San Mateo
City Council Candidates
District 2
Charles Hansen
Nicole Fernandez
District 4
Danielle Cwirko-Godycki
District 2
Charles Hansen
Q1: Are you a realtor, renter, landlord, home owner, and/or housing developer?
A: Renter
Q2: What is your position on new market-rate housing and why do you hold that position?
A: I support new market-rate housing as part of a balanced housing strategy. It can alleviate supply shortages, but it must be paired with affordable housing to ensure inclusivity. My focus is on developing diverse housing options that serve all income levels and prevent displacement
Q3: What policies do you support to increase production of housing at all levels of affordability?
A: I support streamlining approvals for affordable housing, inclusionary zoning, and incentivizing developers to include affordable units in market-rate projects. Public-private partnerships, state and federal subsidies, and rent control are key to boosting housing production while protecting tenants from displacement.
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: The list was blank, but I prioritize policies that increase affordable housing production, streamline approvals, and incentivize converting underutilized properties into housing. Inclusionary zoning, protecting existing affordable units, and aligning housing growth with infrastructure improvements are also critical for sustainable development.
Q5: If Measure T passes, what policies do you support to ensure the General Plan update facilitates more housing production?
A: If Measure T passes, I’ll support policies that increase density near transit, incentivize affordable units, and streamline approvals. The General Plan should prioritize sustainable, equitable development with density bonuses, clearer guidelines for developers, and infrastructure to support smart growth.
Q6: If elected, what policies, if any, would you support to strengthen just cause for eviction protections?
A: I support expanding cause eviction protections to cover more tenants and ensuring clear, enforceable standards. I’d also advocate for tenant education programs, legal assistance for tenants, and increased transparency in eviction processes to prevent unjust displacement.
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 will support stronger enforcement of tenant protections, ensure anonymous reporting channels for habitability violations, and advocate for legal protections that prevent landlord retaliation. Tenants must feel safe when reporting issues without fear of losing their homes.
Q8: What do you believe are meaningful solutions to addressing encampments while protecting the safety and dignity of our unhoused population?
A: I support a compassionate approach by expanding emergency shelters, transitional housing, and access to mental health services. Pairing these with long-term affordable housing solutions and outreach programs will address encampments while preserving dignity and safety.
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, I support increasing rental assistance funding and ensuring it is distributed efficiently. I’ll work to secure local, state, and federal funds, advocate for rent relief programs, and push for streamlined processes to ensure that renters in need receive timely help.
Q10: What is your position on Prop 5?
A: I support Prop 5, which allows local bonds for affordable housing and infrastructure to pass with 55% voter approval. This measure will help communities address housing shortages and critical infrastructure needs more efficiently while maintaining accountability and transparency.
Q11: What is your position on Prop 33?
A: I support Prop 33 because it restores local control over rent policies, allowing cities to expand rent control and address housing affordability. This flexibility protects tenants from rising rents and displacement while promoting stability. Empowering local governments ensures tailored solutions for unique housing challenges.
Q12: What are recent state laws related to housing, if any, that you support and why?
A: I support recent California housing laws like SB 9 and SB 10, which promote increased housing density and streamline development. These laws help address our housing crisis by encouraging the construction of affordable and diverse housing options while preserving community character.
Learn more about Charles at https://charlesforsanmateo.com/
Nicole Fernandez
Q1: Are you a realtor, renter, landlord, home owner, and/or housing developer?
A: Home owner
Q2: What is your position on new market-rate housing and why do you hold that position?
A: I am in favor of new market-rate housing. We need all housing, including low income, affordable, middle-income and market-rate, to pencil out when we ask developers to develop in our city. Affordable alone unfortunately does not make financial sense to many developers that are for-profit (the most common type of developer).
Q3: What policies do you support to increase production of housing at all levels of affordability?
A: I am for increased ministerial approvals of housing developments, increased accountability by cities to the state for meeting their RHNA numbers (including loss of local control & temporary loss of access to state funds for housing if out of compliance), and awarding cities who meet their housing requirements a distinction.
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 support: city owned line for affordable homes, streamlining the entitlement process, minimum densities, and missing middle housing.
