Opportunity Starts at Home Opportunity Starts at Home

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Sabrina Johnson, Senior Housing Policy Advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Dr. Johnson discusses the work of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the history of the environmental justice movement, the intersection of environmental justice and housing justice, the impact of environmental racism on communities of color, the impact of climate change, and ways to take action though advancing policy solutions. Dr. Johnson takes a deep dive into our recently released issue brief entitled, “Housing Policy is Environmental Policy: The Complementary Aims of Fair Housing and Environmental Justice.”

Read the article at: https://www.opportunityhome.org/resources/housing-policy-is-environmental-policy-the-complementary-aims-of-fair-housing-and-environmental-justice/

In this episode, we talk with Victoria Palacio, Deputy Director of State Strategy at the Legal Action Center. Mrs. Palacio discusses the work of the Legal Action Center, its participation in the OSAH campaign’s Roundtable, the latest findings from a survey conducted by the Black Harm Reduction Network, the impact of housing on harm reduction efforts and justice-involved populations, the importance of language in advocacy, and the future projects of the Legal Action Center.

Mrs. Palacio also speaks about the work of the Legal Action Center’s “No Health=No Justice” campaign, a multi-state advocacy and organizing strategy that works to support de-carceration efforts to ensure that people are not criminalized for conditions related to their health. The campaign involves close partnerships with Legal Action Center’s local and state partners, including Alabama Justice Initiative, Black Futurists Group, Illinois Alliance for Reentry & Justice, Just City Memphis/Decarcerate Memphis, Lifeline 2 Success, National Incarceration Association, Northeastern University School of Law/Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, RestoreHER, Restoring Rights and Opportunities Coalition of Illinois/Heartland Alliance, Safer Foundation, Southern Center for Human Rights, The Ordinary Peoples Society, Voices for a Second Chance, and Women on the Rise.

Read the article at: https://www.opportunityhome.org/resources/housing-is-a-solution-why-housing-matters-to-harm-reductionists-and-criminal-legal-system-and-health-care-reform-advocates/

Intro/Closing Song: Free Music Library, YouTube, “Clover 3”
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In this episode, we talk with Dr. Justin Steil, a professor of Law and Urban Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Steil joins us to discuss the origins of his interdisciplinary approach to housing policy, the historical context of the Fair Housing Act, decades of failed implementation related to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) mandate, the progress made under the AFFH rule established during the Obama administration, and the rule's prospects for revival during the Biden administration.

Intro/Closing Song: Free Music Library, YouTube, “Clover 3”
URL: www.youtube.com/audiolibrary

In this episode we talk with Dr. Lance Freeman, the Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor of City and Regional Planning & Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Freeman joins us to discuss how growing up in New York City spurred his interest in housing policy, the historical context of segregated living patterns in US cities, how the government contributed to those patterns, the emergence of gentrification in urban development, and the specific policies that can better promote affordable housing and integration.

Intro/Closing Song: Free Music Library, YouTube, “Clover 3”
URL: www.youtube.com/audiolibrary

In this episode, we talk to Thea Sebastian, Director of Policy at Civil Rights Corps, and Sam Washington, Policy Associate at Civil Rights Corps. Sebastian and Washington explore the deep connections between affordable housing and safety for individuals and families and discuss why Civil Rights Corps joined the OSAH campaign’s Roundtable and participated in the campaign’s recent sign-on letter supporting the campaign’s housing priorities. They also examine the ways safety, racial equity, and housing are connected and share additional resources for learning about housing and safety.

Additional Resources:

ARPA: https://civilrightscorps.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Community-Safety-and-ARP_Policy-Guide_CivRightsCorps.pdf

IIJA: https://civilrightscorps.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/3_21_CRC_Harnessing-Infrastructure-Grants-for-Community-Safety-Report.pdf

Evidence Guide: https://civilrightscorps.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Getting-Smart-On-Safety.pdf

Intro/Closing Song: Free Music Library, YouTube, “Clover 3”
URL: www.youtube.com/audiolibrary

In this episode we talk with Dr. Eva Rosen, an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, Dr. Philip Garboden, the HCRC Professor in Affordable Housing Economics, Policy, and Planning at the University of Hawaii Manoa, Dr. Jennifer Cossyleon, a Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager at Community Change Action. Dr. Rosen, Dr. Garboden, and Dr. Cossyleon join us to discuss a recent article published in the American Sociological Review (2021), "Racial Discrimination in Housing: How Landlords use Algorithms and Home Visits to Screen Tenants." The conversation explores their mixed methods approach to research, the different types of landlords in the housing rental market, inequitable screening practices, the importance of understanding intersectional discrimination, and what an equitable approach to matching landlords and tenants might look like.

Intro/Closing Song: Free Music Library, YouTube, “Clover 3”
URL: www.youtube.com/audiolibrary