California is a state where dreaming big is a mindset, and we have no shortage of incredible changemakers dedicated to tackling urgent and prominent housing issues. Yet, due to the siloed nature of our work, our collective progress is far too slow to meet the challenges and opportunities we face.
Build It Green believes housing changemakers will never meet the challenges of the moment working in siloes. Only by joining forces to tackle the pressing issues of housing affordability, equity, and climate change can we make real progress together. To that end, we have created Building Our Future, a collaborative space for knowledge sharing and solutions-oriented brainstorming for all housing doers, thinkers and innovators.
Last December, Build It Green held two virtual meetings, bringing together nearly 100 changemakers in California housing. We challenged participants to think aspirationally as they shared their insights and wrestled with what it will take to achieve a housing system that supports affordability, equity, and environmental goals.
We were floored and gratified by the powerful insights that surfaced during these meetings. To build on our shared progress, four working groups came together between April and September to focus on equitable decarbonization, construction innovation, the infrastructure opportunity, and policy as an accelerant to continue the conversation. Each group and its members expressed dedication to driving meaningful, intersectional change in their respective areas.
In just a few short months of activity, these cross-sector working groups made progress in tackling major challenges in California housing. Some compiled key insights and information into sharable resources, while others hosted dialogue sessions to spark conversation around innovative ideas and approaches.
Their early work serves as a great starting point and speaks to the promising work to come. Check it out below!
This month, Build It Green hosted Bronwyn Barry, Policy Lead at The Passive House Network (PHN), for a conversation on PHN’s latest report: “Policy That Works, an investigation into policies driving Passive House adoption in North America”.
Build It Green’s Affordable, Equitable Building Decarbonization Working Group is working to address a complex and important issue: integrating renter protections in building decarbonization rollouts. This report-out provides a glimpse into what we learned from speaking with inspiring stakeholders in this intersectional space.
During this unique infusion of federal and state funding for infrastructure projects, the Infrastructure Opportunity Working Group sees an opportunity to build and maintain infrastructure in ways that promote equitable, climate-conscious, and community-centered housing development without sprawl. The ‘Infrastructure and California’s Communities Principles’ are a result of the working group’s collective efforts to guide its next phase of work and to help articulate aspirations for everyone involved in California infrastructure issues.
Build It Green has been convening a cross-sector group of leaders in California’s housing sector since our Building Our Future kick-off meetings last year. Below is a list of immediate opportunities/actions a few Policy as an Accelerant and Infrastructure Opportunity Working Groups’ participants wish to share regarding the intersection of infrastructure and affordable, equitable, environmentally friendly homes and neighborhoods.
Header image: courtesy of Eric Sehr via Flickr.
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