SAN BRUNO CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
March 18, 2025
Public Comment(s)
1 Lupita Huerta
From: Nicholas Rackard-Hilt < >
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2025 4:24 AM
To: City Clerk; Rico Medina; Marty Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Michael Salazar Cc: Peter Gilli; Jennifer Leaver
Subject: Pubic Comment for March 18th meeting
Dear Council Members and City Staff,
I am a longtime San Bruno resident and founder of San Bruno Healthy Homes, and I’m writing to express deep concern about the lack of updates to the San Bruno Affordable Housing Resources page on the City’s website. I have previously reached out to City sta ff
(Peter Gill and Jennifer Leaver) about this issue but have not received a response. Given the importance of this matter, I respectfully request that the City Council address it at the upcoming March 18th meeting and include this correspondence in the public record, as it directly relates to our Housing Element commitments and the well-being of our residents.
Why This Matters: Maintaining an up-to-date Affordable Housing Resources page is not a trivial administrative task—it is a matter of equity, transparency, and public trust. The City’s own communications emphasize keeping the public informed (e.g. the City Manager’s monthly eNewsletter ); by the same token, our affordable housing information must be kept current and accessible. In fact, San Bruno’s 2023–2031 Housing Element recognizes that the City’s website lacks adequate housing information and calls for a “robust” housing resources section consistent with best practices . Failing to update this page undermines those commitments and leaves residents without crucial information.
The continued delay in updating the page (and in responding to community inquiri es) has
already caused frustration and eroded trust among residents, particularly those in District 4 who are directly affected by housing insecurity. We need to restore confidence that the City prioritizes the housing needs of all community members.
Key Issues and Recommendations:
• Ensure Information is Easy to Understand: The content on the housing resource page should be written in plain language, roughly at a 5th-grade reading level. Right now, much of the text is too high-level or technical for the average resident. Simplifying the language will make the information accessible to people of all education levels, improving comprehension and retention . No one should struggle to understand resources meant to help them.
2 • Summarize Lengthy Guides into User-Friendly Formats: The current Tenant Guide is 155 pages, which is overwhelming for most readers. This should be condensed into a one-page infographic or fact sheet that highlights the most important information. For example, local organizations have created concise tenant-rights brochures that convey essential info on a single page. The Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, for instance, provides a “Know Your Rights” tenant brochure in both English and Spanish , and the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County offers many of its tenant resources as brief guides in multiple languages (English, Spanish, even Tongan) . San Bruno should similarly distill key points (tenant protections, where to get help, etc.) into an easy-to-read format. A visual one-
page summary will be far more engaging and usable
for residents than a 155-page PDF.
• Provide Resources in Multiple Languages: It is unacceptable that the City’s housing PDFs and guides are currently available only in English. San Bruno is a diverse community with many non-English speakers, and our housing resources must reflect that diversity. All important materials (like the tenant guide or any summaries) should be translated into Spanish and other commonly spoken languages in our community. Other cities in our county already do this—for example, the City of San Mateo offers its Housing Resource Guide in both English and Spanish . San Bruno should follow suit by ensuring multilingual access to housing information. At minimum, Spanish translations should be provided, and ideally Chinese or Tagalog (and others) if our demographics warrant it. Language access is a critical part of equity. • Enable Direct, Convenient Access to Documents: All resource PDFs should be downloadable directly from the City website, rather than forcing users to navigate away to external sites. Currently, some links redirect to third-party sites or county pages, which
can be confusing or inconvenient. Hosting these files on the City site (or at least providing a direct download link) will improve the user experience. Residents shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to obtain a guide or form—they should be one click away from the information they need.
• Include “Know Your Rights” Information on Immigration Enforcement: In the current climate, it’s important that tenant rights regarding immigration enforcement are clearly communicated. Many residents (including undocumented community members) may not know their rights if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) knocks on their door.
The City’s housing resource page should include a “Know Your Rights” section explaining that ICE cannot enter a home without a lawful judicial warrant and what tenants should do (and not do) if agents come to their residence. Key guidance (for example: do not open the door, remain silent, ask for a warrant signed by a judge, etc.) should be provided in simple terms and in multiple languages. This information is vital for protecting our immigrant families and should not be overlooked as a housing stability 3 issue (fear of enforcement can indirectly lead to housing insecurity). By empowering residents with knowledge, we help keep all our neighbors safe and housed. • Increase Community Engagement and Feedback: To ensure the housing resources are meeting residents’ needs, I suggest forming a community focus group (5–6 residents) to provide direct feedback on the content and usability of the Affordable Housing Resources page. San Bruno Healthy Homes has a diverse network of residents who are willing to participate and assist with this effort. A focus group or listening session would allow community members to voice what information they need most and how they prefer to access it. This kind of collaboration can help the City prioritize updates and make the resource page truly user-centric. I understand staffing is limited at City Hall, but partnering with community volunteers can help bridge the gap—at little to no cost. Let’s tap into our residents’ insights to improve our public resources.
In closing, I urge the City to prioritize updating and improving the Affordable Housing Resources page as outlined above. This action is urgently needed to uphold the promises in our Housing Element and to demonstrate that San Bruno is committed to housing equity and transparency. I appreciate that the City has been working on bringing more affordable housing to our community; however, those efforts must be matched by clear, accessible information for the public. Residents should never be left in the dark when it comes to housing assistance, legal rights, or available programs.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Although I am unable to attend the March 18th meeting in person, I will be submitting this letter as an official public comment on behalf of San Bruno Healthy Homes and the concerned residents of our ci ty.
We look forward to a prompt and positive response. By working together—City officials and community members—I am confident we can make the Affordable Housing Resources page a model of accessibility and inclusivity, restoring public trust in the process.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Rackard-Hilt
San Bruno Healthy Homes
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-rackard-hilt