Alondra is a Community Mentor with Razing the Bar where she assists her mentees navigate educational, financial, and housing barriers that they face. Having been through the foster care system and several housing programs in Santa Clara County, Alondra has experienced housing instability throughout her life. Growing up in the Bay Area, Alondra realized that she had no guidance or know-how of the housing market and how it affects our collective livelihoods. Alondra broke through and embarked in an educational journey to make a difference. Transferring from San Jose City College to University of California Santa Cruz to major in Legal Studies, she has committed to helping others with similar experiences as hers. Alondra is excited to be part of the Brick by Brick Fellowship cohort and take back her new learnings to further assist and equip her mentees with whatever new challenges that come their way.

Born and raised in East San José, Amanda Flores has a deep sense of pride in the community and the greater Bay Area that she calls home. After earning her B.A. in Political Science, she became a Community Organizer at West Valley Community Services, where she supports the Lived Experience Advisory Committee and leads advocacy campaigns and brings communities together around housing and food insecurity. Amanda is passionate about empowering community voices by including impacted people in critical policy decisions and challenging harmful narratives about people with lived experience. She hopes to help build a region where everyone can afford a safe, accessible, and dignified homes. When she’s not organizing, Amanda enjoys traveling, trying new foods, going to the gym, and spending time with her niece.

Cindy is a community organizer and immigrant rights advocate with experience organizing the PASOS Committee at Sacred Heart Community Service. Her own experience with housing instability has taught her how important it is to have a safe and stable place to call home. She is passionate about helping her community understand housing systems and advocate for better housing policy outcomes. She believes people directly impacted by our housing system have the knowledge and solutions to change it, and she is excited to learn and grow through this fellowship.

Claudia was born and raised in Salinas, California, and earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. As Lead Case Manager at the Bill Wilson Drop-in Center, she supports young people experiencing homelessness as they navigate the housing system. Her direct service experience along with her personal experiences have given her a firsthand understanding of the barriers young adults face when seeking affordable housing. These experiences have strengthened her commitment to addressing the systemic barriers that contribute to housing instability. For Claudia, home means more than having a place to live. It means having safety, belonging, and the opportunity to build a future. She is excited to participate in the Brick by Brick Fellowship to learn more about affordable housing policy and how she can help create change. She hopes to grow as a leader in the housing field to advocate for more equitable housing solutions.

Eulalia is a Promotora with Sacred Heart Community Services (SHCS), based in San Jose and is part of both their Housing Action Committee (known as SHHAC) that organizes around promoting affordable housing and tenant rights and another SHCS committee that fights for immigrants rights (Eulalia specifically supports aging adult immigrants), known as PASOS. Eulalia considers herself a human rights defender and supports organizations that help vulnerable people and those who don’t know how to defend their rights. She believes that every family has the right to affordable housing.

Jocelyn works for the City of Sunnyvale, where she helps develop and manage housing and homelessness programs. With a background in Community Health Sciences, she brings a program planning and evaluation lens to her work. For Jocelyn, home represents stability, safety, belonging, and the freedom to create the life you want. She believes stable housing provides a foundation for people to pursue their goals, live their highest quality of life, and determine what a fulfilling life looks like for them. Through the Brick by Brick Fellowship, she hopes to deepen her knowledge of affordable housing policy, learn from housing leaders, and strengthen her ability to contribute to equitable housing solutions. She is also looking forward to building meaningful connections with her fellow cohort members. 

Maria Vans leads the Prescribed Housing Program at Latinas Contra Cancer, overseeing housing stabilization and supporting individuals and families affected by cancer, housing insecurity, financial hardship, and other social challenges. Maria’s personal experience with homelessness and financial hardship informs her empathetic and resilient approach. In addition to her lived experience, Maria brings over five years of professional work in social services and case management, including roles as a housing navigator and patient advocate in community health organizations. She is dedicated to advocating vulnerable communities and believes that resources like housing assistance, transportation, food support, and case management are essential for building stability and improving health outcomes.

Mike has lived experience homeless in Santa Clara County. After 12 years of being unhoused, he now has home and is committed to being an advocate with/for the unhoused. He is very familiar with the County’s coordinated entry programs, such as Homeless Management Information Systems and the VI-SPDAT. Given his experience with these housing processes first hand and compassion for the unhoused community, Mike is hungry and passionate to learn more about our housing system so he can help change it.

