Voters to decide between Eric Guerra and Stephanie Nguyen for 10th Assembly District seat
Eric Guerra
Age: 44
Party: Democratic
Birthplace: Jerahuarao, Michoacan, Mexico
Residence: Sacramento
Occupation: Sacramento City Councilman/California state Legislature consultant
Education: Bachelor’s degree, electrical and electronic engineering, Sacramento State; master’s degree, public policy and administration, Sacramento State
Offices held: Sacramento City Council, since 2015; chair, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District; member, Sacramento Public Library Authority; former chair,County Planning Commission; former member, Redevelopment Community Advisory Committee; former governor’s appointee CSU Board of Trustees
Campaign website address: ElectEricGuerra.com
What specific actions do you think state legislators could take to help unhoused residents and prevent homelessness?
Once homeless myself one summer, I’ve helped secure millions of dollars for affordable housing and expanded programs to get women and children off the street. More work like this needs to be done in the Legislature. We need to continue to work with community organizations like Saint John’s Program for Real Change that have proven results of pathways out of homelessness.
I helped champion Saint John’s Square which is 55 units of manufactured housing that has already shown progress for families escaping homelessness. There is still more to be done. I am now helping lead the effort to bring the city, county and stakeholders together to tackle the housing crisis. Enough of the finger-pointing — we need to work together to bring real change.
In the coming months, we will come together to tackle what has not only become a regional problem but a statewide problem. By setting clear goals, roles and accountability measures, I know that we can work towards a solution that can solve the crisis in our community. There is a lot of work ahead of us — but I am confident that we can accomplish it.
In the Assembly, I won’t stop until we find a statewide solution to the homelessness crisis. This includes more funding to address the mental health and addiction challenges that are at the root of the issue for many homeless people. It also includes shelters with wraparound services, access to job training and substance abuse treatment programs. It’s going to take collaboration, strategic thinking, a broad coalition of all sectors and community members to get real results. I’m ready and have never backed down from a challenge. Over 1 million people live in Sacramento County — not one should be unsheltered on our streets. Let’s make that a reality — together.
What do you think about the recent environmental legislation package lawmakers recently passed at the behest of Gov. Gavin Newsom? What strategies would you use to address climate change?
I agree that the Legislature needed to take bold steps to address climate change. We cannot wait any longer. I believe that everyone deserves access to clean air, water and a healthy planet. As the chair of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District Board, I fought for funding to make Elk Grove and Sacramento school buses all electric. Today, these districts are two of the largest all-electric fleets in the country. I also fought for and delivered one of the most extensive air quality monitoring systems in the country to protect our vulnerable residents around the county from the effects of pollution, smoke from wildfires and other airborne pollutants.
In the Legislature, there needs to be better reporting and more oversight hearings to hold polluters, especially corporations, accountable. It is unacceptable that low-income communities are always the ones that are harmed and put at risk because their voices carry less power, and their neighborhoods are neglected from lack of oversight. Regular testing of water, air quality and safety is crucial and we must invest more to protect our most vulnerable communities.
As fires burn across our communities, we need to make investments in early fire detection technology and improved evacuation planning to help residents escape fire danger in less time. Additionally, we need to improve emergency evacuation planning and management and create defensible space around homes, neighborhoods, and critical infrastructure. I will work closely with our statewide and local firefighters to address fire safety and how best the Legislature can support them. I am proud to be the only candidate in the race for Assembly District 10 endorsed by local and statewide firefighters.
What can lawmakers do to cut through local red tape and promote more community housing construction?
The housing crisis is pricing people out of the communities they call home. We all know this isn’t sustainable. We must tackle the housing crisis by addressing affordability that is driven by historic lack of supply compounded by the failure to build more housing. We must invest in permanent housing, rental assistance and helping first-time homebuyers afford loans to increase access to the housing market and prevent longtime residents from being forced out of Sacramento County cities and the county itself. As a City Councilmember, I helped lead negotiations for the biotech Aggie Square project to create new local high-wage jobs and fund $50 million in affordable housing. We will not be able to solve our housing affordability challenges if we do not expand the production of market-rate housing. Middle-class families are in a situation where there are very few options to meet their financial price points and living needs. There needs to be a focus on increasing all housing types, including market-rate housing to make sure demand doesn’t continue to outstrip supply.
Stephanie Nguyen
Age: 43
Party: Democratic
Birthplace: South Sacramento
Residence: Elk Grove
Occupation: Nonprofit executive director, Asian Resource Inc.
Education: Bachelor’s degree, liberal studies, Sacramento State; McClatchy High School alumna
Offices held: Elk Grove councilwoman, since 2017
Website: StephanieNguyenforAssembly.com
What specific actions do you think state legislators could take to help unhoused residents and prevent homelessness?
The Legislature took a good first step with increased funding for cities and counties, and the newly-formed CARE Court will help those suffering with mental illness. However, there is much more the Legislature can do. I am proud of the work I have done as a council member to help unhoused residents in Elk Grove. Elk Grove has dedicated services and staff including a services navigator, problem-oriented police officer and mobile crisis support team to help respond to crisis situations and try to move people into shelters, housing, and provide services. Nevertheless, this is a problem that needs help from every layer of government — local, regional, and state. I will use my local government experience on these issues and bring this knowledge to the Legislature; working with experts, stakeholders, electeds from all levels and community leaders to collectively tackle this issue together.
What do you think about the recent environmental legislation package lawmakers recently passed at the behest of Gov. Gavin Newsom? What strategies would you use to address climate change?
I am supportive of the actions taken by our lawmakers. In Elk Grove, we have passed a climate action plan but there is more we can do. More investments in infrastructure; charging stations and walkable/bikeable communities.
What can lawmakers do to cut through local red tape and promote more community housing construction?
There are entrenched interests that make housing issues very complicated. Clearly, this is a problem that is even difficult for the governor to address, but if folks can come together, we can work to address the housing issue. We need to cut the red tape at all levels of government to fast-track housing and make it easier for cities and counties to build affordable housing. When we make builders jump through too many hurdles or allow too much litigation, when a project stalls or is delayed, contractors often pull out. We need to incentivize contractors, not disincentivize with too many regulations and red tape.