2022 Agenda

Over the course of two-and-a-half days, California’s Housing Crossroads sessions will explore how housing got to be so bad and what can be done to fix it. How much influence should the state have over local planning? What role should “the markets” play in solving the housing crisis? What are the underlying causes of and solutions to homelessness? Who is benefiting from homeownership, and who isn’t? And much more!

Time Description Location
Noon–1:30 PM Lunch Dining Room
1:30–1:45 PM Welcome and Overview Pineview
1:45–3:15 PM Housing 101: Where are we? How did we get here?
The symposium begins with a general overview of the conditions of the California housing market, the myriad challenges faced by residents, and historical actions (and inactions) that led us to the current precipice. After this session, all Arrowhead participants will have a baseline understanding of housing in California, regardless of their prior education and experience.

  • Jerusalem Demsas, The Atlantic
  • Michael Lens (moderator), UCLA
Pineview
3:15–3:45 PM Break
3:45–5:15 PM Forecasting the Future: Where are we headed?
Despite progress on state and local policymaking in recent years, California still faces a multitude of persistent urban planning challenges, and an affordable, racially and socially equitable future seems far off. Authors of two recent studies for California 100 by the UCLA Lewis Center and the Institute of Transportation Studies and respondents discuss the linked trajectories of housing and transportation futures in the state, including both optimistic and pessimistic scenarios.

  • Mike Bonin, City of Los Angeles
  • Richard France, Estolano Advisors
  • Annie Fryman, Abodu
  • Jed Leano, City of Claremont
  • Adam Millard-Ball (moderator), UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies
Pineview
5:30–6:30 PM Social Hour Lakeview
6:30–8 PM Dinner Dining Room
8–9:30 PM Markets and Market Failures: Who’s Responsible for Housing?
Which problems is “the market” best-suited to address? In which cases are “non-market” interventions required, such as subsidies or regulation? Can market and non-market strategies work together or are they dichotomous? Speakers share their perspectives on finding the right balance, and policy and political changes needed to achieve it.

  • Michael Manville, UCLA
  • Rochelle Mills, Innovative Housing Opportunities
  • Thai Viet Phan, City of Santa Ana
  • Tricia Keane (moderator), City of Los Angeles Housing Department
Pineview
Time Description Location
7:45–8:30 AM Breakfast Dining Room
8:30–10 AM Why We Have Homelessness and What To Do About It
Homelessness results from the intersection of multiple economic and social risk factors. Nowhere are those risk factors more acute than in California. Speakers review the conditions that put people at higher risk of homelessness, and conditions that complicate the return to stable housing. Speakers will address policies that can prevent homelessness and the services and programs needed to humanely assist those experiencing homelessness.

  • Gregg Colburn, University of Washington
  • Deyanira Nevárez Martínez, Michigan State University
  • Nithya Raman, City of Los Angeles
  • Molly Rysman (moderator), Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
Pineview
10–10:30 AM Break
10:30–Noon State-Led Planning, and Its Discontents
California’s Legislature has taken an increasingly active role in housing policy, recently passing laws to streamline ADU permitting, cap annual rent increases, and increase local housing production targets, among others. The State’s initiative has led some local officials and community groups to push back. Speakers discuss the goals and limitations of this new planning framework, and consider whether a more harmonious state-local partnership to address housing widespread challenges may be possible.

  • Kome Ajise, Southern California Association of Governments
  • Chris Elmendorf, UC Davis School of Law
  • Megan Kirkeby, California Department of Housing and Community Development
  • Paavo Monkkonen (moderator), UCLA
Pineview
Noon–1:30 PM Lunch Dining Room
1:30–3 PM Housing For Whom? And Where? And How?
The idea that production of homes must significantly increase to meet current and future needs is uncontroversial among most academics, policymakers, and advocates. But how should we do it? This session focuses on the many policy and programmatic decisions local governments — and perhaps the state — must make to advance fair housing goals, build homes at affordable prices, and mitigate displacement while enhancing sustainability and equity.

  • Jacob Gonzalez, City of Pasco
  • Meea Kang, Related California Affairs
  • Paavo Monkkonen, UCLA
  • Annie Fryman (moderator), Abodu
3–3:30 PM Lightning Round Q&A (optional) Pineview
3–5:30 PM Break
5:30–6:30 PM Social Hour Iris
6:30–8 PM Dinner Dining Room
8–9:30 PM Homeownership In the Era of the Million Dollar Median
The median home price in the City of Los Angeles reached $1 million in 2022. Is there a future for homeownership in a region where home prices are more than 10 times the typical household income? How do persistent racial and ethnic discrimination in mortgages, appraisals, and other aspects of the housing market impact equitable homeownership? Speakers discuss the barriers to homeownership and its possible futures, including non-traditional alternatives.

  • Adam Briones, California Community Builders
  • José Loya, UCLA
  • Ada Peng, HR&A
  • Michael Manville (moderator), UCLA
Pineview
Time Description Location
7:45–8 AM Breakfast Dining Room
8:30–10 AM Making the Case For Housing Reform

Every movement needs advocates, and successful advocacy groups need to organize. In recent years, new housing advocacy groups have formed and older groups have changed direction to focus on housing issues: production, tenants’ rights, subsidies, and more. Speakers discuss their experiences organizing for housing reform and running for office on a pro-reform message. What more can be done to advance housing justice?

  • Alex Fisch, City of Culver City
  • Laura Loe, Share the Cities
  • Tommy Newman, United Way of Greater L.A.
  • Shane Phillips (moderator), UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Pineview
10–10:30 AM Lightning Round Q&A (optional) Pineview
10:30–Noon Reflections
A panel of participants and the audience reflect on what they learned at this year’s Arrowhead Symposium.
Pineview
Noon Lunch Dining Room