Q5: If Measure T passes, what policies do you support to ensure the General Plan update facilitates more housing production?
A: Increased ministerial approvals, parking minimums, and city/private developer partnerships on city land.
Q6: If elected, what policies, if any, would you support to strengthen just cause for eviction protections?
A: As council members, I would be in a position to advocate for sufficient funds dedicated to enforcement and community education around Just Cause.
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 will always have an open door to residents, whether they live in my district or not, and would be willing to connect them to advocacy organizations like Tenants Together, Project Sentinel, and non-profit legal services.
Q8: What do you believe are meaningful solutions to addressing encampments while protecting the safety and dignity of our unhoused population?
A: The best way to help encampment residents is to build housing for them to live in, which is why I believe it best to build taller and denser in downtown and along the transit corridor in the hopes that we can replicate projects like the Vendome.
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 support protecting and increasing funding for rental assistance, and we can prioritize this during the budgeting process to ensure there is enough funds for this.
Q10: What is your position on Prop 5?
A: Support
Q11: What is your position on Prop 33?
A: Support
Q12: What are recent state laws related to housing, if any, that you support and why?
A: I am a big fan of SB 312 (Wiener), which exempts university housing developments from CEQA and AB 2243 (Wicks), on objective standards because they each streamline the process to plan and develop more needed housing.
Learn more about Nicole at https://fernandezforsanmateo.com/
District 4
Danielle Cwirko-Godycki
Q1: Are you a realtor, renter, landlord, home owner, and/or housing developer?
A: Renter
Q2: What is your position on new market-rate housing and why do you hold that position?
A: I feel that San Mateo needs a good amount of subside but mainly market rate housing as a city in order to move forward and make substantial positive change. However, our approach to development should be responsible and community-centered, with input, otherwise we risk incurring unnecessary backlash, or worse, reducing residents quality of life.
Q3: What policies do you support to increase production of housing at all levels of affordability?
A: We need more affordable housing, and a balance for developers where we incentivize projects to provide more below-market rate housing. I am open to exploring more height and density for our San Mateo projects, if that means we can add more below-market housing.
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: Updating measure Y and investing in lower-resourced areas (D4) strike me as a a straightforward path towards stabilizing our housing market.
Q5: If Measure T passes, what policies do you support to ensure the General Plan update facilitates more housing production?
A: I’m focusing the remainder of my campaign on driving up support for Measure T because it is a balanced approach to housing, that will bring much needed low- and middle income housing to San Mateo without harming the integrity of how our city is structured. Should Measure T pass, I’ll work with HLC to ensure that developments fulfill requirements.
Q6: If elected, what policies, if any, would you support to strengthen just cause for eviction protections?
A: Tenant protection is not a simple issue. I don’t believe 3 days notice to “take care of the problem” is enough time for tenants, so I support some amendments at the State level and very carefully design city ordinances to protect tenants from displacement.
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: Tenants should receive more information about their rights, and access to support channels. I believe in the power of the market, however, we need to keep that market fair – badly maintained housing harms everyone in the community. I hope to learn more about tenant mistreatment over time.
Q8: What do you believe are meaningful solutions to addressing encampments while protecting the safety and dignity of our unhoused population?
A: We need to invest in mental health and transitional 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: The City is in a tough spot financially, so assistance does not seem feasible at this time. Still we can do more to educate the public on resources available to them at the State and County level. A large portion of San Mateo’s Section 8 housing is in my district, so I’m willing to do more to support outreach and education efforts.
Q10: What is your position on Prop 5?
A: Having led Flood Free San Mateo & the City ballot measure, I know how important making smart investments in our infrastructure is. Prop 5 makes sense, although local municipalities should avoid racking up too much bond debt.
Q11: What is your position on Prop 33?
A: While I fear rent control can distort the housing market if not well designed, I believe that municipalities should have the option as to whether they wish to enact rent control policy.
Q12: What are recent state laws related to housing, if any, that you support and why?
A: I understand the use of mandates to tackle the urgency of our statewide housing shortage, but I prefer providing incentives and simplifying regulations where possible. I hope San Mateo will get some state benefits if Measure T passes.
Learn more about Danielle at https://danielleforsanmateo.com/