The mission and values of One San Mateo, a community coalition.

Vision

A city of, by, and for all its people: one San Mateo.

Mission

To advance just, equitable, and across-the-board housing solutions for all people—in particular for low-income people, working people, people of color, elderly people, disabled people, and others often marginalized, while also addressing the increased pressures on the middle class.  Recognizing that housing is interconnected with other issues, we also seek to support other causes that advance the well-being of all members of the San Mateo community.

Objectives

To identify, promote, and usher into law policies that achieve the goals of affordability, predictability and stability in housing costs.

To identify and support candidates who are committed to the enactment of such policies.

To develop a potent and effective base of community support with a willingness to act in the interest of moving such policies into law and electing candidates who are committed to doing so.

Beliefs & Values

Primacy of housing—The belief that safe, stable and affordable housing is an essential cornerstone of a dignified and decent life.

Unity of interests—The belief that as one city, the success of the whole of San Mateo depends on the success of its individual parts.

Diversity—The belief that San Mateo derives strength and appeal from its diverse mix of population in terms of income, race, origin and ethnicity and that this diversity is worthy of preservation. 

Rejection of fear-mongering—The belief that efforts to stigmatize, demonize and arouse fear are inherently divisive and inappropriate to the public discourse. 

Local determination—The belief that local decisions should be made locally and that that the introduction of large volumes of outside influence money into our local elections has the potential to disrupt our democracy. 

Truth—The belief that truth is an important precondition to healthy debate, sound deliberation and informed decision making. 

Inclusion—The belief that our social policy should defend and uphold the interests of all members of our community, including those who are vulnerable and at risk.

For more about some of our guiding principles, you can read our charter here.