Solving Shelter

February 16, 2022._Petaluma, CA, USA._(CRISSY PASCUAL/ARGUS-COURIER STAFF)

The City of Petaluma, where I live, just declared a shelter crisis.

This is in California, the 5th largest economy in the world — and the largest sub-national economy. Petaluma is not unique in having this problem; it’s all but ubiquitous. We’re doing something very wrong, and it’s shameful — but it’s not inevitable. There are shining examples of cities that have taken effective measures to ensure the availability of affordable, livable, and desirable housing for virtually every income level. Here’s a quick, inspiring read on what needs to happen to fix our housing problems. There’s more about Vienna here, and more about Helsinki here.

Let’s start conversations with our city officials about taking more effective actions to address this social problem that affects us all!