HOUSING
The shortage of affordable housing in California is a crisis, and is particularly acute in San Luis Obispo County. While many families, Cal Poly and Cuesta graduates, those who grow up here, and other individuals would love to live on the Central Coast, the cost of housing is often out of reach, given the supply and salary of local jobs. Folks have to get very creative to live here, often making sacrifices such as living with multiple roommates or older family members, or in sub-standard conditions.
The State of California has attempted to address the affordable housing issue by enacting laws that encourage local governments to allow and encourage the building of more housing for all income levels. Each county and city is required under the “Regional Housing Needs Allocation” (RHNA) to update local plans to accommodate new housing.
The state provides the SLO Council of Governments (SLOCOG) with a regional required number of new housing units, and then SLOCOG distributes those unit requirements to the county’s seven cities and to the county itself. Between the years 2029-2036, these eight jurisdictions are required to update their plans (aka “Housing Elements”) to accommodate over 14,500 new housing units. Failure to do so results in severe penalties.
Thus, SLO County and its cities must act to follow state housing requirements. In recent years, we’ve seen real progress in reaching RHNA requirements, particularly in SLO City and Grover Beach. However, the jurisdictions have had a much easier time building homes for higher income people, rather than for those in medium- and lower-income brackets. As a result, a significant portion of new home buyers in SLO County are not local working people or families, but rather outsiders who move in after selling their often more-expensive homes elsewhere.
As your Supervisor, I would support housing projects that serve our local residents first. I would also support projects that are within and adjacent to existing neighborhoods, roads, services, and shopping. By that I mean projects like those for young people, families, seniors, and others where adequate infrastructure already exists and where the impact to natural resources is minimized.
What I won’t support are projects that are within greenbelts, and those that unwisely strain fire and police resources, wreak havoc on wildlife and open space, cause undue traffic, and/or have insufficient or unsustainable water resources. Also, I will listen to the local community – a lot of residents are speaking up about their concerns with new housing projects. Those concerns should be heard and reflected in county decisionmaking.
In short, we are legally bound to – and should – meet the state’s requirements for new housing, including affordable housing for lower income people. Where these new housing units go, however, is critical.
HOMELESSNESS
One of the most challenging issues for San Luis Obispo County and beyond is homelessness. With an estimated 1,100 homeless people living here, this is devasting for the people directly affected and their families. And it’s problematic, too, for residents, local government, businesses, schools, healthcare providers, and the impacted environment – especially when people are living in local creek beds.
Fortunately, we’ve seen some reduction in homelessness in San Luis Obispo County. According to recent data, homelessness is down some 22% since 2022. This is the result of effective homeless prevention and support programs throughout the County, including Cabins for Change in Grover Beach, the Welcome Home Village and 40 Prado in San Luis Obispo, ECHO Homeless Services in North County, and multiple lower-income housing projects throughout the County sponsored by cities as well as the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo.
As the Vice Chair and more than four-year member of the Board of ECHO, I have witnessed firsthand the success of wrap-around programs (e.g., those that address the multiple issues faced by homeless individuals) that support people making the transition from homelessness to supportive housing. These programs work – but they take support, time, and money.
As your Supervisor, I will advocate to support existing homeless services programs, which have proven to be effective in getting people and families off the streets and into permanent housing. I will use my experience with state government to help secure new funding and also to assist with private fundraising efforts so that proven programs can grow, continue to be fully staffed, and otherwise able to support those most in need.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAMS & HUMAN RIGHTS
In spite of the beauty, San Luis Obispo County can be a challenging place for people to thrive – especially vulnerable people. Some struggle with addiction and mental illness. Many fear that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will harass, detain and/or attack immigrant community members and their families. In addition to all that, many of us struggling to find high quality and affordable health care. Seniors, people with disabilities, non-English speakers, young people in the foster care system, and others with special needs struggle to work through bureaucratic systems to get the help they need. Working parents face difficulties in finding high-quality childcare. And some members of the LBGTQ+ community may feel invisible and isolated, and even intimidated when they are seen.
