The best month of the year
March is well-documented to be my favorite month of the year. Spring has arrived (a bit early, given recent warm weather across California), the sports fans (see, me) are happy with March Madness and Spring Training. The state legislative process is getting back into full swing with housing advocates across the state putting forward solutions to our affordability and displacement crisis.
This March is a bit unique because it’s also the last month I’ll be working before welcoming my first child into the world. Thinking about all the work HAC does on a daily basis for the next generation has really crystallized for my personal and family life. As longtime renters in San Francisco, should we leave our rent controlled apartment? Can we afford something we want in the community of our choice? How are we going to manage childcare and the costs associated with a growing family?
I know these challenges aren’t new or unique to my family, they are the issues facing everyday Americans across the country. The solution, in part, is actually simple. And fortunately for me, something I DO have some control over.
I recently started sharing that my goal was to ensure there was enough Senior Housing for my generation. I’m thinking about the options I hope are available for my child once they’re ready to leave the nest of mom and dad’s. I’m thinking about the challenges all families face in addition to housing costs that force so many families to make real sacrifices. It’s an interesting reflection period at a time where I’m headed for a break for the first time in a long time.
The optimism I generally operate with on a daily basis is still there because I’m surrounded by people doing the hard work to make people’s lives easier. I’m looking at staff chats as they’re finishing up a Planning Commission hearing at 10pm and then getting back to office early the next morning for an important meeting. I’m talking to the elected officials (including my Supervisor, Bilal Mahmood) who are doing the right things to solve this problem. But it takes time to fix the problems that were decades in the making. And given my life at the moment, time is becoming more precious.
I do want to make sure I’m focusing on the things that matter. With a due-date a little over a month away, my partner and I are enjoying the last moments of a ‘family of two’ before the next chapter begins. But as this chapter of my life wraps up, it’s hard to not think about the bigger picture.
To keep things simple and in the moment, I look forward to the tip-off and first pitch. My word (and work) will take a pause while I’m out, but a new Communications Director may have some good additions.
