Elected Official? Create newsletters in minutes, not hours.
Transparent, authentic, comprehensive newsletters to maximize constituent representation and civic engagement.
Hector Sosa Newsletter — June 21, 2026
📬 Councilmember Hector Sosa | District 2, Downey | June 22, 2026
Good morning, neighbors,
This past weekend gave Downey a little of everything, from Juneteenth on Friday to our first-ever World Cup Fan Zone on Saturday to Father's Day on Sunday. Father's Day weekend always brings me back to the same idea, that the real reason any of us do this work is the next generation coming up right behind us. The week ahead picks up on that same note. The Council takes up a decision Tuesday that could reshape a stretch of Firestone Boulevard for years, our region just posted real progress on homelessness, and there is a mental health resource for dads and men that I want to put on your radar. Here's what's ahead.
🚨 Public Safety
🔹 A 21 Percent Drop in Homelessness Across Our Region: New data from the Gateway Cities Council of Governments shows homelessness across Southeast Los Angeles County fell 21 percent between 2024 and 2025, from 6,282 people counted down to 4,964. That is 1,318 fewer of our neighbors living on the street, in a vehicle, or in a shelter, and it did not happen by accident.
→ 📊 What is behind the number: The progress is being credited to a coordinated regional approach that pairs street outreach with shelter access, housing navigation, mental health care, and help finding work. The same report counted 471 fewer people struggling with substance use and 45 fewer facing serious mental health challenges. Locally, this is the exact model Downey runs through STEP and our partnership with City Net, which I have walked through in earlier newsletters.
→ 🎯 Why this matters to me: Helping our homeless neighbors with compassion and effectiveness is one of the commitments I made when I first ran for office, and numbers like these are how all of us stay accountable to that promise. A 21 percent drop is real progress, not a finish line. Behind every percentage point is a person who got a second shot at stability, and that is worth the long, unglamorous work it takes to get there.
👉 Read the Downey Patriot's report
💰 Budget & Finance
🔹 The Council Is Back in Chambers This Tuesday, June 23: Our next regular meeting is Tuesday, June 23 at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers at Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Avenue. June carries real weight at City Hall, because our budget year resets on July 1. The choices the Council locks in around now decide how much we put behind public safety, our parks, and our libraries for the months ahead.
→ 💡 Where I come down on this: Downey has earned a long, nationally recognized record of balanced budgets, and keeping that discipline intact is a big part of why I wanted this seat. I do financial planning for a living, so I will always push for the math to be spelled out in plain language, especially when real money is on the line. This week's agenda also carries a major economic development decision that I break down further down the page.
→ 🎯 How to weigh in: With a decision this size on the table, this is a good week to make your voice part of the record. You can speak in person during public comment, submit a written comment ahead of time, or watch the livestream and follow up with my office afterward. When an agenda item touches your neighborhood, that input genuinely shapes how I vote.
👉 Review the agenda and city documents
💼 Economic Development
🔹 Costco Could Be Coming to Firestone Boulevard: This is a big one. On Tuesday, the Council will consider a master development agreement that would clear the way for a Costco warehouse and gas station on Firestone Boulevard, on the former All American Home Center site and the current Downey Nissan property. The plan moves in two phases. First, Downey Nissan relocates across Firestone to a new home, and then construction on the Costco can begin.
→ 📊 The fiscal picture, in plain terms: The agreement asks the city to put up $10.5 million from our economic opportunities reserve, with Costco contributing up to $20.8 million toward the dealership's relocation. Even after that allocation, the city's reserve is projected to sit just under $23 million, more than $5 million above the minimum that government finance standards recommend. The city estimates Costco would generate more than $3 million in new sales tax revenue every year, the kind of dollars that refill the reserve and pay for our core services.
→ 🎯 My take: I am genuinely excited about what a project like this could mean for Downey, more jobs, a stronger tax base, and a major anchor on a corridor with real potential. The vote has not happened yet, and I take the fiscal guardrails seriously, which is why the reserve math matters as much to me as any ribbon cutting would. If this is something you have an opinion on, Tuesday is the night to share it.
