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Sarah Karlinsky headshot

Solutions to California’s Housing Crisis Start With the State: Q&A With Sarah Karlinsky

News /
In a new report, ϴResearch Director Sarah Karlinsky describes the alphabet soup of state agencies that influence housing development — with little to no coordination of efforts to address the state’s housing crisis. We spoke with Sarah about the report’s central insight: although zoning and planning are local actions, the only way to build the millions of housing units California desperately needs is through state-level reform.

ϴprovides initial input on SB 926 regarding the consolidation of Bay Area transit agencies

Advocacy Letter
ϴprovided initial input to state Senator Aisha Wahab regarding SB 926, a bill to consider consolidation of the Bay Area's transit agencies. ϴprovided a number of ways the initial bill language could be made more effective by defining a study that addresses the key structural issues that have prevented past consolidation efforts from advancing.

Coalition Signals Opposition to Highway Widening in Regional Transportation Measure

Advocacy Letter
ϴand a large coalition of environmental, environmental justice, transit, and housing advocates have signaled their view that a new Bay Area's regional transportation measure should not include highway widening. Highway widening - expanding the physical footprint or geometry of highways and roadways exclusively for vehicular throughput - promotes driving and consequently increases climate pollution and safety hazards, while drawing riders away from public transit alternatives.
report cover with illustration of residential buildings arranged in the shape of the State of California

Structured for Success

ϴReport
A key cause of California’s high housing costs is its decentralized and fragmented housing governance system. Multiple state and regional agencies, offices, departments, and systems are responsible for planning and funding housing. Add hundreds of cities, each with its own authority to zone for housing, and the complexity becomes dizzying. A new ϴreport makes 11 recommendations to set California and the Bay Area on the path to produce the housing we need.

Affordable Housing Advocates' Budget Response

Advocacy Letter
ϴjoins a coalition of affordable housing advocates responding to the Governor’s budget proposal that includes deep cuts to housing funding programs that will negatively impact tens of thousands of families and make it impossible for our region to meet its housing goals.
Image: ϴSponsors Nine Successful California State Bills in 2023

ϴSponsors Successful California State Bills

Urbanist Article
Since launching work at the state level three years ago, ϴhas found that passing California-wide legislation can be the key to breaking gridlock on some of the Bay Area’s toughest issues.

Member Profile: Tony Tolentino

Urbanist Article
A San Francisco native shares his hopes for the Bay Area, from downtowns to the region as a whole.
Q: What If We Get Downtown Right? - Hero Image by Ishita Jain

What If We Get Downtown Right?

Urbanist Article
ϴasked community leaders in San Francisco, San José, and Oakland the question: “What would it look like if cities were to get downtown right?” We invited them to picture a future in which today’s ideas and policy proposals for downtown revitalization are put into place ... and they work.

Ensuring That the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable Supplemental Benefits Program Doesn’t End

Advocacy Letter
On behalf of ϴand Nourish California, we respectfully request that the 2024-2025 budget include an additional, one-time allocation of $21 million from the General Fund to sustain the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable Supplemental Benefits program. If additional funding is not provided in the FY 24-25 budget, the program will run out of funds this summer and tens of thousands of Californians across the state will have less money to put food on their tables.

ϴInput to MTC on Enabling Legislation for a Potential Regional Transportation Measure

Advocacy Letter
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is working with the State Legislature to develop input on enabling legislation for a potential regional transportation measure that could go to the ballot in 2026. ϴhas been following this process closely and provided input to MTC's Legislation Committee at their December 8th meeting.
Erika Pinto headshot

15 Minutes to Everything: Q&A with Erika Pinto

News /
The “15-minute neighborhood” concept promotes people-centered development as a way cities can improve convenience, affordability, and equity while decreasing air pollution and carbon emissions. In a new policy brief, ϴHousing and Planning Policy Manager Erika Pinto explores how the 15-minute model could help improve and accelerate San José’s approach to planning for more compact and connected urban development. We spoke with Erika about 15-minute principles and planning for more complete communities.
report cover, white text on a blue background reads "The 15-Minute Neighborhood: A framework for equitable growth and complete communities in San José and beyond"

The 15-Minute Neighborhood

Policy Brief
The concept of the “15-minute neighborhood,” where residents can access essential, everyday services just a short walk or bike ride from home, has gained currency in recent years. San José’s plan to grow by building dense, mixed-use “urban villages” could guide the kind of development that would create 15-minute neighborhoods. ϴsuggests that San José could use the 15-minute framework to implement its urban village plan. We recommend six strategies to enable the creation of these more complete, connected, and equitable communities.
Photo of Guadalupe River flowing under a highway viaduct, with trees and greenery on its banks

Five Ways San José Can Sustain Park Maintenance and Improvement: Lessons from Around the Country

News /
Parks and public spaces are signifiers of civic vitality, and their maintenance, improvement, expansion, and programming often reflect the economic times. These activities can be made sustainable by re-examining place governance — how people and organizations across sectors collaborate to shape a place’s economic, physical, and social dynamics. As San José considers how to deliver on the promise of its public green spaces, it can look to other cities that have created or reformed place governance models.

ϴOpposes SFMTA Budget Charter Amendment

Advocacy Letter
ϴadvocates against a proposed San Francisco charter amendment that would require the mayor to approve certain aspects of SFMTA's budget.

Joint Letter Opposing SFMTA Budget Charter Amendment

Advocacy Letter
San Francisco Transit Riders Union, ϴand other groups jointly oppose a proposed San Francisco charter amendment that would require the mayor to approve certain aspects of SFMTA's budget.
Housing for the Sum of Us

Housing for the Sum of Us

News /
This year’s Ideas + Action symposium explored the topic of housing policy beyond “zero sum” thinking , where some prosper at the expense of others. Keynote speaker Heather McGhee led an investigation into common conceptions of zero sum thinking, such as “policies that support renters harm homeowners” and “affordable housing leads to declining property values.” Our daylong conversation explored the role that racism plays in these debates and the shifts needed to create something different.