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Tuesday, February 18, 2025
City CouncilAffordable housing is Franco Perez's focus as he campaigns for Mayor

Affordable housing is Franco Perez’s focus as he campaigns for Mayor

Finding affordable housing solutions for families in the Bay Area is something that drives Franco Perez. And it’s a big part of why he’s running for Mayor of Milpitas.

Growing up in the South Bay with a single mom who struggled to make ends meet gave Perez an up-close perspective on how challenging homeownership can be…

“Unless you’re born into a family that can help you with a down payment or financially, that dream of home ownership is dying in a fast, rapid way,” said Perez in an interview with The Beat. “There are a lot of low-income families just trying to make ends meet. And housing is the foundation of that for me.” 

Three years ago, Perez started a business to help people find mobile homes to purchase. Before that, he had a real estate business.    

“I ran into mobile homes by accident….and really witnessed a lot of cases seeing families get out of renting, owning these homes, and getting out of the rent cycle and into homeownership,” stated Perez.

Perez’s company encompasses everything concerning mobile homes. They optimize old mobile homes and turn them into new ones. They also help people resell mobile homes. 

“My personal focus is anything that really helps the middle class attain ownership. We really focus on this being the bridge for people,” said Perez. 

Through his work, he is also trying to help get rid of the stigma that mobile homes are “trailer trash” or “ghetto.” 

“If you actually drive through these communities, they’re very well-maintained. And they’re more connected – they have shared clubhouses, shared swimming pools…” said Perez. 

Having lived in Milpitas for 18 years, Perez feels that he understands our community well. He believes that the city is starting to solely benefit the wealthy, and that there aren’t any opportunities for low-income families, or even the middle class, to get ahead.

“If I’m Mayor of Milpitas, it will allow me to work with other cities like San Jose and nearby cities to be able to collaborate to fix the housing issue that’s happening in the city,” said Perez. 

If elected, one thing that Perez plans to do is to create a kind of “owner occupied deed restriction.” He mentioned that one of the best parts of mobile homes is that you’re not competing with investors or people who want to buy them as rentals. 

“It allows for the purchase price to stay affordable. In order to purchase one of these homes, it has to be their primary residence. It allows for less competition for people to buy it as an investment,” Perez told The Beat. “We need to open the doors for people to be able to afford housing here. And we have to slow down the rate that institutional money is buying real estate.” 

Perez attended Sinnott Elementary and Rancho Middle School, and is a graduate of Milpitas High School. He loves the small-town vibe of Milpitas, and feels that the safety in the community is one of the biggest pros to living here. 

Although Perez would be a newcomer to Milpitas politics, should he be elected, he doesn’t feel that should get in the way of his ability to make an impact. 

“I think a lot of people talk about not having political experience as a weakness but I often feel like that can be my biggest strength,” said Perez. “I can see things in a new perspective. And I’m truly incentivized to focus on the middle class and help provide opportunity for low-income families.”  

Perez is running against Vice Mayor Carmen Montano, Councilmember Anthony Phan, Councilmember Karina Dominguez, retired geologist Voltaire Montemayor, and business owner Ola Hassan.

 

 

 



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Rhoda Shapiro
Rhoda Shapiro
Rhoda Shapiro is the winner of a 2022 Golden Quill Award for her Education journalism. She works as a journalist and media consultant in the Bay Area. She has written for both the Tri-City Voice and the Mercury News, and is the founder of Chi Media Company, which works mostly with nonprofit organizations and educational entities to elevate their marketing and communication platforms. Rhoda is also the author of “Fierce Woman: Wake up your Badass Self” and “Magic Within: Womb-Centered Wisdom to Realize the Power of Your Sacred Feminine Self.” Her YouTube channel features practices in yoga, meditation, and women’s empowerment. Rhoda is The Milpitas Beat’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief.

1 COMMENT

  1. “Finding affordable housing solutions” is a tired old mantra repeated by innumerable politicians, and yet it’s as bad as it’s always been. The only realistic way to deal with it is to increase the supply! What’s happening with Sango Ct.?

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