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Alan Dones, a revered developer sits with us and tells a story that began fourteen years ago - and hasn't ended yet. His journey developing what is known as Thomas Berkeley Square, the principled and unwavering way he navigates obstacles, the grace with which he speaks truth to racist power, and the eager joy with which he looks at the future is a testament to the best parts of humanity. This is the second half of a two-part series.

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Alan Dones, a revered developer sits with us and tells a story that began fourteen years ago - and hasn't ended yet. His journey developing what is known as Thomas Berkeley Square, the principled and unwavering way he navigates obstacles, the grace with which he speaks truth to racist power, and the eager joy with which he looks at the future is a testament to the best parts of humanity. This is Part I of a two-part series.

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We return with this final segment (recorded at the same time as Episodes 16 and 17) which wraps up our three-part interview on Berkeley’s first Affordable Housing Preference Policy. City of Berkeley’s Community Development Project Coordinator Anna Cash, former Program Director of the Community Economic Justice Clinic at East Bay Community Law center, Jasmine Poyaoan and our very own Ayanna Davis former Deputy Executive Director at Healthy Black Families discuss: What were some of the hardships during the organizing of this policy? What are some of the lessons we can pass on from those hardships? What are their hopes with how this Right to Stay, Right to Return takes root and becomes a tool for repairing harm.

Connect with our guest(s):

Ayanna Davis - former Deputy Executive Director at Healthy Black Families, Inc. Website: https://healthyblackfam.org/e4bb Email:mamaayanna@healthyblackfam.org Phone: (510) 285-6689

Anna Cash - Community Development Project Coordinator at City of Berkeley Website: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/affordable-housing-berkeley/apply-affordable-housing-preferences Email:HousingPreferences@berkeley-ca.gov Phone: (510) 981-5304

Jaasmin Poyaoan - former Program Director of Community Economic Justice Clinic at East Bay Community Law Center and current Program Director of Economic Justice Program at Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (San Francisco) Website: https://ebclc.org/ and https://lccrsf.org/ Email:jpoyaoan@lccrsf.org Phone: (209) 787-0093

Relevant Links:

1. Applying for Berkeley Housing Preference Certificates: https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/affordable-housing-berkeley/apply-affordable-housing-preferences

2. Doorway: The New Regional Bay Area Affordable Housing Portal: https://housingbayarea.mtc.ca.gov/

3. Finland’s Housing First https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/05/Taina-Finnish-Housing-First-Policy.pdf

4. Emergent Strategy: Organizing for Social Change (Adrianne Marie Brown’s Book Summary) – Forte Labs https://fortelabs.com/blog/emergent-strategy-organizing-for-social-justice/

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