Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for subscribing to Where We Go From Here! I’m still in shock that it is 2023, and excited to have all of you with me for the coming years. We now have more than 250 subscribers, and 25 folks who have voluntarily paid the $30 to help support this work and keep it free to everyone. I’m truly grateful.
I promise not to overuse this email for these kinds of messages, but I wanted to reach out with some important updates - and a few asks:
Exciting Updates
I’m launching a podcast!
The first TWO episodes of Housing After Dark will drop on Tuesday, March 7th.
Episode 1 features Melanie Morelos (Greenlining), Abram Diaz (Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California) and David Garcia and Muhammad Alamaldin (Terner) talking about being statewide leaders on housing and being from the Northern San Joaquin Valley.
Episode 2 features Emeryville Councilmember and Vice Mayor Courtney Welch talking about housing across the lifecycle, Emeryville’s transformation, and so much more.
Over the course of 2023, we’ll bring you interesting interviews from some of the smartest voices in housing, especially younger voices who need to be heard, or experts who can take us deep into corners of the housing world. We’ll also stick our heads out beyond housing, going deeper into urban development more broadly, all while keeping our eyes on housing and inequality and systems change.
My promise to readers: As excited as I am to podcast, I’m a reader first, second and third. You have my word that every podcast will be transcribed and edited, so that nobody just has to listen to my voice.
A Few Asks
Donate and support
Written words are cheap, but editing them is not. Neither is editing a podcast (or that podcast transcript!). Schafran Strategies, my little start-up consultancy, is currently sponsoring the podcast and the hiring of our brilliant editor and producer DJ Tracy, who is helping up our game across the board.
This isn’t sustainable in the long term, at least not by ourselves. For those of you who are able individually, please consider becoming a founding subscriber by clicking below.
For those of you who are part of organizations working in housing, I would love to find some partner organizations who would want to co-sponsor the podcast or the site as a whole. Reach out if that is you, and help me grow and sustain this work for all of us in California housing and beyond.
Pre-readers wanted
The best writing requires feedback. If you are a dedicated reader and are willing to take a look at pieces before they launch and offer feedback, please get in touch. Anyone willing is welcome. We’ll add you into the Google Doc version and give you a shout out in the acknowledgements (unless you want to stay anonymous).
Social media love
I can’t say how much it means to me when folks email me to send appreciation. Please keep it coming. But if you are willing and able, please consider sending out a tweet (and @ me), a LinkedIn post or any other social media post. It helps us build subscribers and support - including the emotional support to keep going!
Got requests? Questions?
Please let us know if there are questions you have, or things you’d like me to write about. I’m hoping to do a mailbag style post this year answering lots of questions. So send them in!
Alex