YIMBYs in Action: San Luis Obispo County, California

Virginia YIMBYs are Bringing Pro-Housing Legislation to Center Stage: Virginia is short 105,000 homes while rents have gone up 13% in the last 5 years. Despite housing costs rising astronomically, local governments are largely not stepping up to help facilitate or build more homes. That’s why our local YIMBY chapters are taking matters into their own hands, and demanding action from State Officials. Tune in to this episode of Infill to hear from volunteer leaders from our chapters YIMBYs of NoVA, YIMBY Hampton Roads, and RVA YIMBY. They break down the four state-wide YIMBY bills they are advocating for, share insights on how they are learning to successfully work with state legislators and local coalition partners, and explain why grassroots organizing is critical to get elected officials to take action on housing. YIMBY volunteers in Virginia are not only bringing their state one step closer to a future of abundant, affordable, inclusive housing. They are also paving the way for Y by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

42 min listen

Single Stair Reform: The Key to Streamlining Dense Housing: Are you curious about how YIMBYs can advocate for infill housing in our cities? Single stair reform may be the answer you’re looking for. Cities like Seattle and New York are changing the way that they build multi-family housing to fill their neighborhoods with denser housing options. Now, advocates can help their own communities do the same. Single stair reform in housing advances more affordable and diverse housing options by allowing fewer staircases in apartment buildings while maintaining safety standards. YIMBY Action was joined by East Bay for Everyone and the Livable Communities Initiative for an in-depth discussion about organizing for local single stair reform. Listen to a panel of experts and organizers to learn more about how single stair reform works and what you can do to promote it in your community! Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/y by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

40 min listen

How U.S. Housing Policy Divides Our Neighborhoods by Economic Class: A Conversation with Richard Kahlenberg: On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Law’s Executive Director Sonja Trauss speaks with Richard Kahlenberg, author of Excluded: How Snob Zoning, Nimbyism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don't See. The pair discuss how U.S. housing policy segregates our neighborhoods by creating barriers to allowing folks of all incomes to live in high-resource communities through exclusionary zoning. According to Kahlenberg, class segregation has doubled since the 1970s. Although there are laws that prohibit explicit racial discrimination, many communities avoid legal repercussions by instead excluding potential neighbors based on income– disproportionately impacting Black and Brown people. How does Kahlenberg believe we can correct this class-based exclusion in housing? One idea of his is a National Economic Fair Housing Act to give people the ability to sue communities that exclude them base by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

44 min listen

What is the VITAL Act? Unpacking New Federal Legislation with The Kelsey: The United States' efforts to provide accessible and affordable homes for all individuals have fallen short. The Kelsey, a disability rights advocacy group, is pioneering disability-forward housing solutions that are accessible and inclusive. In this episode, Laura Foote, executive director of YIMBY Action sits down with Allie and Hunter from the Kelsey to discuss the VITAL Act, a piece of federal pro-housing legislation. The passage of this act provides a powerful solution to increasing access to secure, affordable, and inclusive housing for individuals with disabilities and senior citizens. Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/Learn more about the Kelsey: https://thekelsey.org/ Lear by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

33 min listen

Affordable Housing in America with Rep. Maxwell Frost: Affordable housing is absolutely essential, but there are so many obstacles that prevent it from being funded and built. In this episode, YIMBY Action Executive Director sits down with Congressman Maxwell Frost to talk about how he’s working to remove those obstacles at the federal level. Congressman Frost is the first Gen Z candidate to get elected to Congress! Before being elected, he helped lead our Orlando Chapter, Orlando YIMBY. Both YIMBY Action and Orlando YIMBY endorsed him in 2022, and we’re excited to have another YIMBY in Congress! If you're ready to get involved in the pro-housing movement, join YIMBY Action as a Member! Members get access to a vibrant online community with thousands of advocates and experts. Members also get access to exclusive events, trainings, and other perks! Plus, if you join in August 2023, you get a free shirt ? Become a Member by volunteering or donating $35 or more: https://bit.ly/yimbymem by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

