I spoke with Rick DeGolia, a council member and former mayor of Atherton, California. As a student in Atherton, it was fascinating to learn about local politics upfront. We conversed about California’s new housing element, which has many new and lofty housing goals. In Atherton, for example, the state requires local legislators to increase the affordable housing count by over 300%. DeGolia explains how it is hard to balance the tensions between what the state and residents want. He also shares his views on affordable housing, NIMBYism and homelessness.
