Category: Development and Housing

Loya on Building Wealth through Homeownership

November 17, 2025/0 Comments/in Development and Housing, Luskin in the News Jose Loya /by Jiah Lee

Housing prices have been on the rise over the past decade, making the prospect of homeownership inaccessible to many Americans. In light of this growing issue, a question has recently emerged: “Does homeownership really build wealth?” Experts seem to think so, and Assistant Professor of Urban Planning José Loya appeared on Marketplace to share his perspectives.

According to Loya, the accrual of wealth from homeownership primarily originates from mortgage interest deduction, a type of government subsidy that makes homeownership financially appealing. Socioeconomic disparities, however, impact this level of wealth accumulation. There has been found to be a disproportionately higher value of homes and wealth accumulation in majority-white communities compared to their minority counterparts. Cities with more job opportunities like Los Angeles also tend to have higher housing costs while places with fewer prospects tend to have lower costs, further exacerbating the issue.

“Homeownership can be a heavy burden if your job is unstable and your income fluctuates,” said Loya. With the uncertain future of both the job and housing market, Loya suggests exploring alternate means of building wealth, such as starting a business.

UCLA Housing Voice Podcast Celebrates 100 Episodes Hosted by Shane Phillips, the podcast continues to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world housing solutions.

October 15, 2025/0 Comments/in Development and Housing, For Policymakers, Luskin's Latest Blog, Public Policy, The Lewis Center Michael Lens /by Peaches Chung

The UCLA Housing Voice Podcast, produced by the Randall Lewis Housing Initiative at the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, will release its 100th episode on October 22. The podcast, a biweekly program managed by Shane Phillips and joined by UCLA Luskin professors Michael Lens, Paavo Monkkonen, and Mike Manville as occasional co-hosts, aims to translate emerging housing research into practical insights for practitioners, policymakers, and the broader public.

Each episode features conversations with housing researchers on topics such as affordability, displacement, land-use policy, and tenant protections. The Randall Lewis Housing Initiative supports this work by producing research and public programming to shape public discourse.

As a recent review from HousingForward Virginia put it, “What makes this podcast particularly valuable is how Phillips and his co-hosts translate academic jargon into practical insights. They don’t just present findings—they dig into what the research means for practitioners, policymakers, and communities.”

Since its debut, the podcast has explored a wide range of topics, from California’s Senate Bill 9 duplex law and inclusionary zoning policies to comparative housing laws in countries such as Japan and New Zealand. Across its first 99 episodes, the series has traced the evolving global conversation on housing equity and policy innovation.

The 100th episode will be available October 22 on all major podcast platforms.

Underpaying and Overusing Our Roads: The True Cost of Driving UCLA Luskin’s Mike Manville is challenging how we think about traffic, housing, and fairness.

July 25, 2025/0 Comments/in Development and Housing, Environment, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Luskin's Latest Blog, Politics, Public Policy, School of Public Affairs, Transportation, Urban Planning Michael Manville /by Peaches Chung

If you’ve ever been stuck in gridlock traffic on the 405 or circled the block looking for parking in L.A., you’ve experienced the kinds of problems Michael Manville has spent years researching and trying to solve. As professor and chair of urban planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, Manville is reshaping how we think about transportation and housing in a sprawling city like Los Angeles and turning his research into real-world impact.

At the center of Manville’s transportation research is a deceptively simple idea: the way we price things matters and how we price things shapes how we use them.

” Driving costs less than it should, because the full social costs of driving, like congestion, pollution, infrastructure wear, aren’t reflected in what we pay to use our roads.”

“Driving is too cheap, and housing is too expensive,” he says. “Driving isn’t cheap in the absolute sense of the word ‘cheap’ because cars aren’t cheap and gas isn’t free, but in the sense that it costs less than it should, because the full social costs of driving, like congestion, pollution, infrastructure wear, aren’t reflected in what we pay to use our roads.” The price of housing, meanwhile, is driven up by restrictive land-use policies that limit supply.

Manville’s first introduction into urban planning began in a newsroom while covering transportation and housing topics as a local reporter. When the newspaper he worked for went bankrupt, he joined the local planning commission. Eager to turn his newfound passion into a career, he enrolled in the urban planning master’s degree program at UCLA and after a summer as a research assistant, decided to pursue a Ph.D. Today, he leads the department that jumpstarted his second career.

