Talking about the current state of California housing can be a major bummer. But one good thing about the Golden State is that it’s home to people who don’t take “no” for an answer, and who come up with out-of-the-box ways to fix the problem. Sometimes they come up with a solution, sometimes they do the groundbreaking that makes it easier for others to fix the problem. Conor Dougherty found a few of those Groundbreakers who are trying to correct our housing crisis.
As an economics reporter for The New York Times, Dougherty has chronicled California housing craziness from his home base in Oakland — and we’ve gotten a few ideas (and panelists) for housing-focused events from his articles.
With his newly-released book, Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America, Dougherty does a deeper dive into how hard the housing crisis has hit California by profiling people who’ve been hit hard but are fighting back.
A struggling math teacher who builds a political movement dedicated to ending single-family-house neighborhoods (she was on on a CA Groundbreakers housing panel, and helped spark Sacramento’s YIMBY activist group!).
A teenaged girl who leads her apartment complex against their rent-raising landlord.
A nun who tries to outmaneuver private equity investors by amassing a multimillion-dollar portfolio of affordable homes.
A suburban bureaucrat who roguishly embraces density in response to the threat of climate change.
A developer who manufactures homeless housing on an assembly line.
The saying “As California goes, so goes the nation” is a scary thought when it comes to housing affordability. But are there still ways — and people— to innovate California out of this crisis?
We’ll be down in the basement at Ruhstaller’s taproom to ask Dougherty what he’s seeing, what he predicts, and what he suggests as housing fixes. Bring some great questions so you can ask him, too.
TICKETS (click here to get them on our Eventbrite page)
* General Admission: free
* Book and a Beer Deal: $30 — Buy a copy of Golden Gates in advance, and you’ll get a free Ruhstaller beer before the Q&A starts, then be first in line after the Q&A for Conor to sign your book.
Our partner, Capitol Books, is bringing copies of Golden Gates to the event for you to purchase, and for Conor to sign.