Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson
About Shebreh
My story starts in Northern Iran just before the revolution. My parents left post-revolution Iran for the U.S. when I was seven years old to find a better life for their two daughters. Our immigration story includes my family being separated for a year, traveling through Turkey and Germany, and making it from the ground up once we finally made it here. My story and my family’s story includes experiences with gender, class, and religious injustices. While I learned the meaning of equity–or simply stated, fairness–at a very young age, I have also had many privileges including education, housing stability, and good health that have led me to my life here in Santa Cruz.
From the moment I first came here to visit the University, Santa Cruz felt like home. The Santa Cruz mountains reminded me of the Alborz mountains that separated my hometown in Northern Iran from the major metropolitan cities. The Pacific Ocean smelled like the Caspian Sea that I grew up near.
Santa Cruz has been my home and my community since then. Here in Santa Cruz, my husband and I started his integrative bodywork clinic business, I started my consulting business and most importantly, I became the mother of my two boys, 14-year-old Darioush and 12-year-old Shyon.
My educational background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and French from UC Santa Cruz and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from San Jose State.
For the past two decades I have dedicated my work to building strong equitable communities. Through my consulting business, I provide grant writing, program coordination and management, facilitation, organizational development and leadership capacity building in the fields of public health, education and social services.
Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson currently provides professional grant writing, organizational development/strategic planning, facilitation, and program management services to agencies working in the areas of public health, education and social services. Her work has generated increased investment and funding in the community, innovative projects, and health focused local policies. Shebreh has secured over $30 millions in grant funding over the last 15 years for Santa Cruz to address a range of issues such as immigration rights, mental health and substance use, juvenile justice reform and youth homelessness. Shebreh is also the co-founder of Impact Launch, a social enterprise made up of a collective of social impact professionals committed to supporting individuals, teams and collaboratives to work more effectively for equitable and sustainable outcomes.
Shebreh was elected to the Santa Cruz City Council in November of 2020. As a councilmember, she has:
Put forward an action-oriented racial equity resolution addressing acts of hate against people of color while also increasing opportunities for people of color to serve in leadership positions.
Co-led a ballot initiative that gets resources such as recreational scholarships to underserved youth.
Spearhead the Children & Youth Bill of Rights which ensures that we keep the needs of young people at the forefront of our decision making and that we have youth engaged in our decision making process
Pushed for a services-oriented approach to homelessness that has resulted in the City’s Homeless Response Action Plan that invests a significant amount of resources to helping those who are unhoused.
And supported affordable housing projects
Shebreh also serves in other leadership roles including:
Commissioner for the Central California Alliance for Health Board
Member of Dignity Health Community Advisory Board’s Community Giving Body,
Board member for the Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley
Board member for Community Action Board
Board member for the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District
Alternate Commissioner for the Regional Transportation Commission
Alternate City Council representative for the Criminal Justice Council
Shebreh received her B.A. in Psychology and French/Francophonie Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and a Masters in Social Work from San Jose State University. Shebreh is fluent in written and conversational French and fluent in conversational Farsi and is a native of Iran. She is a mother of two boys, is married and has lived in in Santa Cruz California for over 20 years.
NAACP Candidates Forum March 28, 2022 6 pm
with candidates for County Supervisor representing the 3rd district.
As a new county supervisor, what would be your top 3 priorities?
I have secured resources for our community to address its many challenges, I have developed and implemented local policy at the city and county levels, and I have worked effectively in the government framework. To summarize, I have the skills, experience and passion to serve my community to work towards a more resilient, inclusive and diverse community. As a Supervisor, I will focus on:Housing, Homelessness and Behavioral Health. As someone who worked in San Francisco’s Tenderloin and with youth and young adults with lived experience in our community, I understand the complexities of homelessness. Most recently, as a city councilmember, I worked on policies that set parameters on time, place and manner for encampments and oversized vehicles while successfully advocating for services such as safe sleeping, transitional shelter, and safe parking. I will bring this same commitment to creative approaches as your voice on the County Board of Supervisors.
