Racial Justice
Racial justice intersects with all of the CASCC’s policy issue areas and is a primary concern of our communities. The Cities Association formed the Racial Justice Committee to develop policy recommendations and actions that combat racial injustice.
Chair: Hon. Chappie Jones
2021-22 Committee Membership:
- Hon. Margaret Abe-Koga, Mountain View
- Hon. Rich Constantine, Morgan Hill
- Hon. Neysa Fligor, Los Altos
- Hon. Larry Klein, Sunnyvale
- Hon. Marico Sayoc, Los Gatos
On October 14, 2021, the Board of Directors voted to endorse the following recommendations from the Committee:
1) Housing – Policy actions to expand housing opportunities for underserved populations
Action 1: Support SB 649 (Cortese) Affordable Housing Tenant Preference Bill
Action 2: Support A Regional Affordable Housing Online Portal
Action 3: Affirmative Fair Housing – Expand HUD Outreach Policy, Support Countywide
Assessment on Fair Housing, Adopt Citywide Fair Chance Housing Policy, Adopt Inclusionary Housing Policy
Action 4: Proactively engage both communities of color and lower-income residents,
homeowners, and renters in the upcoming Housing Element update process.
Action 5: Develop a statement of support for land use changes that diversify communities.
Action 6: Increase housing education for diverse populations.
Action 7: Endorse the 2020 Community Plan to End Homelessness and Develop Implementation Plans.
2) Public Safety Reform – Rebuild trust with the community in collaboration with the Santa Clara County Police Chiefs Association
Support this process by employing Virtual Reality (VR) technology for Crisis Intervention Training for police officers. View letter to cities regarding this recommendation here.
3) Hate Crimes Against Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community
Collaborate with the Santa Clara County Task Force on Hate Crimes to advise on
strategies and areas for improvements and investments, and strategies relative to appropriate services and programs to address, reduce, and prevent hate incidents and hate crimes. The Task Force shall consider the following:
- Facilitating coordinated responses by local, state, and federal investigators and
prosecutors; - Engaging law enforcement’s response to the hate crime problem and providing input for
improvements;
Appropriate educational and community outreach programs designed to reduce and
address hate incidents and hate crimes; - Appropriate services, resources, and programs for victims;
- Collaborating with multisector partners regionally, nationally, and internationally to
share information and strategies for ending hate incidents and hate crimes.
Click here to view details on these recommendations.