How much affordable housing should San Francisco require market-rate developers to build? A new study offers recommendations, and city supervisors will soon vote on a permanent requirement. The question they’ll face next is whether to stand by recommendations grounded in technical analysis or yield to political pressures to approve a higher requirement that sounds good but could backfire.

In January, two new laws were introduced in Congress to limit public information on the racial makeup of communities and the race of those struggling to afford housing. These proposals could impact how the U.S. Census collects data. In effect, they would blot out our ability to measure institutional racism — or track our progress to reverse it.

SPUR's newly launched pilot program Double Up Food Bucks helps low-income families afford more fruits and vegetables and supports California farms. The project allows families participating in the CalFresh program (formerly known as food stamps) to double the value of their benefits when they buy California-grown produce at select grocery stores in Santa Clara County.

Oakland’s Downtown Specific Plan process is about to restart, but with a major shift in approach. Responding to public concern over displacement, the city is developing a racial equity framework for the plan. If Oakland is bold enough in its ambitions, the downtown plan can be opportunity to demonstrate that equity will come from supporting economic growth — not from stifling it.