Paula is an immigrant community leader from Oaxaca, Mexico, and a co-founder of the Mountain View Community Land Trust, where she helps create permanently affordable housing and prevent displacement. With a law degree from the Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca, she brings a community-led, solidarity-driven lens to her grassroots work. For Paula, housing justice means ensuring that the people most impacted by inequities are at the center of creating solutions. She believes that everyone deserves safe, dignified, stable, and affordable housing. Through the Brick by Brick Fellowship, she hopes to deepen her knowledge of housing policy, learn from other community leaders, and strengthen her advocacy skills. She is also excited to build meaningful relationships with her fellow cohort members and grow a network rooted in collaboration.

Saleena is currently an undergraduate at San José State University, where she is completing her final year studying Political Science. She is involved with LEAD Filipino and is working to create opportunities for students on campus to learn more about housing and community issues. As part of this work, Saleena is teaching her peers about the foundations of affordable housing and helping to organize an event focused on building awareness and understanding of Santa Clara County’s housing challenges. Through the Brick by Brick Fellowship, Saleena hopes to build on this work by gaining a deeper understanding of affordable housing policy, learning from leaders in the field, and developing the skills to become a stronger advocate for housing equity. She is excited to connect with other fellows, learn from their experiences, and explore new ways to support more equitable housing opportunities in her community!

Andrea (she/her/they) is Mountain View Community Land Trust’s first Co Director. To Andrea, home is about creating a loving reciprocity with a place and the people who live in it. They’ve worked to promote local environmental justice and education projects with Green Foothills and Bay Area Wilderness Training and now aspire to grow as an effective and compassionate leader as part of Mountain View CLT. As someone who comes from a family of educators and environmental advocates, Andrea is excited to learn more about how other community ownership projects are being built and embraced at all levels in the South Bay’s affordable housing landscape.

Capacitación sobre gobernanza compartida: cómo participamos y tomamos decisiones como residentes // Training about shared governance: how we participate and take decisions as residents

Friday, May 29, 6pm-7:30pm 

Establecer principios de corresponsabilidad orientados a la estabilidad a largo plazo, la asequibilidad de la vivienda y el bienestar financiero tanto de la propiedad como de sus residentes, mediante la gobernanza compartida. // Establish co-responsibility principles oriented to long-term stability, housing affordability and the financial well-being of both property and its residents, through shared governance.

Este evento está abierto para la comunidad de Mountain View y nuestros vecinos. // This event is open to the Mountain View community and our neighbors.

El evento es en español. Se proporcionará interpretación de español a inglés. // The event is in Spanish. Interpretation of Spanish to English will be provided.

Ashley attended De Anza College, then transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Gender & Women’s Studies. Having experienced housing instability due to the 2008 recession, Ashley learned at a young age the importance of safe and secure housing. To her, home is a place where you are physically, emotionally, and mentally safe, something she believes everyone deserves. With this fellowship, she is excited to learn from the expertise of the
leaders within the housing system. She aspires to be a leader who deeply cares about her community and uplifts those around her. She hopes to see solutions designed by the communities they are meant to serve and safe and affordable housing for all.

Home Is Where We Create: Affordable Housing Tour & Craft Fair

Wednesday, May 20 from 4-5:30pm

Join Destination: Home and the Lived Experience Advisory Board of Silicon Valley for a series of community-centered events that bring affordable housing to life.

Experience affordable housing up close from 4pm – 5:30pm at Quetzal Gardens, where a guided tour will offer insight into how supportive housing creates stability for residents and strengthens communities. (Sign up for the tour during registration) You’ll also have the opportunity to explore a craft fair featuring work by artists with lived experience of homelessness, uplifting creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection. Come shop and experience how stable housing can inspire us to create, to reimagine and to push our limits.

Homielection

Sunday, May 24th, 10am-2PM

Homielection is where community meets the ballot. “Homielection” draws inspiration from Soulection (the renowned DJ collective), “Homie” (representing our community and village), and “Election” (referencing this year’s June primary and November gubernatorial elections). This in-person event is designed to demystify the foundations of affordable housing, uplift our local artists, and drive voter turnout. By balancing live performances with guest speakers, we aim to spread awareness of housing issues and encourage our community to hit the polls for the upcoming midterm cycle.

Born and raised in San Jose, Dina has watched her city grow from walnut groves to a vibrant hub at the heart of Silicon Valley. She celebrates its cultural diversity and feels a deep pride and commitment to the place she has always called home. Witnessing the pressures of high living costs, homelessness, and housing instability drew her to housing justice. Guided by her values of everyday justice and compassion, Dina advocates for clients affected by chronic homelessness, believing that a safe, secure home is a basic human right—one that allows people to grow, heal, and protect their families. She is committed to ending homelessness and envisions a housing system that is low-barrier, accessible to all, and supported by agencies that champion these principles despite ongoing challenges.

Affordable Housing Resource Fair!

Friday, May 8th, 5:30-7:00pm

Housing is health!

