Redwood City
City Council Candidates
District 1
Jeff Gee
District 4
Elmer Martinez Saballos
District 3
Isabella Chu
Lissette Espinoza Garnica
District 7
Diana Reddy
Marcella Padilla
District 1
HLC did not receive a responses from Jeff Gee. Learn more about Jeff Gee at http://www.jeffgee.org/
District 3
Isabella Chu
Q1: Are you a realtor, renter, landlord, home owner, and/or housing developer?
A: Homeowner
Q2: What is your position on new market-rate housing and why do you hold that position?
A: I’m for it. Almost all people will live in market rate housing and the thing that will give renters options, quality housing and affordable housing and power to negotiate is housing abundance and variety. Almost all home owners live in market rate houses and they also benefit from being able to adapt their property to meet their needs .
Q3: What policies do you support to increase production of affordable housing?
A: 1. Remove restrictions on improvements to single family homes. People should be able to adapt their home to meet the needs of their family or household.
2. Reduce required setbacks—especially front setbacks. They serve no purpose other than to waste land.
3. Eliminate parking minimums.
4. Policies that encourage automation of housing construction.
Q4: What policies in your housing element do you want to prioritize implementing? (You can see a list of HLC’s priority housing element policies for all cities HERE)
A: – Planned zoning amendment to increase maximum densities in mixed-use zoning districts.
– SB9 updates and modifications for R2 and R4 neighborhoods to bring them more in line with SB9.
– Plan to increase stock of missing middle housing.
Q5: As Redwood City pursues updates to its Downtown Precise Plan, what changes do you support to increase and expand the development of housing in Redwood City?
A: I’d like to see tendrils of the DTPP go down the arterials and then 2 blocks back into all other neighborhoods. For example, include Broadway all the way to 5th in Friendly Acres and include 3 blocks on either side of Broadway to allow a buffer between a wide, busy street and residential development. A DTPP shaped more like an amoeba than a square.
Q6: If elected, what policies, if any, would you support to strengthen just cause for eviction protections?
A: IMO, the state is doing a great job of balancing the need to protect tenants with the need not to make providing rental housing so onerous people won’t do it. It’s a tough balance to strike. So far, they’ve done well and I support most state measures.
Q7: Many tenants have reported harassment and fear retaliation by their landlords because of reporting habitability violations. If elected, how will you respond to this issue?
A: I’d work with SAMCAR. Like most professions, most landlords are decent, reasonable people and there are a few bad actors that need to be dealt with. As this is illegal activity, I assume that legal sanctions and fines would apply.
Q8: What do you believe are meaningful solutions to addressing encampments while protecting the safety and dignity of our unhoused population?
A: Housing first. One idea I’ve had for a while is repurposing some garages for homeless shelters. 1) add bathrooms, showers. 2) add pods so that each person can secure their belongings and themselves. 3) Add heat. I realize this isn’t housing but it’s something stable and safe people can stay in until they can get into supportive, permanent housing.
Q9: Do you support protecting and increasing funding for rental assistance? How will you ensure this funding is adequate to meet the needs of renters?
A: Yes provided it’s not more money chasing the same supply. If we don’t add housing, it will just bid the price up even further. But on the whole, I prefer to subsidize people rather than things.
Q10: What are your thoughts on Proposition 5?
A: I’m in support of it. It should not take a super majority to get affordable housing bonds.
Q11: What are your thoughts on Proposition 33?
A: Oppose. There is decades of evidence on rent control. It often has the opposite of the desired effect and increases housing costs and reduces availability. Moreover, it tends to accrue to people who don’t need it. Strongly against.
Q12: What are recent state laws related to housing, if any, that you support and why?
A: Senate Bill 1037: https://sd11.senate.ca.gov/press-releases
Learn more about Isabella at https://isabellachu.org/
Lissette Espinoza Garnica
Q1: Are you a realtor, renter, landlord, home owner, and/or housing developer?
A: Renter
Q2: What is your position on market-rate housing and why do you hold that position?
A: I am against the construction of 100% market-rate projects as they do not address the need for affordable housing. Relying solely on the private market will not result in truly affordable housing. We must take direct action to create and protect affordable housing and reduce our dependence on private developers.
Q3: What policies do you support to increase the production of affordable housing?
A: I support building community land trusts, investing in mixed-income social housing, deed-restricting existing affordable housing, increasing density in areas near transit, as well as important amenities such as grocery stores, parks, schools, and clinics. We should also explore taking anti-speculative measures such as blight and vacancy taxes.
Q4: What policies in your housing element do you want to prioritize implementing? (You can see a list of HLC’s priority housing element policies for all cities HERE)
A: I am most excited to implement our Anti-Displacement Strategy which includes tenant protections, preserving affordable housing, and exploring community land trusts. Also, I look forward to increasing density through various policies like rezoning in single-family neighborhoods and downtown and prioritizing Missing Middle development.