Building on the groundbreaking work of his mentor Donald Shoup, former UCLA urban planning professor and pioneer in parking reform who famously argued that free or underpriced parking distorts urban development, Manville and many other experts in the field have expanded this logic more broadly, emphasizing that it’s not just parking that’s mispriced, it’s also the roads themselves.

One proven strategy to address this is congestion pricing, a transportation policy that charges drivers a fee to use certain roads during peak traffic times. A controversial idea that has gained some traction in recent years, the goal primarily is to improve traffic flow and lower pollution, although it can also generate revenue for public transit and infrastructure.

It’s the idea that using roads during peak times should come with a price, just like electricity or water. “We meter every other government-owned utility,” Manville explains, “but not roads.” “It’s the only system that we don’t charge prices for, and it’s not a coincidence that it’s the only system that colossally breaks down about two times a day.” Manville argues that the same basic principle we apply to everything else in our economy, pricing goods and services based on demand, should also apply to road usage.

“We meter every other government-owned utility, but not our roads. It’s the only system that we don’t charge prices for, and it’s not a coincidence that it’s the only system that colossally breaks down about two times a day.”

Cities like Singapore prove it can work. In Singapore, dynamic tolling keeps traffic flowing at 45–55 mph even in a city as densely populated as San Francisco. Manville argues that Los Angeles could reap similar benefits if it embraced the idea. “We’ve normalized the dysfunction of our transportation system,” he says. “But there’s nothing inherently fair about free roads, or unfair about charging for their use.”

For Manville, reimagining cities isn’t just about policy; it’s about turning research into practical, real-world implementation. At UCLA Luskin, he says, that happens through teaching the next generation of planners, working directly with policymakers, and ensuring research is more accessible to community members. “The biggest impact we can have,” he explains, “is making sure our students leave with the ability to weigh tradeoffs—not chase perfect solutions.”

When asked what he hopes for the next generation of urban planners who will be tasked to solve some of the most complicated issues our cities face today, Manville had some wisdom from his own experience as a young planner.

“I came to UCLA convinced there were a bunch of right answers,” he reflects. “But the biggest lesson I’ve learned, and hope to pass on, is that progress comes from understanding the nuance and complexity of the issues we hope to solve. In a city as vast and diverse as L.A., differing perspectives are inevitable and real change begins with listening, especially to those you may not agree with.”

Turner on the Power of Shade to Combat Urban Heat

July 14, 2025/0 Comments/in Climate Change, Development and Housing, Environment, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Luskin in the News, Transportation, Urban Planning V. Kelly Turner /by Peaches Chung

UCLA Luskin urban planning professor Kelly Turner lends her expertise in urban planning and heat resilience to offer data-backed perspective on how shade — both leafy and architectural — is essential for public health. In a New York Times opinion piece, Turner challenges the conventional wisdom that shade makes public spaces less usable and desirable. She explains that shade can reduce outdoor heat burden as much as 30%, offering critical relief to vulnerable communities who bear the brunt of urban heat.

Turner most recently, in collaboration with American Forests, developed an innovative shade-mapping tool to identify where shade is most needed. These maps can guide transit planners to reroute bus stops to cooler corridors or encourage cities to add shade where it will have the most impact.

Though much of our current planning policy still prioritizes sunlight, Turner argues it’s time for a shift. As climate change accelerates, shadows shouldn’t be feared — they should be welcomed.

A View from the Top UCLA Luskin students get a look at policymaking, public service work and life in Los Angeles city government

April 17, 2025/0 Comments/in Development and Housing, Environment, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Global Public Affairs, Politics, Public Policy, Social Welfare, Sustainable Energy, Transportation, Urban Planning /by Peaches Chung

by Stan Paul

The view from the top of the iconic Art Deco-style tower of Los Angeles City Hall provides a unique, 360-degree prospective of the sprawling Southern California city — vast, complex and in constant motion.

On April 11, a contingent of UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs graduate students gathered inside the tower’s 27th floor to gain perspectives from top city and county leaders, including UCLA and UCLA Luskin alumni, about their work with city government and their insights on important and pressing daily issues that drive the bustling city below.

The 19th annual Luskin Day at Los Angeles City Hall was held in partnership with UCLA Government and Community Relations and the Office of City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky. Students from UCLA Luskin’s three graduate programs, Public Policy, Social Welfare, and Urban and Regional Planning, engaged in conversation with the group of experienced leaders and high-level city officials and experts in various fields on topics including housing, homelessness, sustainability and transportation.

