My name is Rafael Perez, and I am asking for your support for my candidacy for Central Committee in the 80th Assembly District. 

Why should you support me? Because I am rooted in my community, I’m fighting for equitable outcomes in the housing space, I’m involved as a leader in the Party, and I have successfully passed state policy that would create more affordable homeownership options for those who have been priced out of the market in a way that takes advantage of existing infrastructure in a smart way.

I am an appointed official and serve on impactful boards including as a Commissioner on the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, I’m outgoing Board Chair of the Sherman Heights Community Center, I am incoming Board Chair of the Casita Coalition and am also a Board Member of the United Lowrider Coalition, where we successfully repealed the racist Cruising Ban in National City and then went on to repeal Cruising Bans statewide with Assemblymember Alvarez’s AB 436 that we sponsored. In recent years I was awarded the Fair Housing Champion award by the National Association of Realtors for my work in fighting to reverse years of discrimination in discriminatory zoning practices in housing and within the association itself. 

I run my own real estate business, which gives me the flexibility to volunteer my time and make all the impacts in our community that the flexibility affords, including working as Adjunct Faculty at Cuyamaca College where I teach Real Estate to a broad range of students and am a member of AFT local 1931. 

I have been Married to my wife Sharina for 15 years and am a big supporter of her work at Planned Parenthood where she is a Director. We have daughter, Olivia, and I am involved at her school, Sherman Elementary. There, I have worked on the Community Schools initiative where I am actively connecting community resources and participating in committees and the PTA.

In my spare time I enjoy cruising my 1951 Lowrider and riding my 29” GT BMX.

BIO

Rafael Perez has been working in the housing space for the last 20 years. His experience in housing includes finance, real estate, and housing policy focused on missing middle housing. Rafael is a Realtor and Adjunct Faculty Member with broad community experience and service on several boards and commissions. 

Rafael has been named two time Realtor of the Year recipient at the Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors (2017, 2020) where he currently serves on the board of Directors. Rafael was also recognized as a 2022 Fair Housing Champion by the National Association of Realtors where he served for 4 years on the Fair Housing Policy Committee as a founding member. 

Mr. Perez has served in board leadership roles for several nonprofits, working on issues ranging from hyper-local to National in scope. Rafael served as 2023 Board Chair of the Sherman Heights Community Center, which services thousands of people in the surrounding communities each year providing programing for youth, Seniors and other populations in need. 

Rafael is 2024 Chair at the Casita Coalition where he has advocated for Federal Finance reform and worked with stakeholders to continue to tackle California’s housing shortage through Missing Middle housing options. Most recently, Rafael worked as a key stakeholder on AB 1033 (Ting) which allows ADU’s to be sold as condos, creating new homeownership opportunities for those that have been priced out of the market in an efficient infill way.

Mr. Perez served 9 years on San Diego’s Citizens’ Equal Opportunity Commission, where he was a strong advocate for the disparity study the city commissioned. Rafael currently serves as a Board Member on the San Diego Regional Airport Authority. Mr. Perez serves as Secretary for the San Diego County Democratic Party and is a 2004 graduate of San Diego State University.