I saw all of these circumstances, and more, as District Director for Senator Laird, as a board member for ECHO Homeless Organization, as an advisory board member of CAPSLO’s Child Care Resource Connection, and as a SLO County Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth.
In these capacities, I frequently heard from and worked with these vulnerable members of the community. In many cases, the help they needed was available – through existing federal, state, and local programs or through non-profit organizations. In these cases, I was able to connect people to the resources they needed.
In other cases, the resources they needed were not available or out of reach from a cost-perspective.
As your Supervisor, I will consistently advocate for funding and programs that are specifically targeted to help the people who are the most vulnerable. I want to make that these residents are connected to available resources and that scarce budgetary dollars are efficiently spent to help those most in need, for the largest benefit to all. It’s a matter of human rights.
OPEN SPACE, PUBLIC ACCESS & COASTAL PROTECTION
As a native Californian, a long-time resident of San Luis Obispo County, and lifetime lover of the natural world, I bring to the Supervisor job a passion for and direct experience in the protection of lands, waters, and open spaces for people and wildlife. I’ve studied and worked in the areas of environmental law and land use as a law student and attorney, and served as Project Director for The Nature Conservancy and the American Land Conservancy. I also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County.
In these capacities, I was directly involved in the conservation of over 100,000 acres in San Luis Obispo County. This work includes conservation of and public access to areas including Hearst Ranch, the Carrizo Plain, the Irish Hills, along the North Coast, and in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes.
I’ve also been directly involved in coastal protection efforts. I was a long-time supporter for the establishment of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, and currently serve as the Vice-Chair and San Luis Obispo County Public-At-Large Representative on its Sanctuary Advisory Council.
Protecting our lands and waters, however, has never been more challenging. In spite of significant conservation successes in the county and state, we still face a constant assault on our coastal natural resources by the Trump Administration, which has targeted our coastal waters for oil and gas exploration and drilling, as well as over 122,000 acres of onshore land.
Trump’s administration is also trying to undermine the Coastal Act and the federal Coastal Zone Management Act by stripping away the state’s authority to prevent or even manage federal projects that would undermine the environmental resources, economic vitality, and splendor of the coast. Even locally, we’ve had to fight hard against incumbent elected officials for the protection of and public access to the 12,000-acre Diablo Canyon Lands adjacent to Avila Beach.
As your county Supervisor, I will fight to protect our precious coastal resources and special lands and open spaces that make San Luis Obispo County such a uniquely beautiful and healthy place. I’ll use my experience with state government to help secure funding for local conservation projects (like the San Luis Obispo Greenbelt and the Diablo Canyon Lands) and key bike/hike corridors, such as the completion of the Bob Jones Trail from San Luis Obispo to the Harford Pier at Port San Luis.
While development is essential for our economy, housing availability, and tourism, the key is balancing these needs while also ensuring the sustained vitality of our natural world, including the quality of our water and air.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
San Luis Obispo County boasts a relatively strong economy, with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP, the value of all goods and services produced in the county) at about $25 billion annually. Some 130,000 people are employed here, in sectors such as agriculture, energy, Cal Poly/Cuesta College and other educational institutions, government, healthcare, construction, tourism, and so on.
The continued growth of these local economic drivers is critical to ensure our quality and standard of living.
As a former financial planner in San Luis Obispo for some 20 years, I know it can be tough for many people to live here – especially given the high cost of housing, including owning or renting a home. Healthcare costs have also risen, as well as what feels like constant increases in the cost of our utility bills, gas and food.
As Supervisor, I will support the continued growth of our County’s economy to ensure our vibrant future. In particular, I see opportunities in and will nurture and advocate for the growth of certain sectors, such as:
- Tourism and Recreation – SLO County has the advantage of being a world-class destination given its coastal location and natural beauty. We have an extraordinary system of trails, beaches, open space, harbors, and more. I will advocate for the addition of new open space lands and recreational opportunities, balanced with their sustainable management so that these great features can also be enjoyed by future generations of residents and visitors.
- Year-Round Destination – We are a popular weekend and summer destination. I would advocate for tourism and marketing strategies that encourage visitation during slower times, such as those revolving around wine, food, arts, sports, outdoor recreation, and business travel, to name a few.
