Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

Single stair reform is a powerful tool to make it easier and faster to build more homes. Cities like Seattle and New York are changing the way that they build multi-family housing to fill their neighborhoods with denser housing options. Now, advocates can help their own communities do the same.   Single stair reform in housing advances more affordable and diverse housing options by allowing fewer...

On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Law’s Executive Director Sonja Trauss speaks with Richard Kahlenberg, author of Excluded: How Snob Zoning, Nimbyism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don't See. The pair discuss how U.S. housing policy segregates our neighborhoods by creating barriers to allowing folks of all incomes to live in high-resource communities through exclusionary zoning. According to Ka...

The United States' efforts to provide accessible and affordable homes for all individuals have fallen short. The Kelsey, a disability rights advocacy group, is pioneering disability-forward housing solutions that are accessible and inclusive. In this episode, Laura Foote, executive director of YIMBY Action sits down with Allie and Hunter from the Kelsey to discuss the VITAL Act, a piece of federal...

Affordable housing is absolutely essential, but there are so many obstacles that prevent it from being funded and built. In this episode, YIMBY Action Executive Director sits down with Congressman Maxwell Frost to talk about how he’s working to remove those obstacles at the federal level.   Congressman Frost is the first Gen Z candidate to get elected to Congress! Before being elected, he helped l...

Hear from YIMBY Action's Alex Melendrez and Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California's Abram Diaz as they discuss updates on California pro-housing legislation and their work in the fight for abundant, affordable housing.   Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/ Follow YIMBY Action on X (formerly known as Twitter): https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/ Follow YIMBY Action...

One of our fastest-growing Chapters, YIMBYs of Northern Virginia, recently celebrated the legalization of "missing middle" housing in Arlington, Virginia. This means that multifamily buildings with up to six homes were legalized in neighborhoods that had previously only allowed single-family detached homes. In this episode, Jane Natoli, our SF Organizing Director, sits down with two Leaders from t...

What if we could preserve the environment, increase housing affordability, and reduce car dependency all at once? That's exactly what Urban Environmentalists advocate for. In this episode, our Environmental Director Joanna Gubman sits down with Urban Environmentalist Leader Robert Spragg and Chicago Alderman Matt Martin. They discuss the importance of Urban Environmentalism, the uniqueness of what...

Kylie Clark wrote an email to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to alert them about an anti-housing referendum in the town where she worked. The Town Council's reaction was extreme and illegal. Listen to Kylie's story as she sits down with our National Chapter Manager, Alex Melendrez.   Links: Read about the censure: https://losgatan.com/council-censures-commissi...

In March, we assembled some of California state legislature’s most powerful pro-housing champions to discuss their latest legislative efforts to alleviate California’s housing shortage and affordability crisis. Hear from Assembly Housing Committee Chair Buffy Wicks, Senate Housing Committee Chair Scott Wiener, and Assembly Social Housing Select Committee Chair Alex Lee on their plans to help get m...

There are an estimated 2.4 million farmworkers in the United States. Farmworkers across the country are doing some of the most essential work in our society, but they are not given access to acceptable housing options. Challenges in supply, affordability, and safety are posing a huge threat to farmworkers.   On Cesar Chavez Day YIMBY Action's Alex Melendrez had a conversation with Rudy Espinoza, Y...

For 40 years, California has analyzed upcoming housing needs based on populations across its cities and required all local governments to submit plans to illustrate how they will contribute more housing in their areas to help the State meet its housing goals. This is called the California housing elements process. Despite the fact that submitting a compliant housing element is part of state law, N...

In January 2023 California Assembly Member Alex Lee introduced Assembly Bill 309, a Social Housing Bill that aims to increase access to housing for all Californians. But how does social housing help solve the housing shortage?  Our Executive Director, Laura Foote, recently spoke with Assembly Member Lee and Darrell Owens, Policy Analyst for California YIMBY about the California Social Housing Bill...

Last month, we voted for dozens of pro-housing candidates across the country. The YIMBY voting bloc continues to grow, and we’re seeing that growth in dozens of pro-housing wins this year. NIMBY voices are losing their influence. YIMBY Action Board Member Anthony Dedousis recently spoke with Councilmember-elect Jesse Zwick of Santa Monica, and Councilmember-elect Chelsea Byers of West Hollywood. T...

