After some awkward shuffling, our industry has decided to speak out against Trump. And to everyone who’s opened their mouths, that’s worthy of applause. But for all the outcry against nativist federal policies, there’s precious little criticism of the anti-immigrant policies we have here at home. If we want to build a nation that’s open and tolerant, we have to be willing to build a Bay Area that embodies those values as well.

Invisible Walls

For the last several decades, we’ve systematically suppressed housing production while simultaneously experiencing population increase and economic growth. The net result? Crippling housing prices, of course. For those of us in tech, the cost of living is increasingly burdensome and represents a growing threat to our industry’s future. For many of our friends and neighbors outside of tech, however, the situation is much worse.

No fault evictions have been on the rise for years. Mid-level earners like teachers and other public servants are unable to afford housing where they’re needed most. Mega commutes are becoming increasingly common as workers can’t find reasonably priced housing near major job centers. And an invisible economic wall has been erected that’s silently preventing would-be immigrants from accessing everything that makes the Bay Area great.

These problems (and the chronic housing shortage that drives them) are caused by a broken legal, political and regulatory system that makes it impossible to build where housing would be most valuable. It allows incumbent landholders to benefit from rising housing prices while also privileging them with a disproportionate say in who gets to build what, when and where.

This class of modern day landed gentry are tax protected by prop 13, meaning no matter how valuable their properties become, their taxes never go up. With no economic downside, they have no compunction blocking housing that disrupts their views, threatens their free street parking or otherwise would allow people they don’t like to move into their neighborhoods.

If we want a U.S that’s for everyone, we need a Bay Area that’s for everyone as well (Googlers Protesting Trump. Photo Credit: @amypies83/ Twitter)

And this is where the connection between federal and local policy should be most apparent: the use of state power to keep “others” out while simultaneously maintaining the political as well as economic status of the already privileged few. If we don’t oppose this here at home — where we have the most control over policy and the most direct access to politicians — we won’t be opposing Trump’s America, we’ll be complicit in helping him build it.

After all, what’s the use in fighting to defend sanctuary cities if we aren’t willing to make them economically accessible? To what end do we speak of receiving refugees if we’re unwilling to build a place for them to live? To cry out against federal overreach in D.C., but stay silent on the regressive, segregationist, anti-immigrant housing policy we have here at home is the height of hypocrisy. I beg our industry to be better and I implore everyone with a billfold and a soapbox to put both to better use.

How to Build a Better Bay

Fun fact: municipalities across the region often violate state housing law when they choose to prevent new development. And until recently, there wasn’t anyone to hold them to account. But in 2015, five housing activists founded The California Renter’s Legal Advocacy and Eduction Fund (CARLA) to bring cities with exclusionary zoning practices back in line.

For ease of reference, think of CARLA like the Bay Area housing equivalent of the ACLU. They help move and maintain policy by calling bullshit when entrenched interests try to pull a fast one. And just like the ACLU, they need resources to continue their good work. So if you were able to donate $10 to fight repressive federal policy, do the same to combat segregationist policy at the local level as well.

If the legal front is the air war, the political front is the day-to-day slogging in the trenches. Pro-housing advocacy groups have sprung up all over the region, but the single biggest one is the SF based YIMBY Party which serves as an umbrella organization for other groups. Becoming a dues paying member is a great way to support the cause and they also accept straight up donations. And there are plenty of non-monetary ways to contribute time and talent as well.

And for everyone outside of SF, check out other YIMBY orgs like East Bay Forward, Palo Alto Forward, and Redwood City Forward.They all need money, time and talent and whatever you have to contribute, they’ll be happy to put to good use.

If we don’t make changes in our own backyard, everything we say we’re fighting when we march against Trump happens here anyway. We know the solutions, we have the resources and, if recent events have shown us anything, we have the will to act. But we must decide that changing the trajectory of our region is important. And we must follow up with actual reforms. We can choose to build a region that’s open, tolerant and accessible or stay apathetic and let conditions continue to worsen. But whatever happens, whatever choice we ultimately make, remember this: inaction is not just failure, it’s complicity in building a future we claim to want to prevent.

Required Reading

Why it’s So Hard to Build Housing in the Bay: the TL;DR explaining why things are the way things are — short and sweet.

How Burrowing Owls Lead to Vomiting Anarchists: the long version of why things are the way they are — soon to be republished in comic book form.

California’s High Housing Costs: Causes and Consequences: the really long version of why things are the way they are — non wonks beware, this is an actual white paper.