TO: TONI TABER
City Clerk
FROM: Erik L. Soliván
SUBJECT: Housing and Community
Development Commission
Applicants’ Evaluation
DATE: October 29, 2025
Approved
Date:
BACKGROUND
Council Policy 0-4, the Consolidated Policy Governing Boards and Commissions, allows the Department staff liaison for the Commission to submit a memo to the City Clerk with its evaluation of applicant(s) based on the powers and duties of the Commission, any special eligibility requirements, and experience, background, and expertise of the applicant(s). For any incumbents eligible for reappointment, the memo should include a statement setting forth attendance, residency information, and compliance with City requirements (e.g., commission training, State-mandated training, Form 700 filing).
COMMISSION’S SPECIAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
San José Municipal Code Section 2.08.2820 describes the special eligibility requirements for the Housing and Community Development Commission (Commission):
• One (1) member shall be a person recommended by an organization of owners of San José mobilehome parks.
• One (1) member shall be a person recommended by an organization of residents of San José mobilehome parks.
• One (1) member shall be an owner or manager of a residential rent stabilized property.
• One (1) member shall be a tenant of a residential rent stabilized rental unit. • One (1) member shall be a person who is currently or was formerly homeless. • At least five (5) members shall represent low-income households, which for the purposes of this requirement means a person who meets one (1) or more of the following criteria:
TONI TABER, CITY CLERK
October 29, 2025
Subject: Housing and Community Development Commission Applicants’ Evaluation
1. The person is a member of a low- or moderate-income household as defined by HUD as at or below eighty percent of the area median income pursuant to 24 CFR 92.2.
2. The person is an elected member of a neighborhood organization in a low- or moderate-income neighborhood (fifty-one percent of the neighborhood is at or below eighty percent of the area median income as defined by HUD).
3. The person is a resident of a city council designated neighborhood targeted under the place-based neighborhoods initiative to receive federal funding.
4. The person is employed by an organization which has as its primary purpose to serve the interests of low-income residents. • The commission should also include members with experience related to real estate development, lending, community development, homeless services, and federal funding.
APPOINTMENT PRIORITIES
Upon review, it has been determined that the Commission currently does not meet the full special eligibility requirements of the San José Municipal Code. The requirements and corresponding recommendations to address the vacant positions are as follows:
• Low-income households: Per SJMC 2.08.2820 (E), at least five commissioners must meet the low-income household definition, and currently only four seated commissioners do. Therefore, at least one commissioner that meet the low- income household definition (above) shall be selected from this applicant pool.
In addition, there are currently five commissioner vacancies on the Housing and Community Development Commission: District 3, District 4, District 6, and District 8.
APPLICANT ASSESSMENTS AND RECOMMENDATION
The following recommendations are made based on the indicated experience and response to the application prompts. Commissioners are appointed by corresponding Council Members, but do not need to reside in that Council District.
• District 3 Seat: Esmeralda Bautista and Marika Buchholz • District 4 Seat: Andrew Singleterry and Thoa Hoang
• District 6 Seat: Jennifer Cretella and Maharshi Patel • District 8 Seat: Maharshi Patel and Oscar Quiroz-Medrano
TONI TABER, CITY CLERK
October 29, 2025
Subject: Housing and Community Development Commission Applicants’ Evaluation
The table below provides the City Clerk and City Council offices with a preliminary review of the 23 applicants indicating interest in the Housing and Community Development Commission. Please see Attachment A for the candidates’ experience summarized by category.
Candidates’ summaries on Attachment A and below are sorted in descending order by the number of their self-identified qualifications. Applicants that tied on the number of qualifications they indicated are presented in Council District order within that ranking.
