Join us on Feb 6 for a FREE intro lecture on small-scale development—register now!

Learn More

March 4, 2022

In late 2021, Build It Green hosted Building Our Future, a pair of meetings that brought together nearly 100 leaders, thinkers, innovators, and doers for thought-provoking dialogue on the challenges and opportunities facing California’s housing ecosystem. Many expressed interest in cross-sector working groups on specific topics to continue the collective dialogue and idea generation around the intersection of housing affordability, the environment, and social equity.  

Working Group Topics

We captured over 400 different comments and ideas from Building  Our Future! Through an in-depth synthesis of these perspectives, we identified seven potential working group topics. In February,  we shared these topics with those engaged in the meetings, and several others, via a survey to determine the areas of most interest for working groups. Here are the top vote getters:

Framework

The kick-off meetings for each of these four topics will begin in March. These meetings will give partners an opportunity to connect with peers also interested in the topic, to collaboratively explore transformative ideas and actions, and to consider goals and parameters for what we can accomplish together.

We will keep things easy to start. Each working group will begin with a single meeting to set the direction around their topic and to jointly address questions around structure and expectations. Assuming there is enthusiasm after the first meeting to keep the working group moving forward, we envision that each group will operate over the next 3-4 months, with each member dedicating 2-4 hours a month to meetings or individual work. Some groups may have a shorter lifespan. Others could morph into longer-term projects, but, at this time, we will not ask anyone for a commitment of longer than 3-4 months.

Some of these groups will likely quickly produce resources that others in the housing ecosystem can use, while other groups will focus on defining issues that will be tackled over a longer period of time.  In the spirit of Building Our Future, Build It Green will ensure that each working group brings together a broad set of participants so that the ideas that emerge have the potential to be different, holistic, and, just maybe, transformative to California’s housing ecosystem.

Stay Tuned!

Build It Green will work in 2022 to give partners an opportunity to connect with peers also interested in the topic, to collaboratively explore transformative ideas and actions, and to consider goals and parameters for what we can accomplish together.  

In addition to the working groups, we expect to deliver a handful of activities over the coming months so that players in the California housing ecosystem can learn from each other and start to see the intersections between various types of work. 

So watch this space! We look forward to giving all of our partners the opportunity to shape what comes next!

Alex Coba

Communication Associate

As a proud California native from Stockton, Alex brings a wealth of experience and a versatile skill set. He has a solid communication background with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Relations from California State University, Chico. Alex is adept at strategic communications and media relations, with experience gathering and sharing stories from his local communities that uplift the unique spirit and values of those places. He is excited to join Build It Green, where he can apply his talents to further BIG’s mission to help communities across California thrive