Join Roots Community Health, PATH, and other community partners as we come together to connect the community with resources that support housing stability, affordability, and access to essential services.

At the event, you can:

• Meet with Complex Care Navigators
• Access Housing & Health Assistance Services
• Learn how to become an affordable housing advocate
• Housing stability placement and assistance
• Free Health Services
  -Tenant rights and advocacy support
• Community-based support programs
• Legal Resources
  Get connected, get informed, and take charge of your housing journey!
  Food will be served

Sponsored by
SV@Home

Gianella (she/her/hers) was born in the South Bay, raised in Sunnyvale, and earned her B.S. in Political Science and Communication at Santa Clara University. A homegrown advocate for socioeconomic equality and affordable housing, she previously worked as Marketing and Research Assistant at the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship and with the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits’ Policy Team, supporting the REAL Coalition’s racial justice and equity efforts. Gianella enjoys leading advocacy trainings, organizing policy convenings, and amplifying community voices. Through the Brick by Brick Fellowship, she is excited to deepen her understanding of housing policy, strengthen her advocacy skills, and connect with her cohort, with the goal of leading through action to create a future where housing is affordable and development is community-driven and inclusive.

Staying in San José: Housing Affordability in the Budget

Tuesday, May 26th, 3:30-5 pm

Join SVCN and our partners during Affordable Housing Month for a conversation about how the City of San José can address housing affordability through the upcoming City budget.
As housing and other costs continue to push residents out of their communities, policymakers and community advocates are advancing a range of proposals to help people stay in San José. This event will explore the broader landscape of affordability strategies currently being discussed — including the REAL Coalition’s STAY Affordability and Racial Equity Framework, anti-displacement strategies, homelessness prevention and eviction assistance, and other community-driven proposals.

Hear from housing policy experts, homelessness service providers, community advocates, and residents about what these proposals could mean for communities most impacted by rising housing costs. Panelists will discuss how different strategies work together to promote stability, prevent displacement, and ensure San José remains a place where longtime residents can continue to live and thrive.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of the housing affordability proposals shaping the City budget and the next steps they can take to advocate for solutions that keep communities housed.

This event is sponsored by SV@Home and organized by cohort members of the Brick by Brick Fellowship program.

Elizabeth’s experiences with homelessness, incarceration, addiction, and domestic violence have shaped her commitment to advocacy and leadership. Living through the barriers and systemic challenges that keep so many people trapped in cycles of instability has empowered Elizabeth to turn those experiences into a driving force for change. She believes home is more than a physical space — It represents safety, dignity, and the opportunity to heal and grow. Elizabeth is eager to parttake in the Brick by Brick Fellowship as a way to use her story to influence policy, strengthen community partnerships, and shift how people view homelessness and recovery. She aspires to be a leader who is compassionate and takes action, bringing lived experience to every conversation and amplifying the voices of those who are often unheard. Elizabeth’s vision is to help transform the housing system into one that is rooted in equity, accessibility, and care — ensuring that every person has the chance to feel seen, supported, and at home.

Home Is Where We Create: Affordable Housing Tour & Craft Fair

Wednesday, May 20 from 4-5:30pm

Join Destination: Home and the Lived Experience Advisory Board of Silicon Valley for a series of community-centered events that bring affordable housing to life.

Experience affordable housing up close from 4pm – 5:30pm at Quetzal Gardens, where a guided tour will offer insight into how supportive housing creates stability for residents and strengthens communities. (Sign up for the tour during registration) You’ll also have the opportunity to explore a craft fair featuring work by artists with lived experience of homelessness, uplifting creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection. Come shop and experience how stable housing can inspire us to create, to reimagine and to push our limits.

Joe currently serves as Co-Outreach Chair for the Lived Experience Advisory Board of Silicon Valley. His lived experience of homelessness not only makes him an expert but also allows him a unique perspective that is evident through the impact on his community. As Co-Outreach Chair, he helps plan outreach events on a bi-weekly basis to serve those in the South and North Bay. Joe is always seeking innovative ways to improve and adapt. When he’s not officially working on LEABsv duties, his advocacy does not stop. Deep compassion and a genuine concern for others are core values that permeate each aspect of his life.

Home Is Where We Create: Affordable Housing Tour & Craft Fair

Wednesday, May 20 from 4-5:30pm

Join Destination: Home and the Lived Experience Advisory Board of Silicon Valley for a series of community-centered events that bring affordable housing to life.

Experience affordable housing up close from 4pm – 5:30pm at Quetzal Gardens, where a guided tour will offer insight into how supportive housing creates stability for residents and strengthens communities. (Sign up for the tour during registration) You’ll also have the opportunity to explore a craft fair featuring work by artists with lived experience of homelessness, uplifting creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection. Come shop and experience how stable housing can inspire us to create, to reimagine and to push our limits.