- Agriculture – Agriculture is a key sector in San Luis Obispo County’s economy, generating some $3.4 billion in economic activity and almost 20,000 jobs. To support agriculture, I will advocate for reliable, sustainable water sources and federal/state funding to reduce the costs for farmers. I will also support keeping productive farmland in production and enabling compatible farmworker housing projects.
- Cal Poly and Business Incubator Programs – As a proud Mustang, I would advocate and support efforts by Cal Poly and its incubator programs to help develop financially stable and high-growth business enterprises. This not only supports our economic future; it also keeps Cal Poly graduates and their families, energy, and vitality local;
- Housing and Infrastructure Connection – Economic growth requires a housing market that is available for working people. I’d advocate for workforce housing, as well as improved regional transit and other transportation and municipal infrastructure to support long-term, sustainable economic growth.
- Energy – As discussed in my Energy section, local renewable energy projects provide now – and have the potential for more – head-of-household jobs that build the foundation for a stable and vibrant economy. I’d support the right mix of new energy projects that are beneficial for both our communities and environment.
ENERGY & CLIMATE
San Luis Obispo County has become a statewide hub of energy production, including large-scale solar farms in the Carrizo Plain, battery storage facilities in the South County, and the Diablo Canyon Power Plant near Avila Beach. These projects have brought us local jobs and revenues, and have supported the state’s transition away from fossil-fuel based energy production that accelerates climate change – the globe’s existential crisis.
As an original and continuing member of the Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel, I’ve learned a lot about Diablo Canyon during these past six years. I recognize and appreciate the jobs the plant has supported – including over 1,300 permanent, year-round employees plus some 1,100 addition workers PG&E brings in during planned refueling outages (which occur every 18 months or so for each reactor). Historically, too, SLO County and its seven cities, our schools and other entities have benefitted from annual unitary tax revenues (as required by law) related to Diablo Canyon assets – although that revenue has decreased significantly since the utility started rapidly depreciating the value of those assets in 2018.
At the same time, I have some concerns about Diablo Canyon Power Plant. It’s troubling – during these times of rising sea waters – that there is still no permanent solution for the storage of highly radioactive, spent nuclear fuel waste, which is generated and stored on site. There are also concerns and unanswered questions about earthquake faults that lie beneath and adjacent to the plant. Finally, the impacts to marine life from the intake (and to a lesser extent, discharge) of some 2.5 billion gallons of seawater daily are well documented.
In light of the above factors, there is great debate about whether Diablo Canyon Power Plant operations should be extended beyond 2030. At the end of the day, however, this question will be decided by the State of California – not SLO County or other local governments. However, we can – and I will – chime in on what the community needs relating to impacts associated with any remaining operational years. Among other things, I will strenuously advocate for adequate unitary tax or other revenues for the benefit of the County, cities, and schools, just as PG&E had provided up until recent years, as it had promised to do at the very beginning of plant operations.
I will also advocate to ensure:
- that unanswered seismic and reactor safety questions are addressed and adequately answered, and that local workers and jobs are protected,
- that all of the surrounding Diablo Canyon Lands are conserved and made available for public access,
- that the County receives adequate funding for emergency response, and
- that we have firm assurances that all spent nuclear fuel be stored (within a few years after the plant closes) in dry cask storage, as opposed to the more risk-prone pool-based storage system. Pool storage is being used as and is acceptable for the temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel, but it is not a good long-term solution.
As for other energy proposals, they should be scrutinized carefully, on a case-by-base basis. The energy projects that I would support as Supervisor are only those that satisfy the following:
- Employ local people for the long-term – not outsiders who take the money and run;
- Are consistent with the health and safety of neighboring communities;
- Are renewable/green, and reduce our state’s dependence on fossil-fuel-based energy sources;
- Are consistent with the protection of the environment;
- Provide local benefits in addition to jobs – including revenues for schools and cities;
- Are affordable for local consumers; and
- Include long-term plans and funding for decommissioning when the facilities are eventually shut down.