Many local governments in California exacerbate the housing shortage by ignoring state-mandated requirements for new housing projects— especially when it comes to affordable housing. The CA Builder's Remedy, a consequence of state housing law noncompliance, might be the key to getting more housing built anyway. In California, if a city does not plan for the number of homes required by the state, t...

The housing shortage has impacted communities across the country. But have you ever wondered how it has affected specific groups? Or how those most impacted by the housing shortage have responded to its consequences? YIMBY Action’s Organizing Manager Alex Melendrez spoke with Irving Torres and Noelia Corzo about how leaders in the Latinx community have been pushing the pro-housing movement forward...

When a Los Angeles developer attempted to build a multi-family apartment building, the LA City Government illegally denied the project. That’s when YIMBY Law stepped in.  In this episode, you’ll hear from YIMBY Law’s Executive Director Sonja Trauss, and YIMBY Law legal counsel Ryan Patterson about the details of the lawsuit and why it has implications for zoning across California. Links: Learn mor...

Dozens of pro-housing laws were passed in California this year, but how will they impact the future of housing in the state? In this episode, our Policy Director Rafa Sonnenfeld sits down with Steve Wertheim to talk about the top pro-housing bills of the year and how they will help address the housing shortage that drives up prices in communities across the state.  Steve is a Senior Consultant wit...

Come meet our Orlando chapter!    In this episode, our Volunteer Podcast Producer Ed sits down with Austin Valle who co-founded our chapter Orlando YIMBY. Austin talks about why he cares about housing and how Orlando YIMBY is fighting for abundant, affordable housing in Orlando. He shares what it was like to start a chapter, how his personal story drives his activism, and how his group is working...

Why must the good die young?   This year, California Assemblymember Alex Lee introduced the California Social Housing Act (AB 2053). YIMBY Action sponsored the bill, organized in support of it, and worked with fellow supporting organizations to get it passed.   The bill got through several hurdles but ultimately died in the legislature several months ago. In this episode of Infill, Sonja Trauss, o...

Come meet the founders of our Dallas chapter!   In this episode, our National Chapter Manager Jes sits down with DeDe and Adam who founded our chapter More Neighbors Dallas.   The two of them share why they care about housing and how they're fighting for abundant, affordable housing in Dallas. They share what it was like to start a chapter, how their previous experiences help drive their activism,...

The first draft of San Francisco's housing plan was released last week and guests Chris Elmendorf and David Broockman talk about what it means for the city as well as the state overall.   Cities across California are creating housing plans (aka "housing elements") that will be in effect for the next eight years. YIMBYs have successfully advocated for laws that help make sure this process is especi...

In this episode, our volunteer podcast producer Ed talks with two of our leads from San Luis Obispo County, California! Hear from Krista and Kevin on what they've been working on and how they're advocating for housing in their community! They also talk about how SB 9 and SB 10 have impacted SLO County. Both bills passed in California last year, and they became law at the beginning of 2022. SB 9 le...

YIMBYs in California advocate for laws to address the housing shortage and housing affordability crisis, but what happens after the Governor signs them?   Housing law enforcement is an important but often less flashy part of the process of making housing abundant and affordable. Housing law enforcement is possible because of volunteers, organizations like YIMBY Law, the CA Department of Housing an...

A new report from Circulate San Diego shows us what's possible with density bonus programs. Laura sits down with Colin Parent and Jesse O'Sullivan to talk about their Homerun for Homes report that outlines the outcomes from the program.   Links: Check out the Homerun for Homes report: https://circulatesd.org/homerunforhomes Learn more about Colin Parent and Jesse O'Sullivan at Circulate SD: https:...

California Governor Newsom released a revised version of the state's budget on May 13th, so what does it mean for housing? Laura Foote sits down with Michael Lane, the State Policy Director for SPUR Urbanist, to discuss the details. SPUR is a nonprofit public policy organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. They bring people together from across the political spectrum to develop solutions to the...