“I hope today gives you an honest look at the complexity of city government, and I hope you walk away with the understanding of the deep sense of the purpose of mission driven work that we do here in L.A. and especially in this time of difficulty,” said guest panelist Kristin Torres Pawling, a 2009 UCLA and 2012 UCLA Luskin urban planning alumna.

“I also entered the working world in a time of global uncertainty…know that the relationships that you make here today, the relationships that you’ve made with each other, will drive you forward,” she said. “Your ideas and energy, the fresh conversation that you’re bringing to City Hall today, are important to us.”

The day began with formal recognition of the students and the Luskin program during a live city council meeting — a chance to witness local government in action — followed by an opportunity to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it in the day’s discussion.

Lourdes Castro Ramírez, a 1994 UCLA and 2003 UCLA Luskin urban planning alumna, led the day’s first expert policy panel including Nancy Sutley, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor of Energy and Sustainability; Laura Rubio-Cornejo, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and also a 2003 Luskin urban planning alumna; and Zev Yaroslavsky, UCLA alumnus and former longtime member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and former Los Angeles City Councilmember. Each shared their journey into public service and their various roles and responsibilities.

Castro Ramírez currently serves as president and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), the second-largest housing authority in the nation which serves more than 200,000 people. The first-generation college graduate said she was encouraged to see students pursuing degrees in public affairs programs as well as careers in the public sector.

“I am deeply grateful to UCLA for investing in me and deeply grateful to UCLA Luskin for giving me the tools necessary to be able to address some of the most complex issues impacting not only our city and the state, but also equip me to serve at the federal level and work on these issues,” said Castro Ramírez, who also has served on UCLA Luskin’s board of advisors.

“Government has the opportunity to be transformational – to improve the quality of life for residents, to be innovative, and also to be nimble all the times,” she said adding, “I think government gets a bad rap – that it’s not creative, that we’re very bureaucratic, that we don’t really care. My experience has been the complete opposite.”

Yaroslavsky said that whether working for the city or county, or a smaller jurisdiction, “Get into to the game…don’t underestimate how your superiors and others will see you for your work product, for your competence, for your vision and for all of the things that make you who you are and part of that is having your Luskin education.”

A lunchtime session with City of Los Angeles personnel experts also provided a deep dive into navigating the city’s application processes and best practices and tips for gaining employment.

UCLA alumna Wendy Greuel, former L.A. city councilmember, and current vice chair of LAHSA Commission and co-chair of the Los Angeles Unified School District Task Force, kept the momentum of the day going.

Greuel, who helped launch the first UCLA Luskin Day at Los Angeles City Hall and who has supported the program since, moderated a panel including 1996 UCLA alumnus Todd Sargent, who leads the global organization development team for Walt Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products and who has served as a Senior Fellow in the UCLA Luskin’s mentorship program. Matt Szabo, Los Angeles city administrative officer, joined Pawling, who also serves as deputy chief of staff for councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, and fellow Luskin planning graduate Edgar Reyna MURP ’23, a climate resilience senior analyst for the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Energy and Sustainability.

The panelists shared their own experience working in the fast-paced daily life serving the city and its residents, as well as advising them on what work and life are like in city government at the local level to interactions at the state and national levels. Greuel asked what ultimately drew them to working at the local level.

“When I got involved in local work, in city commission work, the impact was so much more real. You could literally see the work you did manifest in the local community,” said Sargent, who previously worked in Capitol Hill where he said things moved at a much slower pace.

Szabo, appointed to his current position in 2023 and who formerly served as deputy chief of staff to former Mayor Eric Garcetti, remarked, “If you’ve been out on the ledge here, if you just look outside, everything that you see that isn’t privately owned is pretty much the responsibility of the city, the streets, the sidewalks, the trees on the sidewalks…it’s all the things you can touch and feel immediately and that for me is more gratifying now.”

A final question for the panel was, “What gives you hope?”

“Hope for me is all of you in this room,” said Greuel.

The day concluded with a round table policy and career session with Los Angeles City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, a UCLA Law School graduate, who was elected in 2022 to serve the city’s fifth district.

Yaroslavsky talked about managing a public service career, serving her constituents and the city while taking on many new roles since being elected, including chair of the city’s Budget and Finance committee and the task of running the city more efficiently.

