By electing Jennifer, we will have our first-ever county supervisor elected who lives in an unincorporated area!
As an Ashland resident, Jennifer understands the unique challenges our community faces without direct, elected representation at the local level. She’s been serving as council member on the Eden MAC since its creation four years ago. She has served as Vice President of the Alameda Health System Board. Our Unincorporated neighbors in Ashland, Castro Valley, Fairview, Cherryland and other communities not in this district deserve to have an elected leader, like Jennifer, who understands what it’s like to be an unincorporated resident.
Because there are only two candidates, this election will be decided on March 5th. We have an opportunity for direct representation right now! We can elect someone who cares about us. Someone who knows what it is like to walk down the street when suddenly the sidewalk ends and you’re forced to either walk in the street or walk in the mud. After 24 years of the same representation, we still have huge needs. We need change in order to get our needs met.
Hear Jennifer on:
Jennifer Esteen Speaks on Issues in Unincorporated Alameda County
Jennifer Esteen on Representing Unincorporated Communities: Castro Valley, Ashland, & Fairview
See all Jennifer’s position videos on YouTube.com
Housing:
Our community needs more funding for the development of housing that is actually affordable for working families, and for ensuring that any new housing development doesn’t fuel displacement of marginalized communities. I am a proponent of publicly-subsided and owned mixed-income development, along with rent increase limits and eviction protections for the unincorporated areas of Alameda County.
Finding meaningful and long-term solutions to our homelessness crisis must be a priority for anyone currently serving in elected office. Our unhoused neighbors deserve dignity, respect, and our commitment to getting them the services and housing they need to survive and thrive. That means not just providing them with a shelter bed but doing the hard work to build trust and connect people to mental health, healthcare, substance abuse, education, job training, long-term housing, and the many other services and support needed to not just get people off the street but keep people off the street.
Healthcare:
My local budget priorities include preventative healthcare and behavioral healthcare infrastructure and staff spending, housing people who are unhoused in permanent and supportive housing when necessary, and public safety spending that creates pathways for diversion away from carceral systems.
Jobs:
I fight every day for the rights of all workers. There are over 2,000 unfilled county-level positions. That means our residents aren’t getting the support and service they need, and our dedicated public servants are stretched way too thin. As a Supervisor, I will fight to ensure county jobs provide fair pay, and that filling positions is a priority across Alameda County.
Justice:
I have seen firsthand the ways in which diminished funding for mental health care — along with inflated investments in jails and prisons — means that people who need psychiatric treatment are often incarcerated rather than provided with community-based outpatient care. In addition to being far more expensive, this has led to extended and unconstitutional stays in county jails for some of our most vulnerable residents. As a County Supervisor, I will advocate for shifting funds back into community-based care, to ensure our community has access to compassionate and high-quality mental health services.
Representation for Unincorporated Communities:
As an Ashland resident and councilmember of the Eden Municipal Advisory Council, I understand the unique challenges our community faces without direct, elected representation at the local level and would be the first supervisor elected from an unincorporated community.