The 2017 Housing Champion Award was presented to Santa Clara County Supervisors Dave Cortese and Cindy Chavez in honor of their passionate commitment to the passage of Measure A, which will generate $950 million over the coming years for affordable housing preservation and expansion.
When accepting the award, Board of Supervisors President Cortese said that the honor should be shared with everyone, “because every sector of the community contributed to make a difference. Foundations, government, corporations, nonprofits and individual donors were all in.”
“People told me they were contributing because they recognized that their liberation is bound up with the humanitarian needs we see on the streets every day,” he added. “I am proud of what we accomplished.”
Supervisor Chavez echoed this appreciation for the widespread community support shown for Measure A. “I am feeling so inspired and grateful about the future,” she said. “We live where the smartest, most passionate people are not just in corporations. If anyone can end homelessness, it’s the people in this room!”