“There’s lots of ways to make things better, to make ourselves more efficient, to attract business, to support people who need help to, to work on homelessness and public safety and holistic ways,” she said.

As a member of LA Metro’s Board of Directors, Yaroslavsky said she is excited about projects underway including Metro stations opening across the city’s Westside region, “…the first time since the Red Car in the 1950s and 60s that the Westside will be linked to downtown by mass transit,” she said. For Yaroslavsky, the station openings represent an incredible opportunity for more people to get onto the system who might not know about it and to know what public transit is all about.

Yaroslavsky also dispensed public service career advice to the students including being open to both constructive and unconstructive criticism as part of an important skill set.

“I think it’s hard to do. It’s hard to give constructive feedback. It’s also really hard to take. Both are really important.”

Also difficult is taking risks like changing careers and pursuing public office, she said.

“Once in a while do something that really scares you,” she said recalling daunting decisions as “the best choices I’ve ever made in my career.”

“And, if you give yourself some space and you’re willing to take chances that you are able to take, I think that’s where you grow the most,” Yaroslavsky, concluding with thanking the students for attending the Luskin Day event and taking an interest in — and aspiring to — public service roles.

“It’s really heartening to see so many folks who care and want to be part of the solution, so don’t be strangers.”

To view more photos from this day, please see photo album.

UCLA’s LPPI and Luskin Host Panel on Los Angeles Wildfire Recovery Panelists discussed prevention, equity as wildfire rebuilding efforts continue

March 27, 2025/0 Comments/in Climate Change, Development and Housing, Environment, For Policymakers, For Students, Public Policy, School of Public Affairs, Urban Planning Amada Armenta, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Cecilia Estolano /by Peaches Chung

On March 20, 2025, UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) and the Luskin School of Public Affairs convened a distinguished panel to address the multifaceted challenges of wildfire recovery in Los Angeles. The event, part of the “Defining L.A.’s Future: The Collision of Federal Politics and Local Realities” series, underscored the imperative for equitable and resilient rebuilding strategies.

Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris opened the discussion by emphasizing the necessity of inclusive recovery efforts that serve all residents. “It’s vital that we ensure that our rebuilding strategies are inclusive and address the systemic barriers that disproportionately impact our most vulnerable communities,” said Loukaitou-Sideris. She highlighted the importance of addressing these barriers and aligning federal policies to ensure justice in the city’s response to wildfires.

LPPI Faculty Director Amada Armenta presented data revealing the uneven impacts of wildfires across communities, noting that many lack the resources required for effective rebuilding. She referenced collaborative research from LPPI, the Bunche Center, the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, and the Asian American Studies Center to illustrate these disparities.

Moderated by esteemed journalist Jorge Ramos, the panel featured California Assemblymember Isaac Bryan MPP ’18, Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, and urban planning expert Cecilia Estolano MA UP ’91. Assemblymember Bryan advocated for addressing the root causes of wildfires, including the climate crisis, and called for long-term investments to combat worsening conditions. Councilmember Hernandez highlighted the exacerbation of health disparities in Black and Latino communities due to wildfire smoke, stressing the need for targeted health interventions and worker relief. Estolano proposed innovative approaches such as leveraging California’s redevelopment law to create disaster recovery zones, acquiring land from owners unable to rebuild, and increasing housing density to facilitate equitable recovery.

The panel collectively emphasized that wildfire recovery in Los Angeles requires a comprehensive approach that integrates climate action, health equity, and strategic urban planning to build a more resilient future for all communities. See highlights from the event in our photo gallery here.

For an in-depth account of the panel discussion, please read the full article in the UCLA Newsroom.

UCLA Launches New Master of Real Estate Development Program Greg Morrow, a real estate professional, educator and UCLA alumnus, will lead the Luskin School-based initiative

January 7, 2025/0 Comments/in Alumni, Business and the Environment, Climate Change, Development and Housing, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Public Policy, Public Policy News, School of Public Affairs, Urban Planning Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris /by Mary Braswell

The one-year UCLA Luskin MRED is a new kind of real estate program, distinguished by unprecedented collaboration with industry leaders and opportunities for students to apply their academic training to real-world challenges through case studies, site visits and competitions. Mentoring, internship and networking opportunities will give them further access to innovative thinkers and workplace experiences to enhance their career prospects.

