Oct122022

NAC Blog: Zoning 101: Exclusionary zoning as a barrier to housing production

NAC

The first comprehensive city zoning ordinance was created in New York City in 1916, in response to a 42-story building built in a Manhattan neighborhood that cast a seven acre shadow, leaving many of its neighbors in the dark. At the same time, New York and other cities across the country were grappling with industrial warehouses and factories cropping up near residential neighborhoods. What started as a public health measure, to protect citizens from pollutants and toxins emitted from industrial sites, quickly turned into a tool to segregate neighborhoods.

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Oct122022

NAC Blog: Big Win: AB 2011 passes in California!

NAC

Speaking of zoning, in California, the governor recently signed a critical housing bill, AB 2011, “The Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act”. NAHREP, alongside other housing advocacy organizations across the state, supported this bill because of its potential to spur millions of affordable homes. AB 2011 allows for affordable housing development on commercially-zoned areas if it meets the affordability, labor, and environmental standards.

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Sep152022

NAC Blog: Sneak Peek: 2022 State of Hispanic Wealth Report

NAC

In the fall of 2018, I had the opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico for a conference addressing the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. I had just started at NAHREP and was still getting acclimated to the culture of the organization. During that trip, I had the opportunity to get to know the Puerto Rico chapter well. It was through conversations with NAHREP leaders like Eric Haddock, Francisco Fernández, Enrique Morales, and Ivelisse Lopez, that it clicked for me that there was so much more to NAHREP than meets the eye.

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Aug252022

NAC Blog: Where do your candidates stand on housing?

NAC

If there is nothing else you take away from these blogs, let it be this one thing: You have so much more power than you think. Now it’s time to use it.When it comes to your elected officials, YOU are in charge. Don’t ever forget that. Every 2 to 4 years, you get to choose whether you want to keep your elected officials or to fire them. With that power comes a great deal of responsibility. And I know, ignorance is bliss. Most of us go about our days, solving problems that arise within our immediate families and/or businesses, and we don’t have time to “supervise or manage” our elected officials. But, if you think housing supply is the biggest issue impacting your clients and business right now, let’s do something about it!

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Aug182022

NAC Blog: A look into Special Purpose Credit Programs

NAC

Last week, NAC Regional Director Imelda Manzo and I presented on the State of Hispanic Homeownership in San Diego for the San Diego Union Tribune. Following our presentation, one of the attendees asked us if there were any programs that were particularly targeted for the Latino community. This made me think about Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCP) and the fact that we haven’t talked about them enough here on the blog.

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Aug112022

NAC Blog: Innovative Approaches to Housing

NAC

Cómo están, corazones? This past weekend, I attended one of my favorite gatherings for national housing leaders. Annually, a group of top housing executives and nonprofit leaders gather in La Jolla to discuss the housing market and to share ideas. I was inspired by many innovative approaches to housing issues and I want to share some of what I heard. The goal of the National Advocacy Committee is to empower each of you to be leaders and advocates within your community. As you speak to more city stakeholders and nonprofit leaders, it is important to share these ideas so your city can explore new options.

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Aug42022

NAC Blog: The Importance of Coalitions

NAC

When we joined advocacy organizations alongside the Mortgage Bankers Association, the National Association of Home Builders, and the National Association of REALTORS® to demand that housing be included in Build Back Better, we were able to do that because we were standing together as a coalition. We were all business organizations and Build Back Better included a lot of non-business-related items. However, our united stance was that if a big spending package was going to pass, it would be a huge mistake not to include support for one of the most pressing issues of our time: the housing shortage.

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Jul212022

NAC Blog: Housing underproduction

NAC

Where are all my runners at? I know there’s a ton of you. I’ve even heard from little pajaritos that there are a few NAHREP running groups out there. First of all, I don’t know that I can call myself a runner just yet, but I’ve recently taken it on again after a long hiatus and it is making me so happy. I’ve made a list of all of the best running trails in San Diego (most of which are by the beach and absolutely stunning) and I’m slowly crossing them off. It is hands down the best way to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of a city.

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Jul142022

NAC Blog: Joining a City Planning Committee

NAC

Last month, many of our chapters attended their local city council meetings to speak up on homeownership as part of our June City Council Campaign. It was so awesome to see all of you in action! But what was even more amazing was that many of you reported that your city’s mayor, councilmembers, and other influencers approached you after the meeting and invited you to participate in further conversations around housing supply. That is what this is all about! As you become known in your area, you may be invited to join a city planning committee or housing commission. These groups may be formal or informal, but I encourage each of you to take that opportunity if it presents itself.

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Jul72022

NAC Blog: Be a NAHREP Voter

NAC

Happy 4th of July, familia! I hope all of you enjoyed some quality family time, delicious food, sun, and fireworks on this year’s beautiful 4th of July weekend. I had my entire family together this weekend. My sister flew in from Boston, and both my little niece and nephew, Isa and Mateo, were together. It was a blast. But, as my family usually does, we embarked on some passionate debates about the state of the country, our democracy, and what we can expect from the future leadership of the next generations.

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