SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America

Every year, at least 3.7 million evictions are filed in the United States. And during the pandemic, millions more renters suddenly found themselves on the precipice of eviction — prompting unprecedented tenant protections and nearly $50 billion in rental assistance. SOLD OUT is coming back in February of 2022, with a five-part series that’s all about evictions. But before that, hosts Erin Baldassari and Molly Solomon are hosting a live event discussing evictions, rental assistance and what the pandemic revealed about our housing crisis. They will be joined by Tim Thomas, (Urban Displacement Project), Anne Tamiko Omura (Eviction Defense Center), and Krista Gulbransen (Berkeley Rental Housing Coalition). Join us for the free event in San Francisco on November 13 at 4pm PDT. Catch the livestream on KQED’s YouTube, or keep an eye out on our podcast feed — you’ll be able to hear the event right here. Got your own housing story to tell? We’ll have a producer on-site to help you record your story. Or you can call us at 415-553-3308 and leave us a voice message. RSVP and find out more about the November 13 event here: https://bit.ly/3jgHL8Q

Join us on Wednesday, February 12 as the KQED housing and climate reporters team up for a special series exploring recovery efforts after the devastating fires in Los Angeles.

KQED’s housing and climate reporters team up with a special series about what it takes to recover from catastrophe. In this first episode, we visit Los Angeles, a city in the earliest stages of recovering from devastating fires. The narrative that people quickly devolve into their worst after a disaster could not be further from the truth. What our reporters find instead is an outpouring of altruism and a community coming together.

KQED’s housing and climate reporters team up for a special series on what it takes to recover from catastrophic wildfires, as the focus in Los Angeles shifts from the immediate emergency to rebuilding. In this second episode, past fire survivors reveal how they rebuilt with resilience in mind and worked with their neighbors to make their communities safer. We also talk to KQED reporters Danielle Venton and Ezra David Romero about how the recent Los Angeles fires are impacting an already unstable insurance industry—and what to expect from future fires and floods.

Gas or electric? It’s a question more homeowners are asking as they build, rebuild or refurbish their homes. Going electric is one of the best ways for homeowners to reduce the kinds of emissions that increase global warming. But it comes with challenges. Climate reporter Laura Klivans joins SOLD OUT host Erin Baldassari in the third installment of a limited series about what it takes to recover from catastrophe and build for the future. Klivans shares details of two experiments in Santa Rosa and Oakland, where residents made the choice to ditch gas appliances.