Keanna is from West Point, Mississippi, and earned her bachelor’s in Marketing from Jackson State University and a master’s in Corporate Communications and Public Relations from New York University. She brings extensive experience in advocacy, communications, event production, and project management to her role at Roots Community Health. Her work with the Quorum Initiative, World Artists United, and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office prepared her to lead with strategy and compassion in her new home in Silicon Valley. Having experienced homelessness, she understands the hardships and inequities of the housing system, which deepened her commitment to affordable housing, equity, and justice. Keanna believes home provides stability, dignity, and belonging, and she is excited to collaborate with SV@Home and community leaders through the Brick by Brick Fellowship to challenge systemic barriers, center lived experiences, and expand access to safe and affordable housing. She aspires to be an empathetic, collaborative, and action-oriented leader who builds bridges across sectors to create a future where everyone can thrive.

Affordable Housing Resource Fair!

Friday, May 8th, 5:30-7:00pm

Housing is health!

Join Roots Community Health, PATH, and other community partners as we come together to connect the community with resources that support housing stability, affordability, and access to essential services.

At the event, you can:

• Meet with Complex Care Navigators
• Access Housing & Health Assistance Services
• Learn how to become an affordable housing advocate
• Housing stability placement and assistance
• Free Health Services
  -Tenant rights and advocacy support
• Community-based support programs
• Legal Resources
  Get connected, get informed, and take charge of your housing journey!
  Food will be served

Sponsored by
SV@Home

Marc was born and raised in Orange, CA, and has lived and worked across the country and abroad, calling many places home. Each home has been a source of connection, growth, and community. As a husband and father of two, home holds added significance as a place of love and stability. He is deeply aware of how housing instability, driven by rising rents and corporate indifference, frays these ties. Marc envisions a world where housing is a shared resource, not an investment, and where people do not need multiple jobs to afford rent. He is excited to join the fellowship to learn strategies, build relationships, and become a confident, collaborative leader equipped to inspire and drive meaningful change in housing and community equity.

Centering Our Voice: Envisioning Tenant Run Affordable Housing

Wednesday, May 27, 6:30pm-8pm

When it comes to housing, far too often tenants have little to no voice in the management of their building. Everything from whether or not rents will rise to when a leaky faucet gets fixed is often dictated by the landlord, resulting in challenges, frustrations and, many times, displacement. But what if tenants had the power to decide? What if, as tenants, our voice was centered from the start? Join us for an interactive conversation about what tenant run affordable housing could look like. What would you like to see? And learn about a unique opportunity to join with the Sacred Heart Housing Action Committee to help make that vision become a reality! This event is a collaboration between cohort members of SV@Home’s Brick by Brick Fellowship program and the Sacred Heart Housing Action Committee. Interpretation, Food and Childcare will be provided.

Yurina is a community organizer with Latinos United for a New America (LUNA), dedicated to housing justice, immigrant rights, and youth violence prevention. As a Mexicana, mother of three, lifelong partner, and cat owner, she values play, rest, music, books, and exercise as sources of energy and balance. For her, home is more than a place to sleep—it is where safety, joy, and community come together. Believing housing is a right, Yurina seeks the tools to advance this vision through the Brick by Brick Fellowship, connecting with the housing ecosystem and building coalitions. She aspires to be a leader who listens, shares power, and avoids burnout while supporting policies that protect renters, expand affordability, and put people over profit, seeing home as the first frontline of justice.

Empoderamiento de Personas Desplazadas

Friday, May 29th, 6pm-8pm

La registración será en una hoja al llegar al evento
Será en español con traducción al inglés, habrá cuidado de niños, se proveerá comida.

En un momento de desastre las comunidades enfrentan una decision: aceptar la perdida o unirse para construir poder. En este evento podras escuchar como las personas afectadas por incendios y desplazamiento se organizaron colectivamente para defender su derecho a la vivienda. Escucharemos directamente a los residentes que han enfrentando racismo, represalias de dueños corporativos y la perdida de sus hogares. Sera un panel que reunira personas que trasformaron la tragedia en organizacion comunitaria y llevaron sus demandas a la oficina del condado para exigir respuestas y soluciones para las familias afectadas y su reubicasion.

Se enfocará principalmente en miembros de la comunidad, que  puedan  hablar con libertad sobre sus experiencias y participar activamente en imaginar y desarrollar activamente políticas y soluciones comunitarias que aborden el problema del desplazamiento, especialmente después de incendios u otros desastres naturales. 

No registration link – just come!