27 min listen

CA Legislation Update with Abram Diaz: Hear from YIMBY Action's Alex Melendrez and Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California's Abram Diaz as they discuss updates on California pro-housing legislation and their work in the fight for abundant, affordable housing. Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on X (formerly known as Twitter): https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://instagram.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yimbyaction Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://facebook.com/yimbyaction/ by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

38 min listen

YIMBYs in Action: Northern Virginia: One of our fastest-growing Chapters, YIMBYs of Northern Virginia, recently celebrated the legalization of "missing middle" housing in Arlington, Virginia. This means that multifamily buildings with up to six homes were legalized in neighborhoods that had previously only allowed single-family detached homes. In this episode, Jane Natoli, our SF Organizing Director, sits down with two Leaders from the YIMBYs of Northern Virginia, Jane Green and Alex Goyette. They discuss what it took to win in Arlington and how they plan to apply what they learned to a new opportunity to advocate for more homes in Alexandria. Links: Learn more about YIMBYs of NoVA: https://www.yimbysofnova.org/home Read about the win in Arlington: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/03/22/arlington-missing-middle-vote-zoning/ Read about the projects that are already being proposed under the missing middle program: https://www.arlnow.com/2023/07/06/new-more-than-a-dozen-mi by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

43 min listen

Urban Environmentalism in Chicago: What if we could preserve the environment, increase housing affordability, and reduce car dependency all at once? That's exactly what Urban Environmentalists advocate for. In this episode, our Environmental Director Joanna Gubman sits down with Urban Environmentalist Leader Robert Spragg and Chicago Alderman Matt Martin. They discuss the importance of Urban Environmentalism, the uniqueness of what the movement looks like in Chicago, and what's next for their advocacy. Links: Learn more about Urban Environmentalists: https://www.urbanenvironmentalists.org/ Read a recent Op-Ed from our Chicago Chapter Leaders about what's possible for housing affordability in the city: https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-chicago-housing-crisis-adu-three-flat-20230602-cdsfnykx4ndndazxxxq627iqcq-story.html Follow Urban Environmentalists on Twitter: https://twitter.com/UrbanEnviroIL Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

55 min listen

The Housing Advocate and the Censure: Kylie Clark wrote an email to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to alert them about an anti-housing referendum in the town where she worked. The Town Council's reaction was extreme and illegal. Listen to Kylie's story as she sits down with our National Chapter Manager, Alex Melendrez. Links: Read about the censure: https://losgatan.com/council-censures-commissioner-over-white-anti-housing-men-comment/ Read about the censure being revoked: https://losgatan.com/censure-of-clark-reversed-after-aclu-threat/ https://www.redbluffdailynews.com/2023/03/09/aclu-calls-censure-of-los-gatos-commissioner-unconstitutional/ Learn more about housing elements and our campaign to make them fair and equitable: https://www.fairhousingelements.org/ Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://instagram.com/yimby by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

34 min listen

The Pathway to Affordable Housing In California by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

75 min listen

The State of Farmworker Housing: There are an estimated 2.4 million farmworkers in the United States. Farmworkers across the country are doing some of the most essential work in our society, but they are not given access to acceptable housing options. Challenges in supply, affordability, and safety are posing a huge threat to farmworkers. On Cesar Chavez Day YIMBY Action's Alex Melendrez had a conversation with Rudy Espinoza, YIMBY Action Board Member and longtime housing and farmworker activist, and Veronica Z. Garcia who is the Chief Real Estate Development Officer with Peoples Self Help Housing in San Luis Obispo, CA. They spoke about the landscape of farmworker housing in California and nationally, how systemic barriers are impacting farmers as they seek to find safe and affordable housing, and what YIMBYs can do to mobilize for more farmworker housing. Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/ Foll by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

46 min listen

Zoning is on a Holiday in California: For 40 years, California has analyzed upcoming housing needs based on populations across its cities and required all local governments to submit plans to illustrate how they will contribute more housing in their areas to help the State meet its housing goals. This is called the California housing elements process. Despite the fact that submitting a compliant housing element is part of state law, NIMBY cities have continued to lie about where they plan to build housing in their plans— or have decided to not attempt to submit a plan at all. Now, YIMBYs have stepped in. With the growing set of eyes on each city to help alleviate the housing shortage, YIMBY Action and YIMBY Law are inviting all property owners to take matters into their own hands using a tool called the Builder's Remedy. The Builder's Remedy is a California state law that forces cities with non-compliant housing elements to automatically approve any housing project as long as at lea by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