# Name
Owner
or
Renter
Council
District
Years
in San
José
Employer
Special
Role
Eligibility
(if any)
Self-Identified
Experience in
Desirable Issue
Areas
District Council Seat Applicants
1 Brenda
Bell Brown
Renter 6 3-5
years
Lived
Experience
Low Income
• Real Estate
Development
• Lending
• Community
Development
• Homeless
Services
• Federal
Funding
2 Oscar
Quiroz-
Medrano
Renter 10 6+ SOMOS
Mayfair
Low Income • Real Estate
Development
• Lending
• Community
Development
• Homeless
Services
• Federal
Funding
3 Aimee
Escobar
Renter 3 6+ City of
Santa Clara
– City
Manager’s
Office
• Real Estate
Development
• Community
Development
• Homeless
Services
• Federal
Funding
4 Andrew
Singleterry
Renter 3 6+ Servant
Partners
Low Income • Real Estate
Development
• Community
Development
TONI TABER, CITY CLERK
October 29, 2025
Subject: Housing and Community Development Commission Applicants’ Evaluation
# Name
Owner
or
Renter
Council
District
Years
in San
José
Employer
Special
Role
Eligibility
(if any)
Self-Identified
Experience in
Desirable Issue
Areas
• Homeless
Services
5 Victoria
Partida
Owner 7 6+ Santa Clara
County
Public
Health
Department
Low Income • Real Estate
Development
• Community
Development
• Federal
Funding
6 Maharshi
Patel
Renter 8 6+ AlphaX RE
Capital
• Real Estate
Development
• Lending
• Community
Development
• Homeless
Services
7 Esmeralda
Bautista
Renter 3 <1
year
San José
Unified
School
District
• Community
Development
• Homeless
Services
• Federal
Funding
8 Marika
Buchholz
Renter 3 <1
year
County of
San Mateo
Low Income • Homeless
Services
• Federal
Funding
9 Thoa
Hoang
Owner 4 1-2
years
Stanford
University
• Real Estate
Development
• Community
Development
• Federal
Funding
10 Rose
Escalera
Renter 7 6+ Martha’s
Kitchen
Mobilehome
Resident
Lived
Experience
Low Income
11 Daisy
Porras
Renter 7 6+ Housing
Choices
Low Income • Community
Development
12 Elizabeth
Agramont-
Justino
Renter 3 6+ LifeMoves Low Income • Homeless
Services
TONI TABER, CITY CLERK
October 29, 2025
Subject: Housing and Community Development Commission Applicants’ Evaluation
# Name
Owner
or
Renter
Council
District
Years
in San
José
Employer
Special
Role
Eligibility
(if any)
Self-Identified
Experience in
Desirable Issue
Areas
13 Tasha
Eaton
Owner 2 6+ VMWare • Real Estate
Development
• Community
Development
14 Ky Lam Owner 6 6+ GMS Mobilehome
Park
Resident
Low Income
15 Brian Carr Owner 7 6+ Mobilehome
Park
Resident
Low Income
16 Ravi
Pathak
Owner 8 6+ FinFit Life • Real Estate
Development
• Community
Development
17 Jared Oliva Renter 3 <1
year
Zoom • Community
Development
18 Damon
Ybarra
Renter 1 6+ Yeti’s
Coolers
19 Richard
Stewart
Owner 3 6+ Retired
20 Hina Patel Owner 3 6+ Service
Now
21 Michelle
Huynh
Owner 4 6+
22 Jennifer
Cretella
Owner 6 3-5
years
Apple
23 Song Cui Owner 8 6+ Spreadtrum
Comms
TONI TABER, CITY CLERK
October 29, 2025
Subject: Housing and Community Development Commission Applicants’ Evaluation
CONCLUSION
All 23 applicants meet the eligibility requirements for appointment to the Housing and Community Development Commission.
Please feel free to contact me or my Housing Department staff, Mindy Nguyen, with any questions. I may be reached at 408-535-3860, and Mindy Nguyen may be reached at 408-534-2961. Thank you.
ERIK L. SOLIVÁN
Director, Housing Department
Attachment A: Housing Department Analysis – Housing and Community Development Commission Candidates Recruitment, Fall 2025
ATTACHMENT A
# Applicant's Name Lives in
CC Dist.
Renter or
Owner
Ranked by
Overall #
Yes
MH Park
Owner Rep
MH Park
Resident
Rep
ARO
Owner
ARO
Resident
Lived
Experience with
Homelessness
Low/Mod
Defined by
HUD (self-
declared)
Elected
Neighborhood
Leader in LI
Area
Live in Place-
Based
Neighborhood
Org
serving
low-
income
Real Estate
Development Lending Community
Development
Homeless
Services
Federal
Funding*
1 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 2 3 2 5 5 2
Column1 Column2 Column3 Column4 Column5 Column6 Column7 Column8 Column9 Column10 Column11 Column12 Column13 Column14 Column15 Column16 Column17 Column18 Column19 Brenda Bell Brown 6 Renter 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Oscar Quiroz-Medrano 10 Renter 6 1 1 1 1 1 1
Aimee Escobar 3 Renter 4 1 1 1 1
Andrew Singleterry 3 Renter 4 1 1 1 1
Victoria Partida 7 Owner 4 1 1 1 1
Maharshi Patel 8 Renter 4 1 1 1 1
Esmeralda Bautista 3 Renter 3 1 1 1
Marika Buchholz 3 Renter 3 1 1 1
Thoa Hoang 4 Owner 3 1 1 1
Rose Escalera 7 Renter 3 1 1 1
Daisy Porras 7 Renter 3 1 1 1
Elizabeth Agramont-Justino 3 Renter 2 1 1
Tasha Eaton 2 Owner 2 1 1
Ky Lam 6 Owner 2 1 1
Brian Carr 7 Owner 2 1 1
Ravi Pathak 8 Owner 2 1 1
Jared Oliva 3 Renter 1 1
Damon Ybarra 1 Renter 0
Richard Stewart 3 Owner 0
Hina Patel 3 Owner 0
Michelle Huynh 4 Owner 0
Jennifer Cretella 6 Owner 0
Song Cui 8 Owner 0
Note: Candidates self-declared as ARO Tenants must be validated by CAO Note: The Muni Code requires 5 Low-income seats. Staff verifies candidates' declaration that they live in Place-Based Neighborhoods.
Housing Department Analysis - Housing & Community Development Commission Candidates Recruitment, Fall 2025 Special Eligibility Positions
(each is required by Municipal Code)
Low-Income Members
(5 required, 4 currently seated)
(self-declared)
Desirable Experience
(self-declared)
Seated Commissioners' roles & experience: