July 19, 2024 Re: Pacifica Police Department Officer Involved Shooting Of Michelle Arrais On March 27, 2024 The District Attorney’s Office has completed its investigation into the fatal shooting of Michelle Arrais on March 27, 2024 by Pacifica Police Corporal Hayden Fry and Officer Kevin Contreras during a confrontation at 2562 Francisco Boulevard in Pacifica. After a thorough investigation by Inspector Jamie Draper and other inspectors with the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaffe has concluded that there is no legal basis for filing criminal charges against either of the two Pacifica Police Officers involved in the death of Ms. Arrais. District Attorney Wagstaffe has concluded that the use of lethal force by Corporal Hayden Fry and Officer Kevin Contreras was legally justifiable self-defense and defense of others pursuant to California Penal Code section 835a and section 196. Therefore, this case is now deemed closed by this office.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Barbara Hammerman Award, an annual recognition sponsored by the San Mateo County Domestic Violence Council. In 2005, the Domestic Violence Council established the Hammerman Award, ratified by the Board of Supervisors of San Mateo County, for the purpose of recognizing outstanding law enforcement officers for their contribution and service to survivors of domestic violence and their children. In 2009 the award was expanded to include professionals who provide services to victims of domestic violence.

Gateway Rising, formerly known as Gateway Family Housing, is now fully occupied and has successfully completed its conversion to permanent financing. The property includes financing from both the San Mateo County Department of Housing and the Housing Authority of San Mateo County, as well as an award of Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers.

The Department of Housing maintains the Affordable Housing Dashboard to map and track its impact on affordable housing across San Mateo County.  The Dashboard also provides information on demand for a variety of stakeholders seeking to understand the current state of affordable housing in their specific community.  When a Daly City stakeholder asked for a list of San Mateo County affordable housing projects in the pipeline to receive state and federal tax credits, the DOH Affordable

On February 2, EPACANDO and MidPen Housing will break ground on Colibri Commons, a new affordable rental housing property on City-owned land at 965 Weeks Street in East Palo Alto. When construction is complete in Summer 2025, the property’s 136 new apartments will serve a broad range of the community’s housing needs, with rents affordable to people earning between 30% and 60% of Area Median Income and a unit mix of studios up to four bedrooms.

The Board of Supervisors recently appointed three new members to San Mateo County’s 15-member Housing and Community Development Committee (HCDC):

The Department of Housing is proud to fund organizations like Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. whose work helps older adults remain in their home with nourishing meals and neighborly check-ins.

Starting on January 1, 2024, landlords must consider a housing applicant’s receipt of a government rent subsidy including, for example, a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, when assessing the applicant’s income and ability to pay the rent.  In addition, housing applicants who receive a government rent subsidy must be allowed to provide an alternative to a credit report as a means of proving their ability to pay rent, including, for example, public benefit payments, pay records, and bank statements.

A loan of $5,698,107 from San Mateo County’s Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) and an award of 30 Project-Based Vouchers from the Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo helped to pave the way for construction to start in late December 2023 on Eucalyptus Grove Apartments in Burlingame.

Congratulations to two housing heroes, recently recognized for their lifetime contributions to housing our community at the Housing Leadership Council’s Housing Leadership Day. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   DATE:        Monday, January 22, 2024   TO:             Media Members   FROM:       Stephen M. Wagstaffe   SUBJECT: Grand Jury Indictment – People v. Chunli Zhao  

The County of San Mateo Department of Housing invites applications for three Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA) FY 2024-25 housing and community development activities and projects funded via federal and State funding and the Equity Innovation Fund (EIF) Program.  Based on 2023-24 funding the County estimates there will be approximately $4,450,143.82 to distribute for Capital Projects, $1,553,244.02 to distribute for Community Development activities and $482,986 to distribute through the Equity Innovati