The housing crisis really hit first for both grandmothers who spent each almost 20 years as widows with no income. For my dad, who was laid off permanently from his job at age 56, the fact that they own their house outright has provided for their old age. That's the American dream. Our family could have never afforded to live in Berkeley. There are different levels of affordability.
The lack of affordable housing in the U.S. has contributed to a homelessness crisis and has forced people to move farther away from urban centers. Inevitably, that increases car travel and emissions. One solution is to increase density in areas where jobs and infrastructure exist to accommodate more people. But some aren’t comfortable with the idea of their neighborhoods growing, and building multi-story apartments in urban cores usually costs more per square foot than one or two-story houses where land is cheaper. So how do we address both the need for affordable housing and the climate crisis?
Guests:
Scott Wiener, California State Senator
Jennifer Hernandez, Partner, Holland & Knight
Ben Bartlett, Berkeley Vice Mayor
For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.
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