about

I work at the intersection of housing policy, community change, and public narrative. Over the past three decades, I’ve worked across the housing system — organizing at the grassroots level, advancing equity-focused reforms inside local government, advising public agencies and nonprofits, and contributing nationally to the conversation about housing equity and racial segregation.

I am the co-author of Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law (2023), written with Richard Rothstein as a follow-up to The Color of Law. While The Color of Law documented how government policy created residential segregation, Just Action focuses on how communities can begin to address those harms through local action in housing, land use, and related systems.

Since the book’s publication, I’ve spoken with a wide range of audiences — including community groups, housing professionals, real estate and banking audiences, faith communities, civil rights organizations, and universities — about the history of segregation and today’s opportunities for advancing fair and inclusive housing. I regularly deliver keynote talks and facilitate conversations that aim to be honest, accessible, and inspirational while grounded in what’s possible.

Alongside my writing and speaking, I continue to advise local governments, housing advocates, and community organizations on housing and fair housing strategies. Earlier in my career, I worked inside local government on equity-focused reform efforts and as a consultant to nonprofit housing developers and public agencies on community development and affordable housing policy.

I hold a B.A. with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master of Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. I currently serve on the board of the Greenline Housing Foundation, previously served on the board of Rebuilding Together Oakland, and am actively engaged with organizing efforts on issues that impact my community.

I live in Oakland, California, where my partner and I have a small co-housing compound with friends — an everyday experiment in resisting the isolation of single-family living. I am seeking to support efforts to expand community-centered living opportunities so more can enjoy its benefits.