County Snapshots: CSAC President Griffiths Visits Solano, San Mateo and Contra Costa Counties

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By
CSAC Staff
Date Published
October 2, 2025

Solano County  

Supervisors Cassandra James and Wanda Wilson welcomed President Griffiths on Monday. The Supervisors led everyone on an informational tour of Solano County, that included a session with California Forever, where representatives discussed the organization’s vision for building dense, walkable communities and regional economic opportunities.  

Attendees review a map of the proposed California Forever project.

During a working lunch session, Assemblymember Lori Wilson (11th Assembly District) joined the group to discuss local and state priorities. Californians for Safety and Justice also spoke with the group, outlining how their goal is to stop being over reliant on incarceration. Solano County is currently one of their focus counties.

Assemblymember Lori Wilson and President Jeff Griffiths discuss county priorities.

The group continued the tour to Solano County’s waterfront and discussed two great opportunities that exist there: the Second Chance Apprenticeship Program and the California State Maritime Academy.  

President Griffiths and Chris Reco, President and CEO of Solano EDC overlook the Solano County waterfront.

The Second Chance Apprenticeship Program serves students who face barriers to success, with 60% of students who have a criminal record. The program is a multi-county collaborative effort. The program provides 8 to10-weeks of training that includes pathways into trades and unions, supports expungement efforts, and demonstrates the value of cross-county partnerships. While Maritime Academy is the only one of its kind on the West Coast and has a national applicant pool. 

Chris Reco, Supervisor Wanda Williams, President Griffiths, Assemblymember Lori Wilson, Supervisor Cassandra James, CSAC CEO Graham Knaus, and CSAC COO Chastity Benson, alongside the team behind Californians for Safety and Justice.

San Mateo County  

President Griffiths joined Supervisors Corzo and Gauthier to tour the San Mateo County Navigation Center which has created a service rich interim supportive housing program. San Mateo County, Life Moves, and other community-based organizations partner together to provide full wraparound services to include primary, dental and psychiatric care onsite. The dental program on site has improved the wait time for dental care from 12-18 months to just two weeks. 

CSAC President Griffiths, Supervisor Gauthier and Supervisor Corzo during the tour of San Mateo County’s Navigation Center. In the background are some of the housing units, and the cafeteria to the right 
President Griffiths touring one of the housing units. In partnership with the SPCA, animals are allowed in housing units as well, increasing the number of people who can be served

Clients have access to onsite case management featuring housing, benefits, and vocational specialists and can attend evening workshops and support groups. The facility includes a commercial training kitchen where participants can learn culinary skills, gain their safe food handler certificates. 85-90% of individuals who participate in the culinary program are gainfully employed when leaving the Navigation Center. Since the Navigation Center’s opening in 2023, the county reports a 20% decrease in homelessness through the PIT count. 

Supervisor Mueller hosts a roundtable discussion with Supervisor Corzo, President Griffiths, Half Moon Bay Mayor Brownstone, CSAC Staff, San Mateo County Staff, and ALAS

President Griffiths joined Supervisor Mueller for a roundtable discussion with Half Moon Bay Mayor Robert Brownstone, ALAS and San Mateo County staff where they discussed farmworker housing, tailored mental health programs and the community’s immigration concerns. Supervisor Corzo and President Griffiths finished the day with a stop at the coast, and a ride on Caltrain to discuss the county’s share of transit funding.

Supervisor Corzo and President Griffiths discuss the nature found in their counties 
Supervisor Corzo and President Griffiths on CalTrain 

Contra Costa County

Contra Costa Supervisor John Gioia welcomed President Griffiths on Wednesday for a tour of the under-construction West County Re-Entry, Treatment, and Housing Facility at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond. The new facility will feature 272 beds, including 96 dedicated to behavioral health treatment and support. It will also include a health clinic offering services such as optometry, dental care, x-ray, and dialysis, along with space for reentry programs, family reunification, and workforce readiness initiatives—helping residents successfully transition back into the community. 

Sonia Sutherland, MD (Contra Costa Health, Medical Director, Detention Health), President Griffiths, Supervisor Gioia, and Lavonna Martin (Contra Costa County Deputy Director of Health Services) pose in front of the West County Reentry, Treatment, and Housing facility.
Supervisor Gioia and Lavonna Martin (Contra Costa County Deputy Director of Health Services) discuss the family reunification center at the West County Reentry, Treatment, and Housing facility.

Supervisor John Gioia and Contra Costa Deputy Director of Health Services Lavonna Martin guided President Griffiths and CSAC staff on a tour of the Brookside Housing and Services campus. Highlights included a homeless shelter transformed from a dormitory-style layout into individual sleep stations, a mental health rehabilitation center currently under construction, and the Calli House Youth Shelter supporting vulnerable young people in the community. 

Chief of Programs at Contra Costa County Health, Housing and Homeless Services Jenny Robbins leads a tour of a 41-bed homeless shelter that recently transitioned from dormitory setting to individual sleep stations, offering privacy and reduced entry barriers.
Attendees tour the Brookside Housing and Services campus dog park.

Next, they visited El Portal Permanent Supportive Housing, a facility offering 54 micro-unit apartments with onsite services such as case management, community support, behavioral health referrals, benefits assistance, and health care. Funded through California’s Homekey program and Contra Costa County’s Measure X, the project provides critical resources for residents in need.

President Griffiths and Supervisor Gioia preview a unit at the El Portal Permanent Supportive Housing facility.

The final stop of the tour was George Miller III Head Start Preschool, which opened in 2004 and serves 200 children ages 3–5. In anticipation of the visit, the children created welcome signs for Supervisor Gioia, who attended the facility’s opening 20 years ago and has remained a long-time supporter

A teacher at George Miller III instructs Supervisor Gioia and President Griffiths.
Supervisor Gioia and President Griffiths pose with signs created by the children at George Miller III.