July 2022: Stories, Events, and Opportunities to Discover
Take Action
Ways to deepen your understanding and support initiatives advancing equity, affordability, and environmental vitality in housing
Tools and Other Learning Opportunities
- Policy That Works: An investigation into policies driving Passive House adoption in North America (Passive House Network)
- Climate Safe Housing: Strategies for Multifamily Building Resilience (Enterprise Community Partners)
- California Zoning Atlas (Led by the Othering and Belonging Institute, part of the National Zoning Atlas project)
- Resource hub to support Black climate justice leadership (The Chisholm Legacy Project)
- Very High-Efficiency Heat Pumps For Multifamily Resource Guide (International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology)
- Justice40 Resources (Kapwa Consulting)
- Living Building Challenge resources for affordable housing (International Living Future Institute)
- Intro to equityXdesign (5-week course hosted by Equity Meets Design)
Petitions and Efforts to Support
- Send a letter to support new homes on Block 21 in San Mateo! Currently supported by the Housing Action Coalition and Greenbelt Alliance.
- Sign this petition to support the Housing Action Coalition, East Bay for Everyone, East Bay YIMBY, Greenbelt Alliance, and SPUR as they push Oakland decisionmakers to develop a Housing Element that can provide more homes for all.
- The Berkeley and Oakland City Councils are considering removing an exemption on tenant eviction restrictions for ADUs. Consider signing the Casita Coalition’s petitions against these ballot measures (Oakland petition here, Berkeley petition here).
Engage and Network
Upcoming opportunities to learn about intersectional approaches and work
Events to Check Out (in PT unless otherwise noted)
- Heat Pump Water Heaters: Builders Share their Experience (Electrify Now | July 12, 12-1:30pm)
- Equity Forum: Upending Cultural Displacement (Smart Growth America | July 13, 9-10:30am)
- Workshop: Moving the People who Move Housing Policy (NPH Northern California, Shift the Bay, and M+R | July 13, 11am-12:30pm)
- How Local Housing Politics Exacerbate Inequalities and Deter Inclusive Land Use Policies (Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing | July 14, 10am)
- Housing and the Strip: California’s Untapped Opportunity (CivicWell | July 14, 5:30-7pm)
- Tour model prefab ADUs – in person! (Napa Sonoma ADU Center | July 14, 23, and 28)
- How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It (SPUR | In-person, July 19, 12:30-1:30pm)
- July Policy In Action: Engaging with HCD’s Housing Element Review Process (SV@Home | July 22, 12-1pm)
- Hot Topics in Small Housing: Pre-Approved ADU Plans (Casita Coalition | July 22, 11am-12pm)
Expand Perspectives
Stories of efforts that can enable holistic, regenerative change in California housing and communities
- “In a West Coast first, Menlo Park to electrify 1,000 buildings by 2024” (San Francisco Examiner)
- “Architects, builders want to collaborate, but don’t see eye to eye on what that means” (Construction Dive)
“What Would it Take to Revive San Francisco’s Deserted Downtown?” (KQED)- Quetzal Gardens, an affordable, all-electric apartment complex, recently had its grand opening! Learn more about the development here.
- “This ingenious tool helps cities avoid rabid NIMBY arguments over housing” (FastCompany)
- “California legislators want to help you buy a house with down payment, ‘shared equity’” (CalMatters)
- “Oakland considers placing $850 million affordable housing and infrastructure bond measure on ballot” (San Francisco Chronicle)
- “Editorial: We desperately need affordable housing in L.A. This bill will help us get it” (Los Angeles Times)
- “How Can California Rein in Skyrocketing Cost of Building Affordable Housing” (KQED)
- “California won’t immediately list Joshua tree as threatened” (Associated Press News)
- “ADU Construction Financing: Opportunities to Expand Access for Homeowners” (Terner Center and USC Lusk Center for Real Estate)
Header image credit courtesy of ozgurcankaya on iStock.
