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by Chris Sturken, Redwood City Council member, District 2
I resonated with something HIP Housing Executive Director Kate Comfort Carr said at her community building event last month at Domenico Winery. Kate said that housing gives people hope. For the first time, I realized that I’m running for reelection to the Redwood City Council, District 2, because I want to give people hope.
Four years ago, when I ran for city council, I committed to creating a safe, livable, and affordable Redwood City for everyone. While we still have a long way to go, I’d like to share a couple ways in which I have held to that promise.
After voting no on the “Hopeful Horizons” ordinance, which criminalized homelessness in Redwood City, one youth told me, “You speak for us.” I don’t claim to speak for anyone, but when I do, I speak from experience as someone who worked with people who were unhoused to get them into permanent affordable housing. I speak using data showing that keeping people housed in the first place is actually cheaper for taxpayers than paying for temporary shelter or jails. And I speak from my values that tell me that housing is a human right and that everyone deserves to live with dignity. It’s my job and that of every elected leader to listen to all sides and make decisions based on data, our values, and our constituents.
At the same time, I realize that people who are unhoused, as well as our kids and grandkids, need somewhere to live after leaving the shelter or after moving out. Over the past 4 years, I have voted to build over 1,000 new homes at all income levels. While some have yet to break ground due to economic and financial constraints, others can be seen around town, like the 555 E. Bayshore Rd apartment homes (the old Century Theaters site).
In addition, I have supported essential protections to keep people housed. I voted for the Tenant Protection Ordinance, a policy that takes into account the needs of both landlords and tenants, to ensure landlords can make necessary improvements to their properties while supporting tenants in relocating to alternative housing within Redwood City. This improves the quality and condition of the city’s housing stock while keeping kids in school, allowing seniors to age in place, and keeping essential workers close to their jobs.
Looking ahead, I will continue to support new homes being built in Redwood City, additional education for tenants and landlords about existing protections and resources, and address homelessness through effective and compassionate solutions. I serve on the Mayor’s newly formed Council Subcommittee on Homelessness. On the committee, I have called for increased services to people living in RVs and vehicles to protect the environment from illegal dumping while supporting human dignity. I have called for an accounting of the full cost of enforcement to ensure that your dollars are being used to fund real solutions to homelessness, not band-aids. And I will continue to break down barriers to ownership opportunities to ensure that families can stay in Redwood City and build intergenerational wealth.
But the work is not done. I invite you to join me on this journey of hope by supporting my reelection campaign to the city council this November. For more information, please visit chrisforrwc.com or contact me at (650) 454 7907.
Chris Sturken grew up in Belmont and now lives in Redwood City. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from San Francisco State University and has worked in the nonprofit conservation and housing sector for the past 10 years. He was first elected to the Redwood City Council in 2022.
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Uh, “housing” cannot “give you hope”. You must give yourself hope. Don’t wait for someone to give you a house or an apartment. It could be a long wait …