The MRED program’s cutting-edge curriculum integrates academic and experiential learning to equip students with both the analytical and practical skills to succeed in a range of careers and a big-picture understanding of the real estate industry’s power to create meaningful community impact.

UCLA has appointed Greg Morrow, a real estate professional and educator who founded UC Berkeley’s MRED+Design program, to lead the new UCLA program. Morrow earned master’s degrees in city planning and architecture from MIT and a doctorate in urban planning from UCLA.

Greg Morrow

“I’m thrilled to be back in L.A. to launch an MRED program that is unlike any other in content, outlook and emphasis on real estate’s central role in shaping society,” Morrow said. “Working with our industry partners, we aim to cultivate future leaders who have superb professional skills and a deep understanding of socioeconomic and policy issues in order to create more livable, resilient, equitable communities.”

MRED students will study under and work alongside accomplished professionals, including developers, lenders, private equity investors, real estate and land use lawyers, affordable housing officials, policy leaders, architects, builders, construction executives, planners and innovators in sustainability. These industry experts helped design the curriculum and will teach most of the classes.

“We’re teaming up with UCLA’s faculty to ensure that students gain the essential skills to succeed in whichever real estate field they choose,” said Alex Rose, executive vice president for development at Continental Development Corp. and a member of UCLA Luskin’s board of advisors. “From day one, graduates of the UCLA Luskin MRED program will have the tools to contribute not just to their employers but to make a difference in their communities as well.”

The interdisciplinary program is housed in the Luskin School of Public Affairs’ urban planning department and will include courses in the Anderson School of Management, UCLA Law and other departments across the university. Students will also have access to broad real estate expertise at UCLA through the Ziman Center for Real Estate, Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies and the innovative cityLab research center in the department of architecture and urban design.

The new program reflects the University of California’s effort to establish educational paths that address specific workforce needs. In addition to nuts-and-bolts real estate competencies, MRED students will be exposed to the latest trends in real estate — from AI and new design paradigms to advanced construction techniques and financing tools. The program will also address key issues of affordability, equity, sustainability and how development interacts with larger urban development systems.

The curriculum is designed to develop students’ critical thinking, teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills, which are also essential for success in the workplace.

“Los Angeles is an ideal city in which to study real estate,” said Cecilia Estolano, a member of the Luskin board of advisors and a leading expert on contemporary urban planning issues with experience in economic and workforce development, land use, environmental equity and urban revitalization. “We have a diverse economy, dynamic neighborhoods and a range of real estate problems requiring bold, innovative, systemic solutions. UCLA’s MRED will challenge students to situate real estate development in a broader policy context.”

A cultural trendsetter that welcomes reinvention, Los Angeles is undergoing an ambitious urban transformation, including major housing and transit initiatives, as it prepares to host the 2026 World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

“Los Angeles has proven to be a laboratory marked by innovations that become models for the nation,” said Andy Cohen, co-chair of the Gensler design and architecture firm. “UCLA is at the heart of this global metropolis, giving students in this important new program front-line access to learn from the best so they can shape the real estate industry and build a better future for our cities — locally and internationally.”

“Luskin is a powerful platform that seeks to educate and challenge change-makers to tackle pressing societal issues,” said Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, interim dean of UCLA Luskin. “The new master in real estate program is a perfect fit for Luskin. We can’t wait to welcome our first class next year.”

The program is designed for applicants from diverse fields, within and outside real estate, and backgrounds.

“UCLA is a global brand that attracts leading scholars, students and industry partners and has a devoted international alumni network,” Morrow said. “By leveraging the best of UCLA and its alumni, the UCLA Luskin MRED program will build a global brand in real estate. Our graduates will not only change the industry but also change the face of real estate.”

Building Up Communities of Color Three Black real estate professionals committed to investing in low-income neighborhoods share their successes and struggles

May 16, 2024/0 Comments/in Development and Housing, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, School of Public Affairs Michael Lens /by Mary Braswell

By Mary Braswell

Former Los Angeles Laker Devean George’s second career as a builder of safe and affordable housing for communities in need was inspired, in part, by his conversations with children.

In his 11-year NBA run, including three championship seasons in L.A., George used his platform to connect with young people across the country — “to really open up kids’ minds to dreaming and thinking there’s another world outside their four walls.”

