We write this letter as clergy in San Mateo County in relation to your role as custodians of a precious parcel of publicly owned land. Your vision is that all residents of the district enjoy optimal health and ongoing well-being at every age and stage of life. As faith leaders, we share that vision with you.

Every day we are engaged with our elderly congregants who are all too often experiencing deep pain as a result of a lack of fairness around housing in our county. We all know that housing has everything to do with health and well-being. We have a collective responsibility to ensure that vital conditions for well-being are available to all in society.

In that spirit we are asking you to reconsider your vision for the use of the Trousdale land. This publicly owned parcel represents an opportunity — even more so one that carries with it a moral responsibility — to provide as many seniors as possible an affordable place to live.

We call upon you to immediately pause and consider options that will enable more affordable rental apartments to be built on the land. Alternatives to market rate housing are possible — they must be vigorously explored — and we all share a responsibility in doing what we can to provide quality of life for our seniors who call this home.

We pray that you will answer our collective call and take all of the steps necessary to provide as much affordable housing as possible on this sacred piece of public land. We look forward to working with you to help bring our hope to fruition.

The Rev. Dr. Penny Nixon
Congregational Church of San Mateo

Rabbi Marvin Goodman
Peninsula Sinai Congregation, Foster City

Pastor Holly Hillman
Burlingame United Methodist Church

The above three clergy were among the 28 who signed the letter as members of the San Mateo County Faith Leaders’ Solidarity Cohort.