On March 26, the Pepperdine School of Public Policy will host a conversation on one of the key challenges facing our communities. Few areas of public policy are as complex as housing—particularly here in California—and from those trying to buy a home to policy experts, few believe our current strategies are working. Housing policy touches on many different and fundamental issues, such as the balance of growth with a sense of place, how affordability is evaluated, and what level of government should be making decisions. Today, all of these issues appear to be in insoluble conflict.

In this conference Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy bring together a unique mix of policy makers, experts, and activists in an attempt to find answers to one of California’s foundational questions: are our state’s communities sustainable? Running throughout the presentations and conversations will be the imperative of this distinctive policy school: keeping the “public” at the forefront of public policy.

More information and registration available here.

This event made possible through the generous support of Fieldstead and Company.

Keynote Address

“Stating the Problem” – Chuck Marohn, Founder and President of Strong Towns

Speakers

Leslie Appleton-Young, Senior Vice President & Chief Economist, California Association of Realtors
Rick Bishop, Executive Director, Western Riverside Council of Governments
Peter Blanchard, Associate Partner, Housing Practice, McKinsey & Company
James Brasuell, Managing Editor, Planetizen
Richard Bruckner, Former Director, Department of Regional Planning, Los Angeles County
Rick Cole, City manager of Santa Monica
Liam Dillon, Staff Writer, State Capital Bureau, Los Angeles Times
Laura Foote, Executive Director, YIMBY Action
Brent Gaisford, Abundant Housing LA, Board Chair
Greg Greenway, Member, Redwood City-San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce Board
Carrie Hawkins, Founding Board Member, Century Housing Corporation
Adam Hengels, Founder, The Center for Market Urbanism
Jennifer Hernandez, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
Jennifer LeSar, Founding CEO LeSar Development Consultants
Michael Lewyn, Director of the Institute on Land Use and Sustainable Development, Touro Law Center
Jim Mayer, President and Chief Executive Officer, California Forward
Greg Morrow, Executive Director, Real Estate Development + Design, University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design
Pete Peterson, Dean, Pepperdine University School of Public Policy
Michael Shires, Associate Dean for Strategy and Special Projects, Pepperdine University School of Public Policy 
Matthew Yglesias, Co-Founder, Vox.com