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Redwood City Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos speaks to housing advocates, elected officials and civic leaders during the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County’s Annual Affordable Housing Month Policy Breakfast on Friday, May 15. Courtesy Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County

San Mateo County housing leaders warned Friday that affordable housing projects face growing financial and political uncertainty as more than 160 elected officials, advocates and civic leaders gathered for the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County’s Annual Affordable Housing Month Policy Breakfast.

The event focused on federal housing legislation, San Mateo County’s effort to secure about $157 million in disputed Vehicle License Fee revenue and local opposition to affordable housing projects.

Ninety-eight attendees later joined a bus tour highlighting affordable housing developments and unmet needs across the county, according to a news release from the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County.

Attendees on a bus touring affordable housing sites after the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County’s Annual Affordable Housing Month Policy Breakfast on Friday, May 15. Courtesy Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County.

Assembly member Marc Berman said county and city leaders have had to fight for the funding each year through the state budget process, warning that the amount has grown to more than $100 million and would have a “huge impact on the county, on the cities.”

Assembly member Marc Berman listens during a panel discussion at the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County’s Annual Affordable Housing Month Policy Breakfast on Friday, May 15. San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President Noelia Corzo is also pictured. Courtesy Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County

Other speakers included Redwood City Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos, U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President Noelia Corzo and city planner Aaron Aknin. The discussion was moderated by MidPen Housing CEO Matt Franklin.

Housing Leadership Council Executive Director Evelyn Stivers said affordable housing requires “sustained public investment, political leadership, and communities willing to stand behind the decisions they have already made.”

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Michelle Iracheta has spent over a decade chasing stories and deadlines, covering everything from mental health to city hall. Her bylines have graced newspapers across the country, including the Houston...

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