But the encounters often came with a reality check, George told a UCLA Luskin Lecture audience on May 9.

“I’m thinking to myself, I’m going to talk to kids and say, ‘Hey, eat your vegetables and you’ll grow like me and get good grades,’” he said. “And they don’t really know where their next meal is coming from or where they’re staying.

“They’re staying at Grandma’s house tonight or with their mom’s boyfriend tomorrow, or they’re somewhere else so they’re missing school.”

The stark need for safe, stable housing options across the country led him to create the George Group North development company and Building Blocks nonprofit in his hometown of Minneapolis. His first housing venture there includes a gathering space for youth, with homework help and food provided by the local school district.

At the Luskin Lecture at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in downtown Los Angeles, George came together with two other Black real estate professionals to share the struggles and successes of building up neighborhoods of color.

Malcolm Johnson launched Langdon Park Capital in Los Angeles in 2021, with a focus on preserving and upgrading existing properties to house low- and middle-income families. He, too, transitioned into the real estate industry after a stint in professional sports, as a wide receiver for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Malika Billingslea is a senior development advisor to NEOO Partners, a commercial real estate firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota, that works to elevate Black voices in the industry. “This rings true every time I think about affordable housing: If you don’t ask me, it’s not for me,” Billingslea said.

The lecture was part of a larger conversation about housing development and social justice taking place at UCLA Luskin, which is launching a new master’s degree in real estate development in fall 2025.

Housing scholar Michael Lens moderated the dialogue, making this foundational observation: “If we’re going to have a conversation about Black people building housing in Black communities, we need to start by talking about why so few Black people are working in development, really in any capacity.”

Nearly 111,000 of the 112,000 real estate development companies in the United States are white-owned, and only 2% of their chief executive positions are held by Black men — “and surely the number is even lower for Black women,” said Lens, an associate professor of urban planning and public policy.

“That’s why it matters for us to be in the room — and not just in the room but making decisions,” said Johnson, who is a UCLA supporter through the Ziman Center for Real Estate.

He did point out that racial awareness can be a significant business asset when competing for capital.

“That is the reason that we’re able to make smart investment decisions in the Crenshaw District, Highland Park, Leimert Park, Prince George’s County, Maryland, the East Bay. We actually have on our investment committee people with cultural competency in those submarkets,” he said. “So it’s not just diversity for the sake of diversity. That’s what investors will respond to.”

Johnson’s company is named after the recreation center that served as the heart of the diverse Washington, D.C., neighborhood where he grew up. Now, each of the buildings he has refurbished bears the Langdon Park name.

“There’s something powerful about owning in your community … but the economics mean that there are far more renters by necessity today, and that’s who we serve,” Johnson said. “So our idea of ownership is how can you take pride in the building? … We provide amenities that meet their needs, just like you would have if you owned a single-family house.”

The panel offered up a wish list of policy changes that could remove barriers to housing justice.

Federal tax credits are supposed to encourage the development of low-income housing, Billingslea said, but “anybody that knows anything about tax code knows it’s ridiculously complex for no apparent reason.”

Intentionally or not, the system of bidding on projects often excludes small minority businesses, George said. The panelists called on lead developers to show diligence, flexibility and creativity to bring diverse talent into the fold.

Johnson said rent control ordinances can have the unintended consequence of curbing cash flow that can be reinvested in a building’s safety upgrades, renovations and tenant amenities, which then make the surrounding community more secure.

“Who’s ever been to a housing project and said, ‘This place looks like it has a lot of hope just because the rents are really low?’” he said. “That doesn’t work. A bunch of poor people with a low tax base means poor-performing schools, it means potholes that don’t get fixed, police that don’t show up.”

George underscored the impact of embedding social supports into housing ventures, a hallmark of his first model housing project in north Minneapolis, which opened in 2016. Professional athletes from around the country have asked George if he could help replicate the project in their own hometowns. And that’s why he now has housing projects in cities like New Orleans.

“Other football players and basketball players that I know were saying, ‘Hey, why don’t we get past the transactional things we’re doing for our communities, the turkey drives and the toy giveaways that are here today and gone tomorrow,’” George said. “What are we going to do for our community that can last? What can we do for our community that can be uplifting, bring more resources and provide jobs?”

Attended by government, nonprofit and philanthropic representatives, as well as students and members of the public, the lecture was co-sponsored by the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, the UCLA Bunche Center for African American Studies and the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate.