Q5: As Redwood City pursues updates to its Downtown Precise Plan, what changes do you support to increase and expand the development of housing in Redwood City?
A: I want to eliminate parking minimums, create more car-free streets, widen sidewalks, create new green spaces, and expand mixed-use zoning to make more walkable neighborhoods. All the while, new developments should not displace existing residents. I want to ensure Redwood City is affordable for all, regardless of income, ability, or background.
Q6: If elected, what policies, if any, would you support to strengthen just cause for eviction protections?
A: I support adopting a comprehensive just cause ordinance that includes protections from no-fault evictions from day 1, regulations for Ellis Act and owner move-in evictions, expanding relocation assistance, and greater specificity for “no-fault” and “at-fault” reasons for evictions.
Q7: Many tenants have reported harassment and fear retaliation by their landlords because of reporting habitability violations. If elected, how will you respond to this issue?
A: I fought to include a study on anti-harassment protections beyond state provisions in our work plan. A local ordinance, at minimum, should protect against threats, failure to perform repairs, removal of possessions without consent, and interference with a tenant’s right to organize, as well as include penalties for violators.
Q8: What do you believe are meaningful solutions to addressing encampments while protecting the safety and dignity of our unhoused population?
A: Firstly, I believe that implementing housing policies such as rent control, vacancy taxes, and housing first approaches can help prevent displacement and homelessness. Additionally, I oppose encampment sweeps because without enough permanent affordable housing options, we only shuffle around homeless residents who have nowhere else to go.
Q9: Do you support protecting and increasing funding for rental assistance? How will you ensure this funding is adequate to meet the needs of renters?
A: I strongly support protecting and increasing funding for rental assistance whenever possible. One way we have seen success is through San Francisco’s Proposition M which created a vacancy tax to fund these programs. Ultimately, rent control and social housing policies would make rental assistance less necessary and reduce our high cost of living.
Q10: What is your position on Prop 5?
A: Support. Prop 5 would expand our ability to build the affordable housing and critical infrastructure our people want to see.
Q11: What is your position on Prop 33?
A: Support. It is time to undo the pro-corporate policy of Costa-Hawkins that has allowed the cost of living to skyrocket. A majority of residents are struggling to make ends meet while developers continue to profit. It’s critical to change this dynamic to make housing in California truly affordable.
Q12: What are recent state laws related to housing, if any, that you support and why?
A: I support SB 9, which has been separately adopted into our own city’s law, allowing for Missing Middle developments, like duplexes, quads, and other subdivisions. I also support AB 2881, which would establish the California Housing Authority for mixed-income social housing.
Learn more about Lissette at https://www.lissetteforrwc.com/
District 4
Elmer Martinez Saballos
Q1: Are you a realtor, renter, landlord, home owner, and/or housing developer?
A: Renter
Q2: What is your position on market-rate housing and why do you hold that position?
A: Market-rate housing has to be part of the solution to address our affordability crisis. Our commitment to housing for all must include diverse options to meet our community’s need. These units can attract/retain workers and decrease competition among renters–reducing the chance low-income families are pushed out of the only units they can afford.
Q3: What policies do you support to increase the production of affordable housing?
A: Redwood City is leader in producing affordable housing and with economic conditions changing the pace of housing production, we should explore ideas to help produce housing, such as streamlining/expediting the approval process (especially for our Gatekeeper projects), provide financial or building incentives, and exploring community land trusts.
Q4: What policies in your housing element do you want to prioritize implementing? (You can see a list of HLC’s priority housing element policies for all cities HERE)
A: I’d like to prioritize removing further constraints to encourage the development of Sequoia Station and our Downtown, especially following the electrification of Caltrain. And while we’ve made great strides building market-rate housing, we need to incentivize Missing Middle housing projects that may pencil out in the current economic climate.
Q5: As Redwood City pursues updates to its Downtown Precise Plan, what changes do you support to increase and expand the development of housing in Redwood City?
A: As a planning commissioner, I advocated for removing the maximum residential development limit as well as parking minimums in the Downtown Precise Plan. Finding similar policies that reduce the costs of projects, and encourage housing opportunities will be critical to incentivize more development while the city navigates its own budget issues.
Q6: If elected, what policies, if any, would you support to strengthen just cause for eviction protections?
A: We’re currently contracting Project Sentinel to provide tenants & landlords with resources/education about their rights under current laws: strengthening the impact of these policies. We need to continue this and study policies like “right to cure”, anti-harassment measures and stronger penalties for landlord violations.
Q7: Many tenants have reported harassment and fear retaliation by their landlords because of reporting habitability violations. If elected, how will you respond to this issue?
A: When developing Anti-Displacement Strategy, tenants reporting harassment engaged the process but were dismissed for a lack of data. We should build on our partnership with Project Sentinel, clarify current law & create a reporting portal so residents are confident sharing their real-time experiences, and create policies around the violations seen.
