Housing Leadership Council’s (HLC) Policy Committee serves as an advisory body to our board for policy direction and strategy. The focus is to build consensus among the housing community and provide direction to HLC staff and board members. The committee consists of dues-paying members passionate about the need for affordable homes, with lived experience and/or expertise in varied aspects of housing in San Mateo Communities. We bring controversial and challenging policy issues before the committee to create a safe space to resolve disagreements internally and learn from each other.

The scope of the policies considered focuses on housing issues pertaining to San Mateo County, including state and federal issues when relevant to the Peninsula. HLC’s expertise and influence is strongest within the Peninsula; therefore, we concentrate our resources and staff time locally. In addition, HLC strives to avoid taking positions that are counter to our partners that work on the state and federal levels, including National Low Income Housing Coalition and Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California.

Policy Committee members are expected to:

1. Consider, analyze, and provide policy recommendations to HLC’s Board of Directors.
   
2. Attend as many meetings as possible, at least 4 monthly meetings per calendar year, and inform staff in advance whenever needing to miss a meeting
   
3. Come to the monthly meeting prepared, having reviewed all agenda packet materials
   
4. Time commitment: approximately 2 hours/month, with a month off in December.
   a. Monthly meeting on the 4th Friday of each month – 1 hour
   b. Agenda and Committee Packet review – 1 hour
   c. One annual check-in with HLC Policy Committee Staff Facilitator (Ken) – 30 min

Our policy committee presents a unique opportunity for members to make connections and consider perspectives from across the housing community. Staff present exclusive updates on policy issues from across the County, sometimes months before information has been publicized elsewhere.

Eligibility for committee

Policy committee members must be members of HLC or representing a member organization. HLC prioritizes those with experience related to housing in some form, including lived experience and connections to communities within the county. To build consensus among the housing community, we seek members with a broad range of experiences and avoid concentrations of any one background, profession, geography, or otherwise.

Process for selection

At all times, interested HLC members can express interest in joining HLC’s policy committee by filling out the application on our website. Requesting to join does not guarantee acceptance for the reasons described earlier in this document, but we appreciate all interest.

Once per year, HLC staff will review the policy committee membership list with the committee chairs and invite new members. This timeline is not the only period in which policy committee members can join or leave the committee, it is intended to ensure HLC staff and the policy committee chairs consistently review and consider the committee makeup.

• In April, HLC staff will discuss with policy committee members whose terms are up whether they want to continue participating. Next, HLC staff will evaluate vacancies and, in consultation with the policy committee chairs, identify potential new members to fill gaps in perspective. Policy committee members are encouraged to recommend new members, to be added at the discretion of the committee chairs and staff.

• In May, HLC staff will contact suggested members with invitations and identify replacements if shortfalls remain.

• In June, HLC’s policy committee welcomes new members for the start of 2-year terms.