AgdaPkt 2020-11-09 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

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From: To: GRP -City Council Subject: Written Public Comment for Nov. 9 2020 Redwood City Council Meeting Agenda Item #7.A Date: Monday, November 9, 2020 1:24:27 PM Honorable City Council Members: My neighbors and I are expressing our great concerns about the county's proposed plan to purchase Redwood City hotels for the homeless and low income public housing. Many examples in various cities in the past and present have demonstrated that public housings are failed propositions. Public housing generally fails to meet the growing demand or to provide adequate housing needs for many because of big upfront capital cost and the lack of general fund to maintain and operate the property (buildings and grounds) in future years. Many public housing projects throughout the country eventually became slump. They failed to provide the necessary safety and security for tenants and the neighboring community. These public housing buildings are going to be a long term burden and liability for the County government. Contrastingly, success has been proven to help low-income seniors and families with affordable housing in form of rental subsidies in many cities. And our neighboring city, San Francisco, has converted many of its city owned trouble housing buildings to affordable housing to own for low income families in recent years. The County could also explore using the available $44.6 Million funds to build a trust fund and give out rental subsidy in form of voucher to qualified low-income seniors and families. The result would be that many more people in need can get the help immediately and the County would be able to stretch the limited funds for a much longer period of time. By doing so, the maintenance and operation of the housing is shifted to the private rental operators or the owners, in which they generally do a better job than the government. Moreover, the voucher holders not only have the freedom of their choice to choose their living location, but also give them the dignity of being a part of the greater communities rather than being confined to a government housing building. In addition, rather than giving tens of million dollars to big National Corporation for the hotels at this difficult pandemic economic time, the County could invest the housing voucher money locally via the housing voucher program. The proposed hotel conversion is a great concern for Redwood City. We worry the public housing at Redwood Shores could become a slump and the navigation center at the rebuilt Redwood City Downtown could become a gathering place for all homeless from all 20 cities and towns of San Mateo County. This is an inequitable and unfair burden for Redwood City and for the Redwood Shores community. There are total of 20 cities and towns in the San Mateo County. Other Cities and Towns in the county also have the housing needs and any housing buildings should be equitably spread throughout the geographic area of the County. They shouldn't be concentrated in one city only. In addition, the neighbors of the proposed sites have not been properly or timely notified of the proposed change use of the site according government codes. Community citizens should have the right to know in advance, participate in, contribute to and review such important public decision. The whole processes so far were being rushed without properly and timely involvement of the Redwood City residents. Government grant spending deadline is not an excuse to short cut the public participation processes. If these projects proceed without Redwood City residents' review and inputs, the projects should be denied for taking place in Redwood City. The Grantor of the funding should also be consulted for local involvement requirements.