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29 11, 2022

SSMC Releases 2022 Indicators Report on Building Electrification

2022-12-12T14:25:50-05:00

San Mateo County’s transition from natural gas to electricity to power buildings is the focus of the 26th annual Indicators Report, which Sustainable San Mateo County (SSMC) unveiled on November 10 at Genentech in South San Francisco. To access the Indicators Report, a 4-page brochure and a video of the Indicators Report Launch event, go to tinyurl.com/ssmc2022ir Building electrification is one of the most effective ways to address climate change, said SSMC Program Manager Sarah Cassanego, who created the report with help from dozens of volunteers. She noted that 17 of the 20 cities in the county have limited natural [...]

SSMC Releases 2022 Indicators Report on Building Electrification2022-12-12T14:25:50-05:00
9 11, 2022

2022 Indicators Report: Building Electrification in San Mateo County

2022-12-12T14:19:00-05:00

2022 Indicators Report: Building Electrification in San Mateo County Reducing carbon emissions in buildings is one of the most effective ways to address climate change, and San Mateo County is leading the way. Almost all of the towns and cities in the county, 17 out of 20, have limited natural gas (which is primarily methane) in new construction. The county itself has gotten on board, too. Along with Santa Clara County, the San Francisco Peninsula has the highest concentration of jurisdictions that have adopted ordinances limiting gas in the U.S. These efforts have been supported and encouraged by the [...]

2022 Indicators Report: Building Electrification in San Mateo County2022-12-12T14:19:00-05:00
21 10, 2021

Indicator Report Highlights Solutions for Equitable Housing

2021-10-21T09:31:18-05:00

Sustainable San Mateo County’s Indicators Report Launch on October 19 focused on the need for affordable, sustainable housing and highlighted strategies that can make affordable housing for all a reality. It was the 25th year Sustainable San Mateo County (SSMC) has presented in-depth research on one aspect of sustainability in San Mateo County. This year’s report, “Equitable Housing,” includes comprehensive data, the historical context, driving forces, an analysis of the impact of climate change on housing, case studies, policy initiatives and recommendations. Click here to read the full report, the Executive Summary and the brochure. Click here to view a [...]

Indicator Report Highlights Solutions for Equitable Housing2021-10-21T09:31:18-05:00
20 10, 2021

Looking Ahead

2021-10-20T16:37:58-05:00

A New Approach There are powerful forces in San Mateo County opposed to affordable housing. How can a city move the needle when residents routinely oppose any housing development and lobbyists pressure them to maintain the status quo? “The No. 1 issue is political will,” said Diana Reddy, a longtime affordable housing advocate who was elected to the Redwood City City Council in 2018. Just a few years ago, housing proponents argued that we needed more homes that teachers and nurses could afford. Now the problem of homelessness is so overwhelming that cities are focusing more often on housing [...]

Looking Ahead2021-10-20T16:37:58-05:00
20 10, 2021

Conclusion and Acknowledgments

2021-10-20T13:46:01-05:00

Conclusion The current housing crisis did not happen overnight. It is rooted in 250 years of shameful local practices, harmful actions and outright racial discrimination. Sadly, profit and resistance from homeowners opposed to change have too often been more important than social equity. It’s time to focus our attention on making more affordable housing available in every city in San Mateo County. For the sake of our quality of life, and to build a mutually beneficial relationship that restores our ecosystems, more housing must be found immediately. ABAG’s alarming Regional Housing Needs Allocation numbers, recent state legislation alleviating some of [...]

Conclusion and Acknowledgments2021-10-20T13:46:01-05:00
20 10, 2021

Impact of Climate Change on Housing

2021-10-21T17:44:37-05:00

Climate change impacts every aspect of life, and the housing crisis is no exception. In order to solve the housing crisis and make sure homes are resilient, climate change needs to be taken into consideration. Wildfires Due to climate change, precipitation will likely decrease and higher temperatures will increase, elevating the chances of wildfires and their destructive consequences. A significant portion of San Mateo County is located in the wildland-urban-interface (WUI), which is defined as zones where fire-prone forests coincide with human habitation. More than 35 percent of terrain in the county has a high likelihood of fire ignition.29 As [...]

Impact of Climate Change on Housing2021-10-21T17:44:37-05:00
19 10, 2021

Leading Forces

2021-10-20T16:14:34-05:00

Key trends that shape the jobs-housing balance and exacerbate accessibility to housing and transportation provide insights into finding sustainable solutions for the future. The following factors are playing an important role in how these challenges have been evolving and will likely continue to evolve and shift in the future. School Quality School quality has played an incredibly large role in where people choose to live on the Peninsula. In a recent Nextdoor survey of Burlingame and Hillsborough residents, 68 percent said that school quality was a factor that drew them to their neighborhood, as compared to diversity (14.3 percent), [...]

Leading Forces2021-10-20T16:14:34-05:00
19 10, 2021

Housing Analysis

2021-10-21T09:37:15-05:00

Jobs-to-Housing Balance The jobs-to-housing balance metric is a ratio between the number of jobs and the number of housing units in a given geographical area. It is a measure of community health related to housing availability. A jobs-to-housing balance ratio of 1.5 means there are six jobs for every four households. According to the Building Industry Association, experts say that a healthy jobs-housing balance is 1.5.6 This accounts for at least one full-time worker in most households, given that some members of the population are retired, some choose not to or cannot work, and some hold part-time jobs. The [...]

Housing Analysis2021-10-21T09:37:15-05:00
19 10, 2021

Historical Background

2021-10-20T15:59:20-05:00

History has value, but presenting the historical perspective of the current housing crisis in San Mateo County is no routine matter. Understanding how the San Mateo County housing crisis has evolved may be confrontive and difficult to accept. However, a failure to understand that history will result in a lost opportunity to move forward and improve the situation. The current housing situation has more than 250 years of history that have slowly built the reality of today’s housing inequity. The housing crisis we are grappling with has its roots in the displacement of indigenous populations from the late 1760s, [...]

Historical Background2021-10-20T15:59:20-05:00
19 10, 2021

2021 Indicators Report: Equitable Housing

2021-10-21T09:25:12-05:00

2021 Indicators Report: Equitable Housing The equitable housing issues we are facing in San Mateo County affect everyone. They negatively impact the quality of life of the most vulnerable populations, such as seniors, the disabled and low-income individuals, as well as essential workers and middle-income residents. These problems make it difficult for companies to hire enough workers. No one benefits from the burden of housing insecurity, as it negatively impacts entire communities. Today’s exclusionary practices began more than 250 years ago with the displacement of the Raymaytush Ohlone indigenous peoples. It continued with single-family zoning that created exclusive [...]

2021 Indicators Report: Equitable Housing2021-10-21T09:25:12-05:00
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