Affordable Housing
Livable Wages
Modern Transportation Network
Dignity for All

We deserve housing that’s affordable

Santa Cruz County is in a housing crisis. Residents across the county, and across income levels, are affected by skyrocketing costs of living. Everyone needs help. We need creative solutions and smart growth that adds housing stock without changing our small town charm.

At the county level, our permitting and development process is slow and confusing. We need a streamline permitting process, and an expedited fast-lane for accessory dwelling units with decreased fees. We need to pool resources and bring agencies together across the county along with partners with state and federal agencies to build workforce housing to make sure our workers are able to live where they work. We can lower parking restrictions per unit by building housing near transit and encourage walking and biking. I support mixed-used zoning that adds housing that is affordable within walking distance of employment and services.

We deserve a sustainable economy and livable wages

Our economy took a hit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our locally owned businesses suffered the most. We need to rebuild a sustainable economy, create job opportunities that pay livable wages and attract jobs that benefit the current residents living in the Watsonville area. We can partner with state programs to create Opportunity Zones in Watsonville that make it easier for our small business owners to stay open and succeed. We need to develop pipelines to trade jobs and apprenticeships for our young people by supporting partnerships with k12 and Cabrillo College to build multiple paths toward a stable income. As we work with private and public sector partners to attract jobs to the Pajaro Valley, I want to make sure those jobs benefit our existing residents and protect our community members from being pushed out and priced out. We can attract good paying jobs and have thriving job training programs all while preserving the rich culture and close community of the Pajaro Valley.

We deserve a modern transportation network

South County residents suffer the impacts of our outdated transportation system the most, it’s time to build a new multimodal transportation network. We need to build the bus on shoulder lane for metro, finish building the trail, and protect our taxpayer owned rail line from outside wealthy special interests and bring quiet, clean electric light-rail transportation to Santa Cruz County.

But that’s not enough. Our roads are in great need of repair, and here lies an opportunity. As Supervisor I will work with colleagues to develop a road repair policy that is similar to Caltrans—anytime we break ground to update or repair a road, we add safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure. I will move fast to work with state and federal partners to bring federal funding from the recent infrastructure bill to the Pajaro Valley and Santa Cruz County. This funding prioritizes sustainable multi-modal transportation projects, which is why I believe it is so important to continue to push forward projects for every form of transportation infrastructure: metro, electric, rail, bike, and walking. And yes, we need to fix the potholes.

We all deserve dignity & respect

Our unhoused neighbors and community members deserve to be treated with dignity. We need action at the county level to bring in state funding from projects like Homekey, support ambitious countywide initiatives like Housing Matters, pool agency resources and create effective partnerships with local non-profits like Families in Transition to slow the rate in which people become homeless.

Because there are multiple causes of homelessness, we need multiple effective responses that also include mental health services, addiction treatment, and job training. I am proposing a special multi-agency task force bringing partners from the county health department, public works, and sheriff’s office to match an individual’s needs with available services, as well as ensuring we deploy cleanup and sanitation teams to camp locations once we successfully move an individual from the streets into applicable services. This task force would be the first of its kind and the kind of innovative leadership we need to tackle this complex challenge.

Solutions exist!

The hard working families of the Pajaro Valley deserve a leader who builds bridges and positive relationships with community leaders, because this is how we find common ground and deliver solutions. The challenges we face are significant. We need a collaborative leader who will show up to do the hard work, stay focused on problem solving, and won’t shy away from taking bold action. I’m asking for your support so that I can work on your behalf.