My husband Marcelo and I stretched to buy our home. Today, that just isn’t possible for too many working families like ours. And the way things are headed, it probably won’t be possible for our kids, either. For far too long, City Hall insiders and special interests have stood in the way of making housing more affordable. I’ll stand up to them so we can build a more affordable San José. 

I know we can solve our affordability crisis without changing the character of our neighborhoods, and I have a plan to get it done: 

• Homes Near Jobs and Transit

  • We can build new housing without demolishing our single-family neighborhoods, like the one I live in. I’ll push to build housing near jobs and transit, so San José can continue to attract the best and brightest young professionals and companies that want to hire them.

• New Housing At Every Affordability Level 

  • All our teachers, first responders, and neighbors deserve an affordable place to call home. I’ll push for more affordable housing where it makes sense, as well as housing for those with complex needs like disabilities or mental health issues.

• Build Backyard Cottages

  • Backyard cottages, or accessory dwelling units (ADUs), are an affordable way to address our housing shortage. They provide a path for homeowners to earn extra income or a place for an aging parent or recent graduate to live.  I’ll make it easier for you to build ADUs on your property. And I’ll push for Mayor Mahan’s plan to have the state help build these cottages at no upfront cost to you. 

• Cut Through Red Tape  

  • Too often, City Hall gets in the way of what we need to thrive. Permitting delays, unclear rules, and a decades-old bureaucracy make affordable housing harder to build and more expensive. I will work to streamline development and reduce unnecessary regulation so we can build homes faster and cheaper.