Speakers

Moderator- Francisco Dueñas

Housing Now!, Executive Director

Francisco Dueñas is the Executive Director for Housing Now!, a California statewide housing justice advocacy coalition, since Jan. 2020. Prior to joining Housing Now!, Francisco was the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Lambda Legal, a national LGBT Impact litigation organization. He has also served on the Los Angeles City Human Relations Commission. He is from South Gate, California, a Latino-majority city in southeast Los Angeles county.

Angelina Cornejo

EBHO, Senior Campaign Strategy Associate

Angelina Cornejo (she/her) is the Senior Campaign Strategy Associate at East Bay Housing Organizations. She was born in Mexico, immigrated to the United States at age 5, and grew up in Bakersfield. Angelina has lived in the Bay Area for 12 years and currently lives in Oakland. Angelina is passionate about campaigns as a vehicle for uplifting and activating underrepresented communities. Before joining EBHO, Angelina worked at a political strategy and strategic communications firm. Her favorite way to spend her free time is by relaxing outdoors, vibing to music, and riding her bike around town.

Jes Montesinos

San Francisco Foundation, Senior Director, Place Pathway

For over 25 years, Jes has worked in community development, partnering with organizations in the Bay Area and nationally to create equitable outcomes. This work ensures children and families have more opportunities and agency to lead fulfilling lives. Jes’s efforts span regional and national initiatives, driven by a commitment to addressing injustices. Born and raised by immigrant Latino parents in San Francisco’s Mission District, Jes’s passion for places, culture, and people is deeply rooted. Now raising three children in Oakland, Jes continues to instill values of social justice and racial equity. Jes holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in management and public policy, fueling a lifelong dedication to community development and the fight for justice and equity.

Monica Davalos

California Budget & Policy Center, Senior Policy Analyst

As the proud daughter of Nicaraguan and Mexican immigrants, a first-generation college graduate, and a Central Valley native, Monica is driven by her personal experiences to build a just and equitable California. At the CBPC she primarily conducts research on the intersection of homelessness, housing, and health. Her work uncovers the challenges Californians face to secure housing and emphasizes the need to center compassionate, evidence-based policies and budget choices to ensure all Californians have an affordable, stable, and dignified place to call home. Prior to joining the Budget Center in 2019, Monica was a legislative assistant at the California Medical Association and a constituent affairs representative in the Office of Governor Jerry Brown. She holds a master’s degree in public policy and administration from California State University, Sacramento, and bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science from the University of California, Davis. In her free time, you can find her on a walk, at a concert, or exploring new hobbies.

Paola Arellano-Rosales

Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, Organizer

Growing up in San Mateo County as the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, she experienced the struggles of being a renter firsthand, from subleasing to strangers to make rent to dealing with landlords and habitability issues that affected her family’s health and living conditions—challenges that many vulnerable communities know all too well. These experiences fuel her passion for fighting for housing justice, so families like hers can stay in their homes and communities. As part of the HLC team, she focuses on anti-displacement solutions for South San Francisco residents and advocates for fair policy changes. Noticing language barriers among Spanish-speaking attendees in South City, she’s now working on language justice initiatives, like an Interpreter Certificate Program, to ensure non-English speakers have equal access to housing decisions. She also plays a key role in a campaign for renter protections in San Mateo, through the gathering of community housing stories to help push for policies that tackle unfair evictions and rising rent costs.

Esmeralda Lopez, California State Director, Unidos US

Unidos US, California State Director

Esmeralda López is the California State Director at UnidosUS. In her role she leads, manages, and executes efforts to advance UnidosUS’s state policy agenda and works to maintain strong relationships with Affiliates and other key stakeholders. Before joining UnidosUS, Esmeralda spent nine years in D.C. serving as the Legal and Policy Director at Global Labor Justice – International Labor Rights Forum (GLJ-ILRF) and at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, where she led numerous coalitions, spoke before Congress, the United Nations and presented cases before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights. Prior to that in California, she spent three years working with the office of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, served on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, and worked at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. Esmeralda Lopéz earned her Juris Doctor at Santa Clara University School of Law and bachelor’s from California State University at Sacramento. She is a native Spanish speaker and daughter of Mexican immigrants.