Dying To Stay Here

Our housing crisis is about more than just an inadequate supply of housing, it also exposes enduring structures of exclusion and generational barriers to opportunity. Continued practices like exclusionary zoning, predatory lending, discrimination from financial institutions and the real estate industry undermine wealth-building and homeownership. In the most recent episode of "Dying to Stay Here," I sit down with Cupid Alexander, deputy director of housing for San Jose, to discuss the roots and solutions to this persistent issue.

In this compelling episode, host Chuck Cantrell sits down with Regina Celestin Williams, executive director of SV@Home, to unravel the realities behind Silicon Valley’s housing crisis. Together, they challenge the idea that the crisis affects everyone equally, exposing how the region’s abundance benefits some while leaving others—especially Black residents—struggling to remain. Regina shares her personal journey growing up in Section 8 housing, connecting her story to the broader fight for affordable homes in a region driven by prosperity but marked by deep inequality. The conversation moves beyond political soundbites and data points, asking: if the evidence of a crisis is so clear, why do so many leaders fail to act? Chuck and Regina examine the historical and structural barriers that shape who gets to stay in the Silicon Valley, focusing on how exclusionary zoning and land use policies have maintained the status quo and the declining Black community since the 1990s. They discuss the human impact of unaffordable housing, from neighbors forced out to teachers and restaurant workers who can’t afford to live where they work. Regina, a housing expert, explains how efforts to “maintain neighborhood character” often translate into resistance to necessary change, perpetuating inequity and limiting who gets to call the Silicon Valley home. The episode calls for a new vision: embracing growth and transformation to build a Silicon Valley that is truly vibrant, inclusive, and capable of housing all its residents. Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of why data alone isn’t enough to drive policy change, insight into how exclusionary practices shape who gets to stay in the Silicon Valley, and a renewed sense of urgency for reimagining housing, zoning, and community in one of America’s most unequal regions. Dying to Stay Here continues to spotlight the voices and stories too often left out of the conversation, urging us all to ask: who gets to stay, and at what cost?

In the powerful first episode of the Dying to Stay Here podcast, inspired by Chuck Cantrell’s acclaimed mini-documentary, Keanna Ward reclaims the narrative of what it means to be unhoused and Black in Silicon Valley. Through her unfiltered perspective, Ward shares a deeply personal and eye-opening account of surviving on the streets, the systemic barriers she faced, and her journey back to stable housing. Ward’s story is not just about hardship—it’s a call to action. She courageously identifies the individuals and institutions responsible for perpetuating inequity, exposing the broken systems that fail Black residents in one of the nation’s wealthiest regions. Her testimony is grounded in lived experience and supported by data, highlighting the staggering disparities in housing, employment, and health outcomes for African Americans in Santa Clara County, where Black residents make up 2.35% of the population but account for about 19% of the unhoused. Listeners are invited to confront uncomfortable truths and reflect on the urgent need for justice and reform. Ward’s compelling narrative will challenge your sense of fairness, deepen your understanding, and inspire meaningful dialogue about equity and belonging in Silicon Valley.