Q8: What do you believe are meaningful solutions to addressing encampments while protecting the safety and dignity of our unhoused population?
A: Redwood City’s outreach workers are a big reason for our success in addressing encampment and connecting our unhoused neighbors to housing and services. We need to continue investing in our outreach team, ensure we have the appropriate resources needed (casework/accute needs) and are able to address the real or perceived obstacles unhoused people
Q9: Do you support protecting and increasing funding for rental assistance? How will you ensure this funding is adequate to meet the needs of renters?
A: Yes, although Redwood City is facing a multi-year budget deficit, maintaining this fund will be a personal priority of mine. I’ll continue advocating for its funding during budget discussions, and will partner with our regional legislators for additional grant opportunities to expand its impact.
Q10: What is your position on Prop 5?
A: I’m strongly in favor of Proposition 5–too much critical funding for housing, education and infrastructure has been delayed by the current threshold.
Q11: What is your position on Prop 33?
A: I’m supportive of Prop. 33. The State’s intervention during Covid was critical, and more work can be done to right-size similar protections for the diverse rental markets in CA. However, a coordinated and uniform county-wide approach will minimize costs to local cities, and ensure both renters and landlords understand changes to local policy.
Q12: What are recent state laws related to housing, if any, that you support and why?
A: I was supportive of SB684 designed to create homeownership opportunities by making it faster/easier to build smaller, naturally-affordable starter homes in multifamily neighborhoods. As our city continues to do its part, I also appreciated the passage of AB1633 ending inappropriate abuses of CEQA by jurisdictions attempting to block new housing.
Learn more about Elmer at https://www.elmerforrwc.com/
District 7
Diana Reddy
Q1: Are you a realtor, renter, landlord, home owner, and/or housing developer?
A: Homeowner
Q2: What is your position on market-rate housing and why do you hold that position?
A: Housing should be planned and built with the income levels of all residents in mind. Every city has a difficult time building the housing needed for Very Low and Extremely low incomes. Ensuring that housing is built for all income levels requires thoughtful and deliberate planning.
Q3: What policies do you support to increase the production of affordable housing?
A: I support Inclusionary Zoning, requirements of housing developers to add affordable housing as a required community benefits, assisting homeowners with their ADUs if there is an agreement to rent said ADU for an affordable rate, requiring commercial developers to build adequate housing to mitigate the number of employees that will be added.
Q4: What policies in your housing element do you want to prioritize implementing? (You can see a list of HLC’s priority housing element policies for all cities HERE)
A: Redwood City needs to put its anti-displacement policies back on the front burner, and I personally look for added protections for the mobile home parks, similar to county protections.
Q5: As Redwood City pursues updates to its Downtown Precise Plan, what changes do you support to increase and expand the development of housing in Redwood City?
A: Housing for Extremely Low Income residents needs to be recognized as the necessary tool it is for addressing homelessness.
Q6: If elected, what policies, if any, would you support to strengthen just cause for eviction protections?
A: We need to draft strong policies for anti-harassment, for residents displaced for landlord renovation – ensuring there is a renovation or family move in, or whatever, for tenants being able to withhold rent if damaged appliances are not repaired, and rent stabilization.
Q7: Many tenants have reported harassment and fear retaliation by their landlords because of reporting habitability violations. If elected, how will you respond to this issue?
A: As stated above, tenants need to be assured that can report habitability issues without harassment and need to be able to withhold rent if issues are not addressed.
Q8: What do you believe are meaningful solutions to addressing encampments while protecting the safety and dignity of our unhoused population?
A: I am a huge supporter of the City’s mental health clinician, who visits encampments weekly and has developed relationships with many who are resistant to “come in.” Our clinicians and police officers treat the unhoused with much respect, which I appreciate. We can only get them to come in if relationships can be forged.
Q9: Do you support protecting and increasing funding for rental assistance? How will you ensure this funding is adequate to meet the needs of renters?
A: I do. Though there were some abuse issues reported during the Pandemic, the vast majority of families, many of whom were our essential workers, were protected from displacement. Funding may need to come from a public and private funds as city budgets become tighter.
Q10: What is your position on Prop 5?
A: Vote Yes on Prop 5. I am distributing Prop 5 flyers with my own city council candidate walking pieces.
Q11: What is your position on Prop 33?
A: Prop 33 is long overdue. Costa Hawkins has prevented cities from building the necessary affordable housing for too long.
Q12: What are recent state laws related to housing, if any, that you support and why?
A: Housing is in crisis because of the questionable land use decisions that have been made for decades. Generally speaking, I support all housing measures that attempt to correct the status quo.
Learn more about Diana at https://www.reddy4rwc.com/
Marcella Padilla
HLC did not receive a responses from Marcella Padilla. Learn more about Marcella at https://www.marcellapadilla.com/