I believe that the County should take the lead on solving our homeless problem; the cities have neither the resources nor the proper jurisdiction to address the complexities involved in addressing the needs of the unhoused. There is no one easy solution. It will take partnering across our jurisdictions, aligning the focus of city and county departments and leveraging all available resources. Our approach will have to be nuanced and holistic. We must simultaneously address the crisis of street homelessness while working upstream to prevent homelessness and increase housing options.
Behavioral health issues are a local and national crisis. I will make addressing these issues a priority by advocating for increased resources and for a county coordinated response network that addresses the needs of all, including those with most acute crises.
Housing is a public health and social equity issue. I have supported housing projects that increase our housing stock, maintain the integrity of our community, and improve our downtown. Our county policies and processes are outdated and need to be improved and streamlined. I will focus on policies and programs that increase the housing stock without impacting the quality of life or the natural environment and improve our internal systems to allow for expediency of rebuilding for those who have been impacted by the fires.
Climate Action and Emergency Preparedness & Recovery. The CZU fire devasted parts of our county. It is not a stand-alone event. With the growing impacts of climate change combined with population issues, we need to be prepared with quick response and supportive recovery. We also need our communities to be prepared. I will work with our emergency response professionals to identify areas of vulnerability and concern.
I will support community members impacted by the CZU Lighting Complex fire and fight to remove barriers to rebuilding and make sure we are setting up the infrastructure to prepare for future events. For our fire danger, this includes actions such as fuel mitigation, more reliable roads, more sources of power and water, and more accessible first responders.
We must be bold and forward thinking in our climate action planning and response. I will advocate for:
Equitable renewable energy programs such as microgrids and solar;
Adopting innovative water conservation initiatives;
Ensuring access to rebates and incentives for all income brackets from homeowners to renters;
Developing a conservation academy and green workforce;
Prioritizing walkable communities; and
Supporting sustainable transit options that address Santa Cruz’s County-wide number one source of carbon emissions.
I will ensure the County delivers on its Climate Action Plan with ambitious strategy and goals, and will work closely to support the attainment of necessary resources for our Office of Response, Recovery, and Resilience department (OR3) to be successful in all areas of emissions reduction, climate change impact mitigation, and ongoing recovery to existing climate-induced catastrophes including flood, fire, and infrastructure repair.
Economic Vitality & Recovery.I will work across sectors to help revitalize and generate a vibrant economy and workforce. The pandemic has changed the face of our economy. We will need to rethink and rebuild. I will advocate for:
Building up our workforce with systems partners, through apprenticeships and workforce training initiatives;
Targeting economic development of inclusive businesses within high-opportunity industries;
Increasing access to financial services and supports for prospective first-time business owners who are from marginalized communities; and
Removing administrative barriers for starting local businesses.
I will work with Supervisor colleagues and county departments to utilize an Equity lens as we develop and implement policies.
Do you support Sheriff's oversight by a trained (e.g. NACOLE) civilian committee, with subpoena power, that will hold public meetings and seek public input? Please provide rationale for your answer.
I would be open to exploring the idea of a Sheriff’s oversight committee. The Criminal Justice Council recently released the Santa Cruz County Regional Public Safety Agency Policy Review and Analysis. One of their recommendations was to explore this options. There have also been other recommendations that have come forth through cross-sector analysis. In 2019 county departments including District Attorney’s Office, Probation, Health Services and Sheriff’s Office worked with a research firm to conduct a Sequential Intercept Mapping for Santa Cruz County. Some of the key recommendations from that mapping include:Trainings-including Involuntary commitments holds & Crisis Intervention Team trainings
Law Enforcement responses to behavioral health and mental health challenges
And increasing mental team in the jails as well as rehabilitation and reentry services
Some of these recommendations have since either been implemented or are being explored. I have worked on and successfully secured grant funds to help address some of these gaps (i.e. 2019 Prop 47 grant for $6 million that we received and are currently re applying for).