Watch a video of the event and view more photos.

L.A. Mayor Focuses on the Need for Housing Solutions During UCLA Luskin Summit Karen Bass visits campus to join discussions on the value of research about issues like homelessness, climate resilience, governance and equity in transportation

April 23, 2024/0 Comments/in Alumni, Business and the Environment, Development and Housing, Diversity, Environment, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Health Care, Latinos, Public Policy, Public Policy News, Research Projects, School of Public Affairs, Social Welfare, Social Welfare News, Social Welfare PhD, Transportation, Urban Planning Zev Yaroslavsky /by Les Dunseith

By Les Dunseith

On April 17, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was the featured speaker as scholars, civic leaders and the philanthropic community came together to discuss policy issues during the sixth annual UCLA Luskin Summit.

What was on her mind? Housing.

Bass, who declared homelessness a state of emergency immediately upon taking office as mayor in December 2022, told the more than 300 people in attendance at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center that her office is now turning more attention to longer-term solutions after initially emphasizing urgency in getting unhoused people off the streets.

“It is not reasonable for somebody [needing shelter] to be able to stay around while we get housing built,” she said of the challenge to provide shelter for people in need amid an ongoing affordable housing crisis.

The mayor’s remarks were delivered during a discussion with Jacqueline Waggoner MA UP ’96, the current chair of the Luskin School’s Board of Advisors. Waggoner, who is the president of the Solutions Division for Enterprise Community Partners, said she was heartened by the mayor’s intense focus on homelessness, given the magnitude of the problem in Los Angeles.

Bass, a former congresswoman who now chairs the Homelessness Task Force for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, said that meeting with mayors around the country presents an opportunity to learn from others, and for other cities in the United States to benefit from what is being done in Southern California. She had announced a new housing initiative based on a program in Atlanta two days before speaking at the Luskin Summit.

“I feel good in terms of what we can do and how we should move forward,” said Bass, who then emphasized, “the biggest question is scale.”

two men in ties sit on stage as one speaks

During an on-stage interview by ABC7’s Josh Haskell, left, the results of the ninth Quality of Life Index were unveiled by UCLA’s Zev Yaroslavsky. Photo by Stan Paul

Concerns over housing affordability was also a key takeaway from the ninth annual Quality of Life Index, which was publicly unveiled in the opening session of the 2024 Luskin Summit. The project at UCLA Luskin is directed by former Los Angeles public official Zev Yaroslavsky, now an adjunct faculty member at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Concerns over the high cost of living pushed the satisfaction of Los Angeles County residents back to its lowest-ever level, according to the annual survey, which received coverage as breaking news by media outlets that included the Los Angeles Times, area radio stations and the local affiliates of all four major U.S. broadcast TV networks.

More than half of respondents, or 59%, cited housing as the most important factor in their rating. During a Q&A moderated by reporter Josh Haskell of ABC7 in Los Angeles, Yaroslavsky pointed out that renters are feeling especially pessimistic about their futures.

“In our survey, we found that 75% of renters do not think they will ever be able to afford to buy a home in a place they’d like to live in Los Angeles County. Think about that — more and more people in our region see the American dream of homeownership slipping away,” Yaroslavsky said.

Yaroslavsky’s remarks were followed by six breakout sessions that examined timely policy issues from the perspective of scholarly research originating at the Luskin School and its affiliated research centers.

Summit attendees heard about studies and policy proposals in climate resilience, governance and equity in transportation. Panels made up of UCLA Luskin scholars and experts from the public, private and nonprofit sectors took on pressing issues affecting Los Angeles and beyond:

What strategies can governments adopt now to help communities withstand rising temperatures?
How is the Southland voter pool changing in this election year, and how can Los Angeles better provide representation for its 3.8 million people
How are government agencies and nonprofits meeting the transportation needs of the region’s most disadvantaged people?

Much of the conversation was guided by research conducted by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, the Institute of Transportation Studies, the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies and the Latino Policy and Politics Institute.

The session with the mayor was the final session of this year’s Luskin Summit. For about an hour, Bass answered questions and engaged in conversation with Waggoner, a native Angeleno with a longtime connection to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).

Since Bass took office, Waggoner said she has noticed visible change in the homeless population. In the past, she would see people leave the streets, only to return soon after.

