SV@Home kicked off the second year of our Brick by Brick (BXB) Fellowship program. Designed for early-career professionals who come from low-income backgrounds and/or communities of color, the Brick by Brick Fellowship aims to shape Silicon Valley’s housing ecosystem through its next generation of leaders. On opening day, the fellows gathered at our SV@Home office to orient themselves to the fellowship, connect with one another, and build a brave and safe space for the months ahead.
Last month, SV@Home welcomed the second cohort of our Brick by Brick Fellowship. These early-career leaders come from community organizations across Santa Clara County, and many bring lived experience with housing instability themselves. Meet the fellows here.
Day 1: Laying the Foundation
Before diving into policy, fellows spent opening day getting to know each other. They traded stories about how the housing crisis has shaped their lives and work. Authentic living coach Maria Javier-Rosales led a session on resilience and collective care, because this work is a marathon. The day closed with Foundations of Affordable Housing, presented by SV@Home’s Director of Policy, Alison Cingolani, walking the group through the basics: what affordable housing is, why our region needs so much more of it, and how to fight for it.
Leaning Beyond the Classroom
In between sessions, several fellows attended the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern CA (NPH) conference and the National Lived Experience Leadership Conference, deepening their knowledge of housing and homelessness policy. At the NPH Conference, they dug into the details of the three things we fight for: building new affordable homes, preserving the ones we have, and protecting the tenants who live in them. At the National Lived Experience Leadership Conference, hosted by Destination: Home and the National Coalition for the Homeless, they went deeper on homelessness policy. For fellows with their own lived experience of homelessness, it was also a chance to sharpen the tools they will use to lead here in Santa Clara County.
Day 2: Diving into Affordable Housing Production
In October, the cohort met at Luna Vista Apartments in Mountain View, an Alta Housing community. A few highlights:
- Randy Tsuda, Alta Housing CEO and SV@Home Board Member, broke down how affordable homes get funded and built.
- Manuel Salazar of SV@Home covered the local policy tools that move projects forward, then tested everyone in a lively round of Production Jeopardy.
- Matt Huerta led a discussion on how affordable housing works differently in rural communities.
- The day wrapped with a book club picnic at Eagle Park, led by program co-creator Kenneth Javier-Rosales, and a tour of Luna Vista Apartments.
Looking Ahead
SV@Home is incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, vulnerability, and commitment this Brick by Brick cohort has already demonstrated. Their chemistry is contagious, and their passion for bringing housing justice to Santa Clara County shines through every session. Stay tuned for more!
Our long-term vision is to expand the Brick by Brick Fellowship beyond training sessions—providing opportunities for future fellows to undertake 1-to-2-year systems-changing projects directly alongside our partners and staff. With your support, we can accelerate this vision and invest in leaders with lived experience who will shape tomorrow’s housing landscape.
Thank you to Destination: Home, Bank of America, Stanford University, and our members and donors for making this possible.