Do you support creating a non-law enforcement team of responders to non-felony calls for service and 911 & 988 calls?
Yes I do support this approach. I have been meeting with our County Behavioral Health team, members of the County Mental Health Commission, as well as the Sheriff to discuss these approaches. Our County currently has a state grant to pilot this program. I am hopeful that we will be successful and will leverage our success to bring in additional resources. This type of response is really under the purview of the County with resources from the State. I would advocate for us to expand the pilot program and put it to scale.Do you think that the Sheriff's Office is too militarized? Explain.
The traditional culture of law enforcement is derived from a military authoritative mindset. However, I think our local Sheriff’s office has done a good job of shifting away from this culture and approach. Our County was one of the first to adopt the 21st Century Policing policies that President Obama put forward. We have served as a model for other communities. There’s always more work to be done and I would advocate and push for continued improvement of our Sheriff’s Office.What do you think are the three most important practical actions the County can take to end homelessness in the County?
This is one of the reasons why I am motivated to serve in this role. The County plays a significant role in addressing this issue.
The number one issue that our community members bring up to me is homelessness. This was echoed in a recent Santa Cruz city poll. No matter how old or young, or where people are on the political spectrum, homelessness is at the top of people’s minds. The realities of street homelessness grow harsher as the scourge of fentanyl and methamphetamine continue to ravage our community, literally killing people on our streets and impacting those who are unhoused, housed, in our neighborhoods, and in our open spaces. I have worked on the issue of homelessness over the last two decades. My work has included:
Providing direct service to formerly homeless adults living in subsidized housing in the Tenderloin in San Francisco;Successfully acquiring multi-million dollar grants to address adult and youth homelessness in Santa Cruz;
Leading a community strategic planning process to develop strategies and solutions to address youth and young adult homelessness in Santa Cruz; supporting the coordination of project implementation
How our city has responded hasn’t been working. My approach has been to set parameters that positively impact public health AND commit and invest in resources for our unhoused population. Instead of our past piecemeal approach, we have embarked on a deeply collaborative community effort to create a holistic roadmap.
The passing of the Camping Services and Standards Ordinance as well as the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance were the impetus that shaped the now unanimously approved and adopted Santa Cruz City Homeless Response Action Plan. These ordinances and the solutions that accompany them are accomplishing the following:
Fewer people on the streets
Fewer large encampments
More people sheltering and receiving basic service (hygiene stations, storage)
Safe parking and case management
Fewer vehicles overnight on city streets and neighborhoods
Causing vehicle fires
Litter including needles
Human waste in our waterways
Restored parks including San Lorenzo Park and River
And ultimately more people housed and in treatment and a greater sense of health and safety for all community members.
These are actions the City of Santa Cruz has taken…but the City cannot play the main role of addressing this very complex challenge. The County plays a significant role in providing shelter, behavioral health care, wrap around services and a pathway to housing.
These are strategies I have worked on and moved forward through successful grant proposals and community planning. As a Supervisors, I would bring my colleague along to provide an array of sheltering options for the range of unhoused community members that are out there. I would increase our behavioral health and treatment response and I would leverage my relationship with our State legislators to bring in additional resources to support this work.
6. How do you envision making a dent in the affordable housing unit problem here in this County?
Cost of housing in Santa Cruz County is one of the highest in California and by some measures in the nation. This is visible as we see our homeless numbers increase. We have a wide range of housing needs including very low-income, low income and ‘workforce’ housing (or the ‘missing middle’). As a City councilmember, I have been in support of housing projects, in particular those that provide 100% affordable housing. I have also supported the development of mixed use housing that create walkable communities. I am working closely with our City Planning Department as we develop Objective Standards and begin the process of revising our General Plan Housing Element, both of which could support the development of more affordable housing.