50 min listen

The Return of Social Housing: Breaking Down The Newest CA Bill: In January 2023 California Assembly Member Alex Lee introduced Assembly Bill 309, a Social Housing Bill that aims to increase access to housing for all Californians. But how does social housing help solve the housing shortage? Our Executive Director, Laura Foote, recently spoke with Assembly Member Lee and Darrell Owens of East Bay for Everyone about the California Social Housing Bill. They talked through the big picture for Lee’s Social Housing Bill, discussed the history of social housing in the U.S. and abroad, and answered some common questions about how social housing works in practice! Learn more about AB 309: https://www.californiasocialhousing.org/ Follow Assembly Member Lee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_lee Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/ F by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

57 min listen

How Homelessness and Housing Are Shaping Politics: California Spotlight: Last month, we voted for dozens of pro-housing candidates across the country. The YIMBY voting bloc continues to grow, and we’re seeing that growth in dozens of pro-housing wins this year. NIMBY voices are losing their influence. YIMBY Action Board Member Anthony Dedousis recently spoke with Councilmember-elect Jesse Zwick of Santa Monica, and Councilmember-elect Chelsea Byers of West Hollywood. They both got involved in local government to help tackle homelessness. Now, they’re sharing insights on how running pro-housing campaigns helped them win their races and how they plan to push pro-housing policies in their City Council roles. About Chelsea Byers: Chelsea is a social impact strategist and community organizer. She currently serves as a Human Services Commissioner in the City of West Hollywood. She is also an appointee to the 6th Cycle Housing Element Task Force in West Hollywood. About Jesse Zwick: Je by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

35 min listen

Dive Into The California Builder's Remedy: Q&A With Dave Rand: Many local governments in California exacerbate the housing shortage by ignoring state-mandated requirements for new housing projects— especially when it comes to affordable housing. The CA Builder's Remedy, a consequence of state housing law noncompliance, might be the key to getting more housing built anyway. In California, if a city does not plan for the number of homes required by the state, the city has to approve any housing project as long as at least 20 percent of the homes are low-income or 100 percent of them are moderate-income. This process is what we call the Builder's Remedy. YIMBY Law spoke with Dave Rand, a land use lawyer who is working on several builder’s remedy projects in Southern California, most notably in Santa Monica. Get Dave's insights into how the Builder's Remedy may be a pathway to new, affordable housing units in California, what challenges threaten Builder's Remedy projects, and how we can by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

51 min listen

Latinx Leaders In The YIMBY Movement: The housing shortage has impacted communities across the country. But have you ever wondered how it has affected specific groups? Or how those most impacted by the housing shortage have responded to its consequences? YIMBY Action’s Organizing Manager Alex Melendrez spoke with Irving Torres and Noelia Corzo about how leaders in the Latinx community have been pushing the pro-housing movement forward. Irving is the Director of Community Engagement at All Home, an organization focused on creating economic mobility opportunities for extremely low-income (ELI) people. Noelia was a YIMBY Action-endorsed candidate for San Mateo County Supervisor, and serves as a Board Trustee for the San Mateo-Foster City School District. Get insights into how Irving and Noelia got started in pro-housing advocacy, their takes on how the housing crisis impacts the Latinx community, and what these leaders are doing to create change. Links: Learn more about YIMBY Action by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

49 min listen

How An LA Lawsuit Could Help Upzone California: When a Los Angeles developer attempted to build a multi-family apartment building, the LA City Government illegally denied the project. That’s when YIMBY Law stepped in. In this episode, you’ll hear from YIMBY Law’s Executive Director Sonja Trauss, and YIMBY Law legal counsel Ryan Patterson about the details of the lawsuit and why it has implications for zoning across California. Links: Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/ by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

