President Canepa has been a tireless advocate for addressing the chronic housing shortage in the Bay Area. His tenure on the Board of Supervisors has been marked by historic investments in affordable housing, prioritizing vulnerable populations such as veterans, families, and foster youth. In recent years, San Mateo County has invested $262 million in affordable housing creating 1,742 units with another 1,408 units in the pipeline.
A major highlight of his housing initiatives is the largest affordable housing project in San Mateo County’s history. Canepa played a pivotal role in securing a $14 million loan from the Board of Supervisors to spur construction at Midway Village in Daly City’s Bayshore neighborhood. This transformative project delivered 555 units of much-needed affordable housing and reshaped the community near the Cow Palace. Canepa described the initiative as “probably one of the most transformative projects ever” for the County.
Through creative policies and strategic funding, Canepa continues to ensure affordable housing remains a cornerstone of the County’s vision for a sustainable and equitable future.
President Canepa has championed resolutions to improve firearm safety, including support for gun violence restraining orders and the formation of the Gun Relinquishment Task Force which has removed hundreds of pistols, rifles and shotguns from people who pose a threat.
Another policy he advanced was an ordinance requiring the safe storage of firearms in residences and has approved funding to support gun buybacks in partnership with local law enforcement over the course of many years.
Canepa was one of the first elected officials in California to propose amending state law as the crime wave of organized retail theft wreaked havoc at shopping malls across the state from Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Mateo counties. He called for the formation of a task force in San Mateo County in August 2023 and called at the time for Prop. 47 to be amended to lower the felony threshold for suspects from $950 to $450.
The police departments of San Mateo, South San Francisco and San Bruno started its multi-agency task force in October 2023 after receiving a grant awarded by the Board of State Community Corrections (BSCC). The local task force has made over 110 arrests, seized weapons and recovered thousands of stolen items worth tens of thousands of dollars.
In November 2024, more than 211,000 voters, 67.5%, in San Mateo County approved Proposition 36, which lowered the felony threshold for retail crime suspects from $950 to $450.
He has also advocated for culturally competent emergency planning to ensure the diverse needs of San Mateo County's communities are fully considered during crises.
President Canepa has advanced many policies and projects aimed to reduce the County’s carbon footprint including the construction of 500 County Center, the greenest civic building in the United States. The County was honored in 2024 by Engineering News Record for the National “Best of the Best Project – Excellence in Sustainability” Award. Canepa served on the County’s subcommittee that picked the architect for the project.
Recognizing San Mateo County is the most prone to the risk of sea level rise in the State of California, Canepa has continuously supported the County funding the San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District to mitigate the potential for flooding at Colma Creek, San Bruno Creek, San Francisquito Creek and other areas in the County including the Bayfront Canal/Atherton Channel and Burlingame-Millbrae-SFO Shoreline.
One of the most significant projects the District supports in partnership with Redwood City is the Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection District. The project raises the height of over 3 miles of levee surrounding the Redwood Shores to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements. The County with Canepa’s support contributes $875,000 annually and additional Measure K grants to the District which enables it to leverage state and federal funds for various flood mitigation projects.
The County of San Mateo is also transitioning from paper to digital systems to reduce expenses, decrease the County’s carbon footprint, enhance transparency and accessibility, under a resolution Canepa’s Office authored.
The resolution directs the Sustainability Department to develop a toolkit that County departments can use as a resource for their own digitization projects.
Canepa and the San Mateo County Department of Sustainability were honored by the California and Recovery Association as its government agency recipient of the Outstanding Household Hazardous Waste/Universal/Electronic Recycling Award in 2018.
The County was recognized for innovation and excellence in diverting electronic-waste materials from disposal after a resolution Canepa sponsored was adopted by the Board of Supervisors.
Canepa also sponsored an ordinance the Board adopted regulating the use of single-use disposable food service ware by food facilities such as coffee shops and restaurants. The ordinance was adopted because the production, management and consumption associated with single-use disposable food service ware, typically used for only a few minutes before being discarded, have significant environmental impacts.
President Canepa has been a vocal leader in advancing public health and safety initiatives throughout San Mateo County. Recognizing the profound impact of social isolation on health and well-being, his office spearheaded a groundbreaking resolution declaring loneliness a public health crisis. This bold move, which received national attention, emphasized the importance of addressing loneliness as a critical health issue.
To back this commitment with action, Canepa has successfully directed more than $3.7 million in Measure K funds to nonprofits and initiatives dedicated to combating loneliness and fostering community connection including funding a countywide program called GotWheels! which provides mobility options for older adults with no access to transportation to see the doctor, go shopping or simply get out of the house. He has also championed funding for peer support programs for isolated older adults and individuals with mental and behavioral health issues.