🔹 Downey Hosted Its First-Ever World Cup Fan Zone: Saturday, June 20 was a first for our city. Downey was one of only ten communities across Los Angeles County chosen to host an official Los Angeles World Cup 26 Fan Zone, and Stonewood Center filled up for a full day of live match broadcasts, an opening ceremony, soccer exhibitions, an art walk, food vendors, and a beer garden, all free to the public.
→ ⚡ Why this was a big deal for us: Being picked alongside venues like Union Station and Venice Beach put Downey on a genuinely global stage for a day. Beyond the fun of it, a crowd that size means real foot traffic for our shops and restaurants and another sign of the momentum building across the city heading into summer. When the world's biggest tournament comes to Los Angeles, it means something that a piece of it landed right here at Stonewood.
🔹 Building Our Local Workforce With SELACO: Earlier this week I joined the SELACO Workforce Development Board for a run of policy board, executive committee, and strategic planning meetings focused on one goal, providing all-around, holistic resources for our local workforce. SELACO is the regional board that connects job seekers and employers across Downey and seven neighboring cities, all of it free of charge.
→ 🎯 Why I make time for this: Helping people find their footing is the work I do in my own career, so a board built around training, hiring, and second chances is one I am glad to serve on for Downey. Whether you are breaking into the job market, returning to work after time away, or running a business that needs to upskill its team, this is a resource worth knowing.
👉 Explore SELACO's workforce resources
🧠 Men's Mental Health
🔹 A Resource for Dads, Right on Time for Father's Day: June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year it lined up with Father's Day weekend in a way that felt fitting. At this month's meeting of the LA County Commission on Local Government Services, where I represent the Independent Cities Association, the Department of Mental Health walked us through its Father's Support Hub, an online home for fathers looking for resources, support groups, and mental health tools.
→ 💡 Why I am passing this along: There is still a stigma around men asking for help, and it does not fade because of a hashtag. It fades when we point each other toward what is already out there. Launching Downey's first Men's Mental Health Fair has been one of the efforts I am proudest of, and the message behind it has not changed. Men's mental health is something that still gets talked about too rarely, and there is real strength in a man being willing to ask for help. If you are a dad, or you love one, this hub is worth a look.
👉 Visit the LA County Father's Support Hub
📅 Coming Up
🔹 🏛️ City Council Meeting: Tuesday, June 23, 6:30 PM, Council Chambers, Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Avenue. The Costco development agreement is on the agenda.
🔹 🇺🇸 Independence Day Is Around the Corner: The Fourth of July lands on a Saturday this year. A friendly reminder that fireworks outside of permitted public displays are illegal in Downey, and the Police Department steps up enforcement around the holiday. Let's keep it festive and safe for our neighbors, our kids, and our pets.
🔹 🏛️ City Hall Moves to a Four-Day Week on July 6: Starting Monday, July 6, City Hall shifts to new hours of 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, and will be closed on Fridays. Plan in-person visits accordingly, and remember the Downey Connect App handles plenty of requests around the clock.
📱 Stay Connected
Got a pothole to report, graffiti to flag, or a service request to submit? The Downey Connect App is the fastest, most direct path to getting things done, available for both Apple and Android.
👉 Download the Downey Connect App
Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for real-time updates, event highlights, and a look at what I am working on between newsletters.
A lot of this week points forward, toward a bigger tax base, a healthier region, and a city that keeps building for the kids coming up next. The part I keep circling back to, though, is simpler than any agenda item. Father's Day was a reminder that the people we serve are often sitting right at our own dinner tables. So take care of the dads and the men in your life this month, check on the ones who never think to ask for help, and I will keep doing my part down at City Hall. Grateful, as always, that you make time to read these.
Have a question, a concern, or an idea? Hit reply. I read every message.
