Priorities

I’ve participated in Yolo County’s Point-in-Time Count, meeting people living in tents, under overpasses, and in encampments. It was one of the most meaningful experiences of my public service career. I heard from women fleeing domestic violence, young adults from unstable homes, veterans struggling with trauma, and others coping with mental illness or addiction. Nearly everyone wanted the same thing: a safe place to live, and help offered with dignity and without judgment.

A Smarter, More Compassionate Approach

I support the Housing First model, which prioritizes permanent housing. Once people are housed, they can better access employment support, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment.

This approach works. In Woodland, coordinated services like the Fourth & Hope Beamer complex—co-locating housing and services—are making a difference. We need to expand such models countywide.

At the same time, it’s not compassionate to let people suffer on the streets or to allow public spaces to become unsafe. We need cleaner streets, safer neighborhoods, and fewer people living outside.

The Bigger Picture: Housing for All

Homelessness is tied to poverty, trauma, high housing costs, and systemic barriers. Solutions must include prevention, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing for those with ongoing needs.

We also have a housing crisis—working families, young people, and seniors on fixed incomes are being priced out of Yolo County.

Key Steps to addressing these issues:

• Housing that working families can afford, by aligning county programs and funding with city planning efforts
• Affordable housing for seniors, especially those on fixed or low incomes, who are one of the fastest-growing and most vulnerable demographics in Yolo County
• Partnerships with cities to encourage more infill and higher-density housing that uses land wisely and protects open space
• Faster, more predictable permitting at the county level for responsible development in unincorporated areas
• Countywide collaboration, so no single community carries the burden alone
• Prevention strategies to keep people housed before they fall into crisis