After two decades of addressing homelessness and housing in the public sector for various jurisdictions, I’ve learned that effective solutions and results depend on collaborative leadership. Prioritizing housing solutions, providing immediate relief for those experiencing homelessness, and facilitating housing necessary for the economic mobility of our local workforce is essential.
This work demands a coordinated approach where City Hall serves as a unifying and driving force, building strong relationships with partners, educating the public to counter misinformation, and fostering a culture of shared responsibility. This requires bringing together staff, community members housed and unhoused, nonprofits, county agencies and other stakeholders.
It requires a leader to guide these groups to set aside personal agendas and remain focused on implementing proven strategies that yield results in our hometown.
A leader must invest time in understanding the operations and objectives of other agencies. This allows us to discover how our resources and initiatives can complement theirs and vice versa, leading to opportunities to share expertise and amplifying our collective capacity. Looking beyond city limits to understand how successful programs in other communities can be adapted to address the unique needs of our community is necessary.
My experience leading housing initiatives in Morgan Hill taught me that success in addressing this complex issue requires meeting people where they are—literally in the streets and creeks—without judgment and with a willingness to find a path forward that leads them to housing. It doesn’t always happen overnight, but with consistency and a multitude of supportive partners, progress will happen.
I was fortunate to be part of the Morgan Hill team that fostered a culture of teamwork and prioritized solutions. We built housing, launched economic mobility initiatives and collaborated with the county, school district, local nonprofits, and faith community to ensure efficient housing placements. We adopted innovative approaches like safe parking programs and daily proactive outreach conducted by city staff with social work expertise.
We also secured resources for cold-weather shelters and rental assistance and implemented an inclusionary housing ordinance to create homeownership and rental opportunities for local working families. Gilroy deserves the same level of excellence. We’ve missed crucial opportunities to address homelessness and affordability proactively.
We all want a safe, clean community where everyone has a home. A leader must prioritize relationship building, treat everyone with dignity and respect, and champion solutions that deliver tangible results. Equally important is a commitment to community education and engagement, ensuring that everyone understands the complexities of homelessness and the progress being made.
I believe Greg Bozzo is the right person to lead us as mayor. He’s committed to making a shift toward practical solutions that could have been implemented long ago.
He possesses the ability to inspire action and guide us toward a balanced approach, to be honest about the challenges, and to clearly articulate what it will take to make progress. Homelessness is a complex challenge that no one person can solve alone. It requires a leader to believe that we all belong to one another and to possess the ability to guide Gilroy forward.
Rebecca Garcia
Gilroy
