DJ Crimson
@djcrimson.bsky.social
If you ask me, “Where’s Oakland?” I’ll tell you it’s in my heart.
Up reading NFPA blog posts like a sicko, and the author of this one about protection of homes from wildfires decided that the only choice worth mentioning specifically be anti-density. Meanwhile the actual standards are mostly about vegetation / defensible space and construction materials.
November 29, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Up reading NFPA blog posts like a sicko, and the author of this one about protection of homes from wildfires decided that the only choice worth mentioning specifically be anti-density. Meanwhile the actual standards are mostly about vegetation / defensible space and construction materials.
Yeesh, that story is nuts. Where was the City Attorney’s Office when Council considered this item??
November 24, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Yeesh, that story is nuts. Where was the City Attorney’s Office when Council considered this item??
Reading the Oakland staff report about forgiveness of the EBALDC loans. They threw in a bunch of fancy-sounding accountability measures, but the truth is that the ACAH program was bad news from the start, and run-down old rent-controlled apartment buildings should ~never be acquired by nonprofits.
November 24, 2025 at 5:20 AM
Reading the Oakland staff report about forgiveness of the EBALDC loans. They threw in a bunch of fancy-sounding accountability measures, but the truth is that the ACAH program was bad news from the start, and run-down old rent-controlled apartment buildings should ~never be acquired by nonprofits.
It’s unfortunate that people on X have to post links downthread so the algorithm doesn’t suppress them, but at least the discourse is elevated and respectful.
November 17, 2025 at 5:48 PM
It’s unfortunate that people on X have to post links downthread so the algorithm doesn’t suppress them, but at least the discourse is elevated and respectful.
Housing policy expert (??) Ezra Klein is a strong supporter of inclusionary (?) and artist (??) housing??
November 8, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Housing policy expert (??) Ezra Klein is a strong supporter of inclusionary (?) and artist (??) housing??
A lotta yall still don’t get it. You can use multiple slurp juices on a single zone.
So if you have one base zone and three combining zones you can get three new zones.
So if you have one base zone and three combining zones you can get three new zones.
October 29, 2025 at 6:49 AM
A lotta yall still don’t get it. You can use multiple slurp juices on a single zone.
So if you have one base zone and three combining zones you can get three new zones.
So if you have one base zone and three combining zones you can get three new zones.
“Why you so serious, [Mannie] Fresh?”
“Because they got tariffs on bacon.”
“Because they got tariffs on bacon.”
October 27, 2025 at 5:31 PM
“Why you so serious, [Mannie] Fresh?”
“Because they got tariffs on bacon.”
“Because they got tariffs on bacon.”
I've drunk the Kool-Aid.
October 22, 2025 at 6:22 AM
I've drunk the Kool-Aid.
1976 Mayor and City Council.
October 22, 2025 at 3:16 AM
1976 Mayor and City Council.
Sometimes I wish people like this would spell out their theory of change.
Step 1: Fuck shit up.
Step 2: ????
Step 3: Defeat Donald Trump.
Step 1: Fuck shit up.
Step 2: ????
Step 3: Defeat Donald Trump.
October 17, 2025 at 4:13 AM
Sometimes I wish people like this would spell out their theory of change.
Step 1: Fuck shit up.
Step 2: ????
Step 3: Defeat Donald Trump.
Step 1: Fuck shit up.
Step 2: ????
Step 3: Defeat Donald Trump.
LaRussell is special. Look at this community.
October 12, 2025 at 12:58 AM
LaRussell is special. Look at this community.
Every so often I look up the rents for the Nook on Valdez, a micro-unit project in downtown Oakland built about 10 years ago. They are currently renting units affordable to people at 45% of AMI. This is a market-rate project that pays property taxes.
October 11, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Every so often I look up the rents for the Nook on Valdez, a micro-unit project in downtown Oakland built about 10 years ago. They are currently renting units affordable to people at 45% of AMI. This is a market-rate project that pays property taxes.
That was fast—since SB79 was signed this morning, these buildings have gone up in my neighborhood.
October 11, 2025 at 2:11 AM
That was fast—since SB79 was signed this morning, these buildings have gone up in my neighborhood.
The authors don’t seem to know much about affordable housing, or “public housing trust funds,” as they call it. TCAC already has a ”large family” set-aside pool for projects with more bedrooms.
October 1, 2025 at 11:33 PM
The authors don’t seem to know much about affordable housing, or “public housing trust funds,” as they call it. TCAC already has a ”large family” set-aside pool for projects with more bedrooms.
It’s true that having, say, a blanket 2-parking stall requirement per unit will push developers to build a lot of big units, but that’s a bad, distortive policy. Just eliminate parking minimums and let the market sort it out!
October 1, 2025 at 11:30 PM
It’s true that having, say, a blanket 2-parking stall requirement per unit will push developers to build a lot of big units, but that’s a bad, distortive policy. Just eliminate parking minimums and let the market sort it out!
I think it’s a valid argument to say that frictional vacancy is higher in studios due to more frequent turnover. That also tends to mean lower loss-to-lease. Thinking of my old neighbor who’s been in her rent controlled 4BR for 30+ years.
October 1, 2025 at 11:28 PM
I think it’s a valid argument to say that frictional vacancy is higher in studios due to more frequent turnover. That also tends to mean lower loss-to-lease. Thinking of my old neighbor who’s been in her rent controlled 4BR for 30+ years.
I agree that more family-size housing may help more people have kids comfortably, but the shrinking birth rate is a multi-century-long trend with a lot of causes.
October 1, 2025 at 11:25 PM
I agree that more family-size housing may help more people have kids comfortably, but the shrinking birth rate is a multi-century-long trend with a lot of causes.
Most people have a strong preference for driving a Mercedes instead of taking the bus. We live in world of tradeoffs, suck it up.
October 1, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Most people have a strong preference for driving a Mercedes instead of taking the bus. We live in world of tradeoffs, suck it up.
Wild story from the book Sundown Towns. I’ll have more to say once I finish the book.
September 29, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Wild story from the book Sundown Towns. I’ll have more to say once I finish the book.
This is clearly a supply and demand story, but the author somehow ties it to institutional investors? Also, the big scary trend they are talking about is going from 3.8% to 5% (a 32% increase!) www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/r...
September 26, 2025 at 3:51 PM
This is clearly a supply and demand story, but the author somehow ties it to institutional investors? Also, the big scary trend they are talking about is going from 3.8% to 5% (a 32% increase!) www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/r...
Shout out to this guy living in the plywood slums of Tijuana, advocating for a subway. m.youtube.com/watch?v=HFls...
September 24, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Shout out to this guy living in the plywood slums of Tijuana, advocating for a subway. m.youtube.com/watch?v=HFls...
This section is also flat-out false. LIHTC projects can have units up to 70% of AMI using the Average Income Method, but must have a deeper average affordability. In practice, they are often much deeper in order to be competitive.
September 17, 2025 at 2:59 AM
This section is also flat-out false. LIHTC projects can have units up to 70% of AMI using the Average Income Method, but must have a deeper average affordability. In practice, they are often much deeper in order to be competitive.