I plan on continuing with similar efforts as a Supervisor. The county will need to update its Housing Element to ensure that we have enough affordable housing sites available to meet our RHNA targets. After adopting a strong housing element, we must quickly revise our zoning ordinance to facilitate the approval of housing projects on sites identified in the housing element. I will also pursue planning reform to identify and address barriers to building. This could include considering special fast-tracking for 100 percent affordable projects. I will pursue mixed-use inclusionary housing projects that would allow for diverse walkable communities along transportation corridors and in the more urbanized areas of the county. I will focus specifically on incentivizing affordable housing units. For example, making some inclusionary housing units section 8--which will allow for affordable units without lowering the rent for developers, making projects more economically feasible. I will work on increasing resources for affordable housing through bond measures or special taxes that would fund the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. I would focus on setting aside money from existing funding streams, for example, should the county sales tax increase in November, the county can designate some of these revenues towards affordable housing. Finally, it will be essential to ensure transparency through robust community engagement as we reshape our housing policies.
7. Do you have ideas on how to increase the impact of Measure J, the affordable housing initiative in Santa Cruz County? https://www.sccoplanning.com/PlanningHome/Housing/MeasureJAffordableHousingProgram.aspx
Measure J passed several decades ago to designate that some of the housing built in the County be set aside for affordable housing. Given the extreme cost of housing now, the majority if not all new housing units constructed should be affordable to working families.
Measure J was not primarily an affordable housing measure. However, it did have an important provision that created the County’s initial inclusionary housing requirements. Since Measure J was not primarily about creating housing or affordable housing, it’s perhaps not the best vehicle for the kind of large scale effort we need on affordable housing. That said, it is useful to have the inclusionary requirements for either rental or for-sale units and the county could consider increasing inclusionary requirements to create some additional affordable units. We will have to balance this however as increasing inclusionary housing significantly can stall out housing production.
We do have an opportunity before us in updating our Housing Element to ensure that we have enough affordable housing sites available to meet our RHNA targets. After adopting a strong housing element, we can revise our zoning ordinance to facilitate the approval of housing projects on sites identified in the housing element.
Some of the other ways we can increase affordable housing is by making some inclusionary housing units section 8--which allows for affordable units without lowering the rent for developers, making projects more economically feasible; and providing density bonus incentives which typically allows increases of between 10-20% over baseline permitted density in exchange for the provision of affordable housing. Importantly, we need to secure resources for affordable housing. This can be accomplished through bond measures or special taxes that would fund the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Additionally, setting aside money from existing funding streams (i.e. should the county sales tax increase in November, designating some of these revenues towards affordable housing). Finally, we need to ensure transparent community engagement so that we may listen to community needs and shape projects so that there are reduced impacts.
8. How or what would you do to increase acceptance of Housing Choice Vouchers by landlords? What would you do to open up Section 8 available housing units?
The county and the housing authority have some incentives (bonus payments, damage insurance) in place which could be bolstered. We could also focus on a better funded promotional campaign directed at property owners about the personal and community benefits of accepting a section 8 tenant. There is also an opportunity for the Board of Supervisors to utilize discretion on conditions on projects including housing some number of section 8 tenants.
We could also work with the state to ensure that enforcement of State law that prevents discrimination against potential tenants on the source of rent payments.
9. To what extent does racial equity factor in the way you make decisions? For example, if you were elected as a Supervisor, how would you operationalize the County’s declaration that “racism is a public health crisis” and what would that look like?
As a once undocumented immigrant and a woman of color, this issue is very important to me. If we truly want a diverse, inclusive and equitable community, we must remove barriers and expand opportunities for social and economic mobility for families of color. I have spent my career in public health and social service focusing on social equity. I have accomplished this through addressing issues such as: immigration reform, criminal justice reform, youth homelessness, youth substance use prevention, and more. Each of these issues disproportionately affect BILPOC community members. I have successfully authored grants that have brought resources into our community to fund efforts such as diverting and preventing Latinx and Black youth from criminal justice system involvement; and addressing disproportionate minority confinement of youth of color in the justice system.
