HomeMy WebLinkAboutHC 9-25-2025 MinutesMINUTES
HOUSING COMMISSION
Thursday, September 25, 2025
At 5:33 p.m. Chair Connie Cunningham called the Regular Housing Commission meeting to
order at the Quinlan Conference Room, 10185 North Stelling Road, and via teleconference.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Connie Cunningham and Commissioners Usha Narayan, Lida Xhindi, Ram Sripathi,
and Jasmine Jose. Absent: None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1.Subject: Approve the minutes of the May 22, 2025 Housing Commission Meeting.
Recommended Action: Approve the minutes of the May 22, 2025 Housing Commission
Meeting.
MOTION: Narayan moved and Xhindi seconded to approve the May 22, 2025 Housing
Commission Minutes. The motion passed with the following vote: Ayes: Cunningham,
Narayan, Jose, Sripathi, Xhindi. Noes: None. Abstain: None. Absent: None.
POSTPONEMENTS – None.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None.
CONSENT CALENDAR – None.
OLD BUSINESS – None.
NEW BUSINESS
2.Subject: 2025-2026 Vice Chair Selection
Recommended Action: Select a Vice Chair for the remainder of the 2025-2026 Housing
Commission term.
Commissioner Narayan nominated herself for the position of Vice Chair and outlined her
qualifications for the role.
Commissioners made comments.
MOTION: Narayan moved and Sripathi seconded to appoint Narayan as the Vice Chair.
The motion carried with the following vote: Ayes: Cunningham, Narayan, Jose, Sripathi,
Housing Commission September 25, 2025
Xhindi. Noes: None. Abstain: None. Absent: None.
3. Subject: Informational presentation on the Program Year (PY) 2024 Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation
Report (CAPER).
Recommended Action: Approve submission of the PY 2024 CAPER to the United
States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Senior Housing Coordinator Nicky Vu gave a presentation.
Commissioners asked questions which staff responded to.
Chair Cunningham opened the public comment period, and seeing no one, closed the
public comment period.
MOTION: Narayan moved and Xhindi seconded to approve the submission of the PY
2024 CAPER to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The
motion carried with the following vote: Ayes: Cunningham, Narayan, Jose, Sripathi, Xhindi.
Noes: None. Abstain: None. Absent: None.
4. Subject: Informational presentation on recently enacted Executive Orders on Public
Camping Bans and Encampment Clearance.
Recommended Action: Receive presentation and hold study session on recently
enacted Executive Orders on Public Camping Bans and Encampment Clearance;
compare with neighboring jurisdictions that have recently enacted local policies.
Senior Housing Coordinator Nicky Vu gave a presentation.
Commissioners asked questions which staff responded to.
Chair Cunningham opened the public comment period. The following people spoke:
•Sujatha Venkatraman
Chair Cunningham closed the public comment period.
Commissioners gave the following feedback:
•Concerns were raised about policy design: the study showed large inconsistency of
the standards of other cities for public camping bans and clearance enforcement
•Concerns were raised about enforcement: the unhoused face additional barriers to
finding housing stability after being charged with misdemeanors, more beneficial
options would be to focus in expanding services that assist people exiting
homelessness
Housing Commission September 25, 2025
•Concerns were raised about financial impacts: incarcerating the unhoused and
enforcing public camping bans would consume lots of local staff time, funding, and
available resources
MOTION: Cunningham moved and Narayan seconded to close the study session. The
motion passed with the following vote: Ayes: Cunningham, Narayan, Jose, Sripathi, Xhindi.
Noes: None. Abstain: None. Absent: None.
STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS –
Senior Housing Coordinator Nicky Vu welcomed new Commissioners and introduced a
countywide displacement survey open to all Cupertino residents through October 31st. The
survey builds on a prior effort to protect BMR tenants and now focuses on broader causes of
displacement among renters and homeowners. Commissioners were asked to assist with
outreach. He announced that survey results will be presented at a future meeting. He also
coordinated a special meeting in December.
Commissioner Xhindi shared insights on the City of Cupertino’s Below Market Rate (BMR)
Ownership and Rental Workshop, outlining its pros and cons. She also offered recommendations
on how to increase participation in the displacement survey study.
Chair Cunningham reported on the Mayor’s Meeting, highlighting several updates: the CREST
Awards, the Commissioner Appreciation Dinner, and a collaborative project between Successful
Aging Solutions Community Consulting, and De Anza College, which resulted in the publication
of a community-focused newspaper.
FUTURE AGENDA SETTING –
Assess whether a permanent renter position should be added to the Housing Commission
Charter (to be further discussed in March). (Cunningham)
Request additional funding from Council to replace HUD funding and how more funding should
go to Project Sentinel. (Cunningham)
Follow-up to City Council’s decision on anti-displacement policies, as well as more transparency
in the lottery process. (Xhindi, no second)
ADJOURNMENT
At 7:28 p.m. Chair Cunningham adjourned the regular Housing Commission Meeting.
Minutes prepared by:
Housing Commission September 25, 2025
Lindsay Nelson, Administrative Assistant