The conversation shared below was part of the YIMBYtown 2022 conference, cohosted by Sightline Institute and Portland: Neighbors Welcome.*
Just as public libraries complement bookstores to ensure that everyone has access to books, social housing can help ensure that everyone has access to housing. Social housing plays an invaluable role in alleviating a tight housing market. For renters struggling with housing scarcity, it provides an alternative to traditional private-sector landlords.
Tiffani McCoy, advocacy director at Real Change and steering committee co-chair of House Our Neighbors!, and Darrell Owens, policy analyst/data analyst at California YIMBY, are leading West Coast campaigns for social housing (Tiffani on City of Seattle Initiative 135, and Darrell on California AB 2053). They discuss how these proposed models differ from public housing and how they can actually help prevent homelessness and close the homeownership gap. They also explore the ways abundant housing advocates can join the efforts to make social housing a reality across the country. Ned Resnikoff, policy director at California YIMBY, moderates the conversation.
Related:
- Seattle and Vancouver voters approve two housing ballot measures in special elections
- Can the “social housing” model work in Sacramento?
*YIMBYtown 2022 occurred April 11–13 in Portland, Oregon, the fourth annual gathering (after some COVID delays) of “Yes in My Back Yard” (YIMBY) community leaders, organizers, planners, policymakers, educators, and housing providers eager to share resources and strategies for building more affordable, sustainable, and equitable communities.