“I haven’t seen those same people in a year, and what I would say to you is that you are on the path to permanent solutions,” Waggoner said to Bass.

“But I’m never satisfied,” replied Bass, a former social worker. She understands that people experiencing homelessness need not just roofs over their heads, but social services.

“I come at it with a bias because my background is in health care, and I just think we need to do much, much more,” Bass said.

She noted that mental health is something that people often talk about in connection to the unhoused population, but treatment for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer are also important and deserve attention.

“I feel that health needs to be at the center,” Bass said.

Waggoner said that with homelessness spreading “in every neighborhood, people want to do something about it.”

Noting UCLA Luskin’s public-private partnerships with organizations like Hilton Foundation, a Summit sponsor, Waggoner asked Bass about the role of businesses and other groups in helping to get people into permanent housing.

“We are a state of unbelievable wealth. We have many, many, many billionaires that live in the city, tons of multi-millionaires who do phenomenal charitable work,” Bass responded. “I feel good that we’ve been able to align the public sector. But now we need the private sector, we need private money … to expedite the building” of more affordable housing.

Relying on public money can be a slow process because of regulations, construction approvals and the need to juggle multiple funding streams.

“A private developer comes in and can get the development going,” Bass explained. “So, we are hoping that we can do a capital campaign. Everybody knows capital campaigns — buildings get built.”

During her discussion with Waggoner and the 25-minute audience Q&A that followed, Bass also talked about the city’s LA4LA plan to partner with private donors and business to purchase existing properties, including major hotels, to develop its system of long-term interim and permanent housing.

Noting the scale of the problem and an audience consisting of scholars, philanthropic leaders and community organizations, Waggoner pointed out that many people will need to play a part for Bass to realize her vision of a housing solution in Los Angeles.

“Everyone needs to have skin in this game,” Bass said.

The annual event is organized by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs under the guidance of its Board of Advisors, and naming benefactors Meyer and Renee Luskin were among those in attendance. The event was supported by gifts from 12 local charitable organizations and businesses, many of which have been sponsors since the first Luskin Summit in 2019. This year’s theme was “Transformative Action.”

Mary Braswell and Stan Paul also contributed to this story.

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See additional photos on Flickr:

Watch a recording of the mayor’s discussion with Waggoner and the audience Q&A on our Vimeo channel:

School Travels to State Capital for Research Briefing and Alumni Gathering Back-to-back events in Sacramento provide networking opportunities and showcase scholarly works

February 21, 2024/1 Comment/in Alumni, Business and the Environment, Development and Housing, Environment, For Faculty, For Policymakers, For Students, For Undergraduates, Politics, Public Policy, Public Policy News, School of Public Affairs, Urban Planning Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Gregory Pierce, Michael Lens /by Les Dunseith

In mid-February, a contingent of more than 30 people from UCLA Luskin made the trip to northern California in an effort to connect with alumni, government officials and policy experts involved in state government.

The two-day gathering in Sacramento was envisioned as the first of what will become an annual feature of the Luskin’s School’s outreach efforts, pairing an alumni get-together in the state capital with a research-focused briefing for elected officials and their staffs.

The UCLA Luskin Briefing at UC Center Sacramento took place during the time when new bills were being finalized for the next legislative session, and the hope is that the research of UCLA Luskin and its various research centers can put current and future legislative leaders in a better position to make data-informed decisions.

“It was very well attended by elected and appointed officials,” noted Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, who made the effort a priority for this academic year and actively participated in the planning process. “The elected officials I talked to afterward were very appreciative for the event and told me that they hope to see more such events from our School.”

Two briefing sessions were held. A session on water management highlighted research by Adjunct Associate Professor Gregory Pierce MURP ’11 PhD UP ’15, co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. A session on affordable housing was led by Associate Professor Michael Lens, associate faculty director of the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies.

The briefing and the Alumni Regional Reception, which took place the evening before, brought together faculty, staff or alumni from all four departments — Public Policy, Social Welfare, Urban Planning and the Undergraduate Program — as well as members of the Luskin School’s Board of Advisors.

A group of about 20 current Master of Public Policy students also made the trip, getting an opportunity to connect directly with alumni whose footsteps they may hope to follow, including Assemblyman Isaac Bryan MPP ’18, a member of the affordable housing panel.

Find out more about the briefing and view the bios of the 12 people who participated as speakers or panelists.

View photos from the alumni reception

View photos from the research briefing