Canepa was a staunch advocate to stave off the closure of Seton Medical Center and Seton Coastside in 2020 as it was mired in federal bankruptcy proceedings to ensure the communities these hospitals served were not denied access to quality primary and emergent care. Combined, San Mateo County and the Health Plan of San Mateo, provided $20 million in loans and grants for operations and mandated seismic upgrades.
Additionally, his leadership in raising awareness about critical health issues such as autism, Parkinson’s Disease, and stroke demonstrates his commitment to addressing health challenges that affect residents of all ages. These efforts collectively underscore his dedication to building healthier, safer, and more connected communities.
President Canepa has sponsored and supported many policies restricting tobacco usage including a 2023 ordinance imposing mandatory fines and compliance checks for retailers who sell tobacco products to minors and banned and prohibited products such as e-cigarettes and flavored vape cartridges. The Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance Canepa co-sponsored in 2018 to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products including menthol and electronic cigarettes.
After U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy urged Congress to give his office the authority to put warning labels on social media platforms just as tobacco products do, Canepa authored a first-of-its-kind resolution in September 2024 the Board passed unanimously calling for Congress to take the action across the United States to add the labels due to the harm social media has on teens and children, including online bullying, impacts to mental health and suicide.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta responded in December 2024 with a bill to require social media companies to disclose the risk to users by adding a warning label to their platforms to ensure consumers have equitable access to information that may affect their health.
Canepa also wrote to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in July 2024 asking him to voluntarily add the warning labels to Meta’s social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram. Although the company has yet to comply, it did introduce Instagram Teen Accounts in September 2024 to protect teens 13-17 from potentially harmful material and unwanted contact.
President Canepa is deeply committed to empowering the next generation through equitable access to education. He proudly supported a $2 million investment in the Promise Scholars Program, which provides free community college to students in need. This transformative initiative opens doors for countless young people, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities to succeed academically and professionally.
With a high volume of new construction projects and many current union workers prepping for retirement, job opportunities with solid wages and benefits are available for those entering the union workforce in the trades. During my time in office, I have granted $200,000 in Measure K district-specific funds to support the Trades Introduction Program, TIP San Mateo, a certified 90-hour pre-apprenticeship training course that introduces trainees to a variety of programs in the construction trades. The program especially seeks women, veterans, at-risk youth and underserved populations to apply.
In addition, Canepa has championed funding for programs that support youth wellness and education, such as the Communities in Schools (CIS) model in the Jefferson Elementary School District, which fosters academic and social support for students. By prioritizing investments in young people, he is laying the foundation for a brighter future for San Mateo County.
President Canepa has advanced several policies to increase outreach and education to individuals with disabilities, individuals housed in temporary shelters including hotels and permanent supportive housing, youth and young adults including first-time voters.
County employees also have the option to take an optional holiday named “Let San Mateo County Vote Day,” which is observed the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November under a policy Canepa’s Office authored.
In 2024, Canepa launched a media outreach campaign to encourage voter participation in San Mateo County, emphasizing the importance of registering and casting ballots on Election Day. Highlighting the 70,000 eligible yet unregistered voters in the County, he also promoted Conditional Voter Registration, allowing residents to register and vote up until 8 p.m. on Election Day, ensuring every voice could be heard.
President Canepa, as Legislation Chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, has advocated for federal and state funding for the Caltrain Electrification Project, which the agency has directed over $1 billion to make the project a reality. Along with electrification, Canepa also prioritized critical projects including the Burlingame Grade Separation Project and the South San Francisco/San Bruno Grade Separation Project to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Regional Grant Strategy which will maximize investment from the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Canepa also championed an MTC grant of $48 million in Regional Measure 3 toll funds for the “101/84 Interchange Reimagined” project. The $300 million total project will make major improvements to the Port of Redwood City and ease traffic at the Highway 101/Woodside Road interchange. This infrastructure investment in the Port of Redwood City will not only be a boost to San Mateo County’s economy but as a certified Federal Staging Area, the funding will help the port be better prepared to save lives and assist in critical recovery efforts when the Bay Area faces earthquakes or other emergencies.
Canepa also helped secure $34 million from the MTC One Bay Area Grant Program to support several pedestrian and bicycle improvements from Menlo Park, Redwood City, Burlingame, South San Francisco and Colma. Some of the projects included the $5 million Middle Avenue Caltrain Pedestrian and Bicycle Undercrossing in Menlo Park; the $3.4 million Roosevelt Avenue Traffic Calming Project in Redwood City; and the $3.1 million Rollins Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project in Burlingame.
These investments in transportation infrastructure shows Canepa’s commitment to support thousands of local jobs, greatly reduce San Mateo County’s carbon footprint and improvement safety conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists.