committed to balancing job growth with housing, to prevent displacement, and ensure that people of all ages and classes can live and work together in San Bruno. As a long standing member of YIMBY Action, we are extremely excited to support one of our own as San Bruno plans to meet its current and future housing needs.

As a member of the San Carlos’s Economic Advisory Committee (EDAC), Pranita Venkatesh has been deeply involved in the planning and implementation of the city’s most pressing needs and priorities, including housing, transportation, support for small businesses, and the city’s climate action plan. She will hit the ground running on city council to ensure that workers and families of all income levels can live in San Carlos near transit and shopping.

As a City Councilmember and Mayor, Sara McDowell has overseen the approval and building of an affordable housing development downtown with another affordable development currently in the planning stages. Mayor McDowell will continue to work to find real solutions to affordable housing and take a strong stance on development projects to ensure they include meaningful community benefits that positively impact San Carlos.

Adam Loraine is a long-time San Mateo resident and leader. A former member of the General Plan Subcommittee and currently serving on the city’s Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission, Adam has worked to make San Mateo a more sustainable place to live by supporting transportation infrastructure, transit-oriented homes, and decarbonization policies. On city council, he will work to meaningfully address our housing shortage, fight climate change, and improve traffic safety.

Sarah Fields is a housing warrior who has fought in the heart of suburbia to promote more dense, transit-oriented homes. As a millennial renter, she has lived experience with the day-to-day reality of low housing supply. And as a professional who helps provide interim supportive housing for the community, Sarah illustrates her dedication to addressing the housing shortage with a multi-pronged approach. She will consistently represent us well as part of the San Mateo City Council.

Eddie Flores is a strong pro-housing incumbent who has voted to support additional homes in South San Francisco. Councilmember Flores has been a key vote for some of South San Francisco’s most important housing decisions, including Measure AA (Article 34 social housing), supporting tenant protections, form based codes in the City’s General Plan, dedicated bike lanes and so much more. Councilmember Flores is a renter, has a deep base of knowledge in housing, and deserves your support.

This initiative would require any up-zoning of single-family zoning to be approved by voters. Putting zoning control in the hands of voters would be catastrophic for housing of all kinds and would likely be challenged by the state attorney.

Measure L helps fund programs for affordable housing, providing tenant rental support, and protecting local residents from displacement and homelessness.

San Mateo Measure CC will allow the City of San Mateo to apply property taxes on the sale of property more than $10 million dollars. San Mateo addresses unmet needs for the City of San Mateo. Funding is still needed for library enhancements, sustainability initiatives, repaving streets, and service enhancements to address homelessness.

This measure allows the city to purchase and develop property for the purpose of publicly-owned social housing without requiring voter approval, providing independence from CA Article 34. Article 34 of the state Constitution prohibits the development of a low-income affordable housing project with state or local public financing unless a majority of the voters of the jurisdiction has approved it. Established in 1950, Article 34 has been a tool to legally segregate cities and make public housing highly infeasible in California. We support any effort to abolish it.