Housing a passion for emerging expert

“We have to explain how to build community,” said Lane, who is also board president for the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County.

Though his responsibilities are broad, Lane works in the trenches to advocate in favor of building more housing under an attempt to combat the affordability crisis while also improving the local quality of life.

Perhaps most notable is his work at the state level, where Lane established a reputation among local officials as a valuable resource to who they will defer when considering housing law.

Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, is one of those who nods to Lane when considering housing policy.

“On the most challenging policy issue confronting San Mateo County, Michael Lane is a juggernaut. He is the ideal blend of passion and pragmatism. Whenever I present a housing bill in committee, there is one person whose testimony is indispensable, and that is Michael Lane,” said Mullin in an email.

Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, also recognized Lane’s effectiveness as a champion for housing.

“Michael is one of the most influential affordable housing advocates in the state. He’s deeply knowledgeable, politically savvy, well-respected and passionate about solving the housing crisis,” he said.

With a wide range of accomplishments under his belt, Lane points to his work on the statewide housing bond in 2006 among his proudest, for which he worked to whip the regional vote.

In gathering support for housing initiatives, Lane balances his argument with reason and morality and draws equally from each deep well of resources he’s built over the years.

County Supervisor Warren Slocum lauded such work.

“Michael Lane has always impressed me as a tireless advocate for affordable housing — articulate, understands the issues and knows how to lobby Sacramento,” he said in an email. “We are fortunate to have his leadership focused on this important human rights issue — housing.”

Building a foundation

To some extent, he inherited his zeal for policy and public service from his father, who was a civil engineer and planning commissioner in the San Joaquin Valley where Lane was raised.

Early exposure to issues associated with responsible growth strategies, environmental impacts and housing affordability influenced Lane’s pursuits later in life, as he served on the Visalia school board and ultimately the City Council.

While cutting his teeth in the skill of balancing competing interests on community matters, Lane ultimately departed from the City Council in 2009 to take his role as policy director at the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. He now lives in Daly City.

Upon his relocation, Lane established a reputation as a wealth of knowledge and data on housing matters. And while acknowledging the value of information in buttressing his arguments in favor of development, Lane said a more compelling political case is built on a humanitarian level.

“I believe one of the most wholesome things you can do is provide someone a home,” said Lane.

But with so many locally concerned with preserving their home values and the status quo, Lane admitted such a plea can be dismissed by those who most frequently oppose housing development.

‘Good policy makes for good politics’

In the face of opposition, rather than dig his heels in on moral grounds, Lane said he frequently pivots to showcasing the examples of successful housing developments which were once opposed but grew to become community assets.

High-density development near city centers and public transportation lines can inject life into misspent properties, while also ramping up the amount of services offered by giving those otherwise priced out a place they can afford, he said.

As a result, organizations which make a community whole such as schools, restaurants, police and fire departments and many more can operate better with a fuller well of personnel to hire from, he said. Environmental benefits are offered too, he said, by keeping cars off the road as commutes shorten and concerns regarding thick traffic congestion begin to clear. The confluence of progress can make way for a diverse, balanced culture to bloom, he said.

“I’m a believer that good policy makes for good politics because they make our communities work better,” he said.

Recognizing the Peninsula is amidst a building boom during a thriving economic stretch which will likely not last forever, Lane expressed confidence the benefit of the ongoing construction will show over time.

Such a perspective highlighted the plight of a housing advocate — attempting to build support for a vision with plenty opposition which over the years has blocked development of potentially successful models, he said.

Ever the optimist though, Lane said the amount of exemplary developments is growing, along with his confidence in an ability to accomplish his goal of building a more affordable, humane Bay Area and California.

At the essence of such an approach lies a deeply-held belief which Lane said guides his work.

“Enlightened public policy is the morally correct thing to do,” he said.

For his part, Mullin expressed confidence such an approach would pay dividends.

“Future generations of San Mateo County residents will owe a debt of gratitude to Michael,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 105