35 min listen

Appraising California's Newest Housing Laws: Dozens of pro-housing laws were passed in California this year, but how will they impact the future of housing in the state? In this episode, our Policy Director Rafa Sonnenfeld sits down with Steve Wertheim to talk about the top pro-housing bills of the year and how they will help address the housing shortage that drives up prices in communities across the state. Steve is a Senior Consultant with the California Assembly Housing Committee. He works with Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who is the Chair of the Housing and Community Development Committee and a housing champion for the YIMBY movement. Links: Read YIMBY Action's top 10 list of California housing bills: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BIuVU3pF6ynomyqoLhmBCAnbpFRNdCra/view?usp=sharing Learn more about Buffy Wicks' work on housing: https://buffywicks.com/record/housing-homelessness/ Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twit by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

47 min listen

YIMBYs in Action: Orlando, Florida by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

39 min listen

What ever happened to Social Housing in CA?: Why must the good die young? This year, California Assemblymember Alex Lee introduced the California Social Housing Act (AB 2053). YIMBY Action sponsored the bill, organized in support of it, and worked with fellow supporting organizations to get it passed. The bill got through several hurdles but ultimately died in the legislature several months ago. In this episode of Infill, Sonja Trauss, one of the founding members of the YIMBY movement, sits down with Paul Williams, founder of the Center for Public Enterprise. They discuss social housing, details about the California Social Housing Act, and why the bill died. Links: Read about the California Social Housing Act: https://www.californiasocialhousing.org/ Read the full Social Housing Bill: https://trackbill.com/bill/california-assembly-bill-2053-the-social-housing-act/2226585/ Follow Paul Williams on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PEWilliams_ Follow the Center for Public Enterprise on T by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

28 min listen

YIMBYs in Action: Dallas, Texas: Come meet the founders of our Dallas chapter! In this episode, our National Chapter Manager Jes sits down with DeDe and Adam who founded our chapter More Neighbors Dallas. The two of them share why they care about housing and how they're fighting for abundant, affordable housing in Dallas. They share what it was like to start a chapter, how their previous experiences help drive their activism, and how they're working with their neighbors to welcome even more people to the community they love. Links: Learn more about More Neighbors Dallas: https://www.moreneighborsdallas.org/ Follow More Neighbors Dallas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeighborsDTX Follow More Neighbors Dallas on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeighborsDTX Follow More Neighbors Dallas on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moreneighborsdallas/ Follow More Neighbors Dallas on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moreneighborsdallas Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction. by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

50 min listen

Planning for Housing or Planning to Fail? San Francisco's Housing Element: The first draft of San Francisco's housing plan was released last week and guests Chris Elmendorf and David Broockman talk about what it means for the city as well as the state overall. Cities across California are creating housing plans (aka "housing elements") that will be in effect for the next eight years. YIMBYs have successfully advocated for laws that help make sure this process is especially impactful. Because of these laws, the housing element process can potentially add millions of homes in communities across the state. The California State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) plays an important role in making sure that cities comply with these laws. This is in contrast to the housing element process just a few years ago, when there were few methods in place to ensure housing plans were practical and ultimately implemented. Now, there are several consequences for submitting a non-com by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

62 min listen

California Housing Law Enforcers: YIMBYs in California advocate for laws to address the housing shortage and housing affordability crisis, but what happens after the Governor signs them? Housing law enforcement is an important but often less flashy part of the process of making housing abundant and affordable. Housing law enforcement is possible because of volunteers, organizations like YIMBY Law, the CA Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Attorney General's office. Working together, we're able to hold cities accountable to the laws that are passed, including dozens of California cities that don't have housing plans that are compliant with state law. In this episode, Louis Mirante from California YIMBY sits down with David Pai, Deputy Attorney General in the Housing Strike Force, and David Zisser, the Assistant Deputy Director in the HCD Housing Accountability Unit. They talk about what housing law enforcement looks like at the state level and when they intervene by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

47 min listen

More Affordable Homes, Less Parking: Making the Most of Density Bonus Programs: A new report from Circulate San Diego shows us what's possible with density bonus programs. Laura sits down with Colin Parent and Jesse O'Sullivan to talk about their Homerun for Homes report that outlines the outcomes from the program. Links: Check out the Homerun for Homes report: https://circulatesd.org/homerunforhomes Learn more about Colin Parent and Jesse O'Sullivan at Circulate SD: https://www.circulatesd.org/staff_and_interns More from Colin Parent on his article "City-Wide: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth," which outlines how housing reform is more likely to be successful when it's made across a larger geography: https://www.circulatesd.org/citywide Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://instagram.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://facebook.com/yimbya by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

42 min listen

Breaking Down the CA Housing Budget: California Governor Newsom released a revised version of the state's budget on May 13th, so what does it mean for housing? Laura Foote sits down with Michael Lane, the State Policy Director for SPUR Urbanist, to discuss the details. SPUR is a nonprofit public policy organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. They bring people together from across the political spectrum to develop solutions to the big problems cities face. They are recognized as a leading civic planning organization and respected for its independent and holistic approach to urban issues. Links: More details on the California State budget: https://ebudget.ca.gov Learn more about SPUR: https://www.spur.org/ Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

15 min listen

How to Get More YIMBYs Elected, with Giselle Hale and Jon Wizard: Electing pro-housing legislators is one of the most efficient ways to address the housing shortage. YIMBY Action and our chapters across California have worked hard to find the best pro-housing candidates running for the state legislature. And these two candidates have gone above and beyond to demonstrate their willingness to support housing. Hear from Jon Wizard and Giselle Hale as they talk about their backgrounds on housing and the impact that we can all have on these races and others. Jon Wizard is running for State Assembly District 30, which covers the California Central Coast from just south of Santa Cruz through Monterey, all the way down past San Luis Obispo. Giselle Hale is running to represent Assembly District 21, which covers the peninsula including Brisbane, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Foster City, San Carlos, Redwood City, and East Palo Alto. Links: Support Jon Wi by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

39 min listen

Matt Haney and the Power of Pro-Housing Campaigns: San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney won the special election for California Assembly District 17 on April 19! By using a strong pro-housing message, his campaign demonstrated just how compelling a pro-housing message is for voters. Pro-housing platforms hold a lot more power than they did just a few years ago. Housing moves voters. So many of us have been directly affected by the housing shortage and we're ready to make the change we NEED to see in our communities. The YIMBY voting bloc is growing. Hear from Assemblymember-elect Matt Haney about his winning campaign message and how other candidates outside of San Francisco can use similar messages to get out the vote! Links: SF Chronicle coverage: https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Matt-Haney-s-Assembly-victory-is-a-coup-for-17108666.php Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIM by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

52 min listen

YIMBY Law takes on NIMBY cities in CA: Last week, YIMBY Law announced three lawsuits against San Francisco and Los Angeles for not approving general plan compliant housing projects. Join YIMBY Action Executive Director Laura Foote and YIMBY Law Executive Director Sonja Trauss discuss the ins and outs of these lawsuits, some of the reasons cities give for not approving housing projects, and how you can be involved in holding your city accountable too. Links: Think your city is breaking a housing law? Submit it here: https://www.yimbylaw.org/submit-issue See the full press release about the lawsuits on YIMBY Law’s website: https://www.yimbylaw.org/press Donate to YIMBY Law to help keep up enforcement! https://www.yimbylaw.org/donate Follow YIMBY Law on Twitter for their hot takes and city shenanigan updates: https://twitter.com/Yimby_Law Follow YIMBY Law on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YIMBYLaw/ Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

31 min listen

San Francisco Housing Debate 2022 - AD 17: The four candidates for San Francisco's Assembly District 17 go head to head on housing policy. We dug in with David Campos, Matt Haney, Bilal Mahmood, and Thea Selby on their perspectives on California's biggest problem: housing. by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

53 min listen

Small Sites, Big Arguments: What is San Francisco's Small Sites Program? What does it do? Who benefits from it? YIMBY Action Executive Director Laura Foote and Mission Housing Executive Director Sam Moss break it down and talk about the arguments in support of the program and against it. Learn more about the Small Sites Program: https://sfmohcd.org/small-sites-program Learn more about Mission Housing: https://missionhousing.org/ Follow Mission Housing on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MissionHousing Follow Mission Housing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionHousing Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://instagram.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://facebook.com/yimbyaction/ by Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

40 min listen

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YIMBYs in Action: San Luis Obispo County, California

YIMBYs in Action: San Luis Obispo County, California

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