As a city councilmember, I have brought forth an actionable racial equity resolution that includes (among other actions): Reviewing and revising internal policies and practices- to recruit and retain a workforce broadly reflective of the community; and investing in vendors, contracts, programs, agencies, and initiatives that uplift communities of color.
As I look ahead at the opportunity to serve as a County Supervisor, I will take my extensive knowledge and expertise in the social services field to shift policies and practices that will address systemic racism and injustices. As I have done so on the council, I will not only expose and speak out against racism and other forms of injustices in our community, but I will work with the members of the Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American Pacific Islander populations to learn, grow, and amplify community led solutions. Some of the actions we are taking at the City Council will be ones that I will bring with me to the Board of Supervisors. The Board has started internal analysis through their recent collaboration on the’ A Santa Cruz County Like Me’ report. The analysis of this report can help shape our response. Some specific actions can include: culturally responsive and intentional engagement for commissions so that membership is reflective of our community; hiring practices that are culturally responsive; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion trainings for every staff, commissioner and Board member; and funding decisions that support diverse individuals, vendors, organizations and businesses. These are all important internal efforts. We must also look holistically and implement external policies and support community programming that address the social determinants of health and uplift communities of color. Some strategies may include:
Working upstream by increasing financial security and assets through children’s and matched savings accounts.
Investing in Cradle to Career initiatives that support children and families
Supporting programs that impact the early years of a child such as Nurse Family Partnerships (I serve as a commissioner on our regional Medical Program which supports NFP in our community)
Subsidized and low-cost childcare
Targeting economic development of inclusive businesses within high-opportunity industries
Increasing access to financial services and supports for prospective first time business owners who are from communities of color.
Removing administrative barriers for starting local businesses.
Ensuring broadband and internet access to communities of color living in low-income neighborhoods (I recently connected our local internet service provider to a community organization serving Latinx residents so that they may benefit from the Equal Access Initiative-which provides subsidies for internet services).
And essential for our Central Coast community and so many communities across the region is affordable housing!
Most important is that we co-create strategies with individuals and families who are Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American Pacific Islander and other populations of color. We can do this through culturally responsive outreach and engagement. Our outcome will be an inclusive and diverse community in which all Santa Cruz residents live with dignity.
10. What is your position on the Greenway initiative and why?
I supported the rail trail as a council candidate and continue to support it as a Supervisor candidate. It is important to keep all of our options open, in particular as the federal and state governments have committed to investing in our infrastructure. I’ve endorsed No Way GreenWay which is opposing the Greenway initiative.
11. What do you think is the largest threat posed by climate change to Santa Cruz County and what actions will you take to mitigate that threat?
As we think about climate protection, it will be important to demonstrate a strong nexus between COVID recovery, fire recovery and climate action.
The CZU fire devastated parts of our county. It is not a stand-alone event. With the growing impacts of climate change combined with population issues, we need to be prepared with quick response and supportive recovery. We also need our communities to be prepared. I will work with our emergency response professionals to identify areas of vulnerability and concern.
I will support community members impacted by the CZU Lighting Complex fire and fight to remove barriers to rebuilding and make sure we are setting up the infrastructure to prepare for future events. For our fire danger, this includes actions such as fuel mitigation, more reliable roads, more sources of power and water, and more accessible first responders.
Other climate action responses I will advocate for include:
Equitable renewable energy programs such as microgrids and solar;
Adopting innovative water conservation initiatives;
Ensuring access to rebates and incentives for all income brackets from homeowners to renters;
Building out EV infrastructure
Developing a conservation academy and green workforce;
Prioritizing walkable communities and focusing on green buildings; and
Supporting sustainable transit options that address Santa Cruz’s County-wide number one source of carbon emissions.
I will ensure the County delivers on its Climate Action Plan with ambitious strategy and goals, and will work closely to support the attainment of necessary resources for our Office of Response, Recovery, and Resilience department (OR3) to be successful in all areas of emissions reduction, climate change impact mitigation, and ongoing recovery to existing climate-induced catastrophes including flood, fire, and infrastructure repair.