Summit Agenda
May 4, 2023

12:45-1:15 PM: Registration and Networking

Coffee and tea provided.

1:15-1:20 PM: Opening Remarks

• Natalie Sandoval, Executive Director, ULI San Francisco

1:20-2:05 PM: Why Here? Making the Bay Area a Vibrant Place to Call Home, Again.

If you’ve read the headlines on the Bay Area’s housing crisis, cost of living, NIMBYism, and politics (to name a few), you might think the region is in decline. Yet many of us still champion this place and believe a more vibrant future is possible. As we reflect on the tumultuous last three years, can we use this moment in time as an opportunity to reinvest in the Bay Area and turn the page towards a place with more housing for all? We’ve gathered a diverse group of panelists with different stakes in the region to discuss why they remain advocates for the future of the Bay Area and why others should as well.

Speakers

• Fred Blackwell, San Francisco Foundation
• Russell Hancock, Joint Venture Silicon Valley
• Meea Kang, Related
• Ahmad Thomas, Silicon Valley Leadership Group (moderator)

2:05-2:50 PM: Oakland + San Jose = Mayors for Housing

Two of the largest Bay Area cities have new leaders at their helm, so what does this mean for the future of housing in San Jose and Oakland? Scott Shafer of KQED sits down with Mayor Mahan and Mayor Thao to explore their visions on tackling housing production, homelessness, and more. The conversation will explore similarities between the two diverse cities while also discussing the different paths the two mayors will go down to achieve their housing goals.

Speakers:

• Mayor Matt Mahan, City of San Jose
• Mayor Sheng Thao, City of Oakland
• Scott Shafer, KQED (Moderator)

2:50-3:20 PM: Networking Break

Coffee and snacks provided

3:20-4:05 PM: A Path Forward for Housing: Can YIMBYs, NIMBYs, and State and Local Governments All Get Along?

Earlier this year, all jurisdictions in California were required to update the Housing Elements in their General Plans and submit them for state approval. This once-in-a-decade opportunity has the potential for cities to adopt and improve policies that encourage housing production and actually generate new units. In this discussion, we will learn what actions the state is taking to facilitate residential development, how jurisdictions are responding, what some local governments are doing to rise to the challenge, and how community members are still ensuring their voices are heard. The big question we are all asking – will this approach work? Panelists will dive into the details of how this new path forward can lead towards implementation of more housing, and what that means for developers, policy makers, and communities.

Speakers

• Laura Foote, YIMBY Action
• Courtney Welch, City of Emeryville
• Laura Crescimano, SiteLab (Moderator)

4:05-4:50 PM: BUILD!

Rising interest rates, increasing construction costs, and flattening rents have made building housing in the Bay increasingly difficult. Yet build we must! In this panel, we will ask the question: what does it take to get projects out of the ground in this dynamic environment? Building on the day’s previous discussions, we will hear about how capital markets see the Bay Area in this moment, and how the region can continue to attract investment. We will also dive into what the newly formed regional finance agency has planned to spur production, and highlight models that are moving projects forward despite today’s challenges.

Speakers

• Kelly Gamble, Blackrock
• Kate Hartley, Bay Area Housing Financing Agency
• Riaz Taplin, Riaz Capital
• Yusef Freeman, Jonathan Rose Company (Moderator)

4:50-5:00 PM: Closing Remarks 

• Dan Adams, City and County of San Francisco
• Swathi Bonda, Lendlease
• Xiomara Cisneros, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

5:00-6:00 PM: Networking Reception