In this episode, I spoke with Randy Shaw, the executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, a nonprofit organization in San Francisco that provides free legal services and housing for the homeless. Randy is also the editor of Beyond Chron and the author of six books.

The book that caught my attention is Generation Priced Out: Who Gets to Live in the New Urban America—a must-read. Randy was one of the first to highlight that the worst housing shortages are in our progressive blue cities. For example, do you know where the first "neighborhood preservation ordinance" originated? It was in Berkeley, CA, in 1973.

If you’ve ever proposed housing and been labeled a "gentrifier," you need to hear Randy’s explanation of gentrification without any new construction. I found his optimism about the future of housing incredibly encouraging—I hope this conversation inspires all of us.

Do let us know what you think, what other topics you would like to hear or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the brink of extinction, send us a note at starterhomepodcast@gmail.com