Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 4
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of district-discretionary Measure K funds not to exceed $40,000 to Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) to expand its Housing and Immigration Programs by providing emergency rental assistance and immigration filing fee support, and authorizing the County Executive, or designee, to execute the grant agreement.
body
BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years.
The Board of Supervisors (Board) held study sessions on Measure K expenditures and approved funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 budget cycle, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for one-time district-discretionary needs and projects. District 4 has submitted a request to use their district-discretionary Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 4 (Supervisor Lisa Gauthier) - Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) to expand its Housing and Immigration Programs. |
$40,000 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018. District 4 indicates that this organization is either a public agency operating within the County, or a nonprofit organization registered and in good standing with the California Attorney General. District 4 indicates that the sponsoring Board member, member’s family, and member’s supervisorial staff do not serve as an officer, director, or play a policy role for the grantee organization.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
This is a request to authorize a grant to CLSEPA, and resulting grant agreement, in an amount not to exceed $40,000, to expand its Housing and Immigration Programs. The County Executive’s Office will manage and administer the agreement.
District-discretionary Measure K funding for this organization has previously been provided as listed below:
• On November 18, 2025, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding, sponsored by District 2, not to exceed $10,112, to CLSEPA eviction defense legal services.
• On November 12, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding, sponsored by District 2, not to exceed $50,000, to CLSEPA to protect tenants’ rights and prevent displacement through legal services and rental assistance.
CLSEPA is a nonprofit legal services organization that provides free legal assistance to low-income individuals and families across San Mateo County, focusing on housing, immigration, and economic justice. Through its legal advocacy and community partnerships, CLSEPA works to prevent displacement, protect tenants’ rights, and support immigrant communities in accessing legal protections and economic opportunities.
District-discretionary Measure K funds will support two program components that address housing stability and immigration-related barriers for low-income residents. Housing instability can have significant impacts on household wellbeing; approximately 50 percent of households receiving Rescue Housing Fund assistance include children, and many families report that maintaining stable housing is critical to keeping their children enrolled in school and maintaining access to employment and community resources.
The grantee organization will use the Measure K grant as follows:
A total of $35,000 will support CLSEPA’s Rescue Housing Fund (RHF), which provides emergency rental assistance to prevent eviction and stabilize tenancies for families experiencing temporary financial hardship. The remaining $5,000 will support CLSEPA’s legal services program by assisting low-income residents with federal application filing fees required to access certain legal protections and work authorization.
Recent changes have increased the cost of several application processes while reducing the availability of fee waivers for low-income applicants. Measure K funds will help vulnerable residents cover these required costs, enabling eligible individuals to maintain employment authorization, pursue available legal protections, and support family stability.
The district-discretionary grant will enable the organization to meet the following currently unmet need or service gap within the County: Housing stability and immigration-related economic barriers for low-income residents.
District 4 has informed the grantee organization that this grant is one-time only, and that the grantee organization will need to find other sources of funding going forward.
The project or services funded by this district-discretionary grant will be implemented or provided between April 1, 2026 and May 31, 2027, and is estimated to be completed by May 31, 2027.
Total Measure K Request: Not to exceed $40,000.
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purposes described above:
Katrina Logan, Executive Director
Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto
1861 Bay Road
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 391-0347
katrina@clsepa.org <mailto:katrina@clsepa.org>
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Description |
Target |
|
5-8 households receive emergency rental assistance through the Rescue Housing Fund |
100% Complete |
|
6-10 individuals receive assistance with filing fees |
100% Complete |
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Funding for this project supports emergency rental assistance and filing fee support. CLSEPA helps families remain safely housed, maintain employment authorization, and access legal protections that support long-term stability.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2025-26 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget.