In this episode of Our Homes, Dan Rinzler, Associate Research Director with California Housing Partnership, shares his evaluations on Tahanan, a recently constructed permanent supportive housing project in San Francisco. Tahanan’s development utilized cost-saving measures in financing, design, and construction, reducing residential costs and development times by roughly 40 percent compared to other PSH housing projects in San Francisco. Tahanan’s success and departure from common development practices represent an opportunity to reassess PSHs and governing requirements that put a burden on cos ..read more

In this episode of Our Homes, Shreya Arakere, Liz Da Costa, and Alex Dayman from Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, Arizona's Medicaid program, discussed how Medicaid waivers are a new funding source for housing the homeless in Arizona. Arizona’s Medicaid will be able to provide six months of transitional housing for individuals moving from insecure environments like homeless shelters and group/foster homes. Arizona’s Medicaid will also offer case management, educational outreach, and other housing services under their Housing and Health Opportunities Waiver (H2O). With nearly 37,000 ..read more

Social housing in San Francisco’s needs to meet two criterias: owned by the city, a nonprofit, residents, or a residents’ association that ensures permanent long term affordable housing and serves all income qualified households with a maximum average of not more than 80% of median income across all units. There are many new social housing developments underway in San Francisco including developing churches into social housing and using land trusts to make affordable housing. Hans How is a member of the C&C of San Francisco Housing Stability Fund Oversight Board, a public body formed to p ..read more

At Optico Design, Stefan Pellegrini works within the field of missing middle housing. Missing middle housing are house-scaled buildings with multiple units in walkable neighborhoods used to address shifting household demographics between baby boomers and millennials. Millennials are less likely to have children and are in need of affordable housing that comes in forms of duplexes, townhouses, live/work housing, apartments, etc.. Stefan Pellegrini is an architect, urban designer, and planner who advocates for equitable design and social and environmental justice in cities, with a focus on phys ..read more

Bangladesh is considered the most vulnerable country to climate change with sea level rising threatening its coastal regions, Himalayan snow melts flooding its northern regions, and frequent natural disasters occurring (cyclones and hurricanes). On top of climate related issues, Bangladesh also faces major economic concerns as one of the poorest nations in the world. Both climate and economic matters affect energy access for poorer neighborhoods in Bangladesh. Mark Jones examined energy justice for informal settlements in the global south with a slum in Dhaka as his case study. Mark Jones, As ..read more

Assemblymember Alex Lee currently has Assembly Bill 2053 (AB 2053) pending before the California State Legislature that will help the state achieve social housing for all. Social housing is mixed income, publicly developed housing for all that avoids concentrated poverty. He hopes that AB 2053 creates a self sustaining neighborhood with equitable housing for all, no matter their economic status. Alex Lee represents California’s 25th Assembly District, located in the Silicon Valley region. Assemblymember Lee, elected in 2020, became the youngest Asian American legislator and first openly bisex ..read more

Edward Pinto and Tobias Peter discuss their research on housing and the housing crisis in Hawaii. Hawaii has the highest median home price in the country, second highest cost of rent, and second highest rate of homelessness per capita. The plunge in Hawaii’s housing market began in the early 1970s when the state passed environmental and land usage policies causing a housing shortage and increase in housing prices. There is dire need for affordable housing in Hawaii but the state is predicted to face a shortage of 60,000 housing units by 2025. Edward Pinto is a senior fellow and the director o ..read more

The Biden-Harris administration has made efforts to promote housing development. While the Build Back Better bill has stalled, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the American Rescue Plan passed last year have been essential in supporting American housing. Erika Poethig explains that at the heart of almost every issue from crime to poverty is related to a lack of housing stability. By investing in creating more housing units, maintaining our available stock of housing, and assembling coalitions of agencies and governments, the U.S. can make housing affordable. Erika Poethig, the Special As ..read more

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