Matthew Lewis traces the origins of zoning in the United States, showing how policies were often designed to segregate communities and exclude people of color. This episode exposes how the echoes of those early decisions still shape our neighborhoods today.

Matthew Lewis explores the disappearance of “missing middle” housing — duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings that once formed the backbone of affordable neighborhoods. He explains how zoning rules squeezed these options out, leaving families stuck between single-family homes and expensive high-rises.

Delays in housing aren’t just frustrating — they’re expensive. Matthew Lewis details how lengthy approval processes, lawsuits, and endless reviews pile costs onto projects, making homes less affordable before they’re even built.

Environmental review laws were meant to protect nature and communities — but sometimes they’re used to block new housing. Matthew Lewis unpacks how good intentions have been twisted into tools of delay and exclusion.

Matthew Lewis examines how the costs of housing are often pushed onto renters and buyers through fees, mandates, and delays. While intended to fund community benefits, these add-ons make homes more expensive and out of reach for many families.

Matthew Lewis looks at how today’s housing policies perpetuate inequality. From exclusionary zoning to the way approvals favor wealthier neighborhoods, he shows how rules on paper translate into segregation on the ground.

Matthew Lewis reflects on what it will take to actually solve the housing crisis. Beyond reforms, it’s about imagining cities where people of all incomes can live, work, and thrive.

Land-use attorney Jennifer Hernandez takes us inside California’s permitting and review maze. She describes how layers of red tape, often justified as “community input,” end up excluding the very communities most in need of housing.

Jennifer Hernandez explains how California’s housing approvals have become a magnet for lawsuits. Projects can be tied up in court for years, driving up costs and discouraging new construction.

Environmental rules were designed to protect vulnerable communities, but Jennifer Hernandez reveals how they’re often weaponized to keep new neighbors out. Instead of advancing justice, these policies can deepen segregation and inequality.

Jennifer Hernandez highlights how California’s thicket of overlapping housing laws creates endless complexity — and opportunity for obstruction. What begins as regulation for fairness or safety often becomes a barrier to building.

Jennifer Hernandez reflects on what needs to change if California is serious about solving its housing crisis. She points to reforms that could cut through bureaucracy, reduce delays, and open doors for more families