November Climate Leader: Laura Goldblatt

1. Tell us why you think it is important to incorporate housing affordability into climate solutions?  

Addressing climate change will require convincing a broad population to see something that can be easy to ignore or write off if you are not immediately affected--higher temperatures, more powerful storms, rising sea levels, droughts--and then to change their behavior. Part of that seeing, I think, is realizing how interconnected we are as a society: what my neighbor does affects me, too, and vice versa. So first, as a community, we need to start to see those who we've ignored at our own peril for too long. But more to the point, we have so much to learn from each other and from other ways of living as we consider new modes of domesticity. We need to focus on housing affordability because it's an overdue issue of justice for low-wealth groups and because these groups need to be safely and securely housed if we're going to tackle this monumental feat together.

2. What is CLIHC doing to advance climate solutions?

We're continuing to try to empower low-wealth and Black and Brown communities to advocate for themselves and to amplify those voices in front of local policy makers. Climate solutions don't make sense if people can't put them into practice--they have to work for all of us. And so we're looking to learn from our partners about what they're already doing that's lower-emitting and to find out what they need to do more.

Also, as C3 knows, energy burden is a huge part of housing affordability and so calculating that into housing affordability rates has become increasingly important for us.

3. What are you hopeful about right now?

Right now, I'm hopeful about an engaged citizenry that sees democracy as ongoing work. Like many others, I was inspired this summer by the longevity and cohesiveness of the Black Lives Matter protests, but also angry and daunted by the continued state-sponsored assaults against Black, Brown, and LGBTQA+ peoples. Change is grueling, risky, fearsome work and 2020 has made me feel the weight of that work. Then, on election day, I waited in line in the cold for nearly two hours to vote--at 6:10 am! I was surrounded by an incredibly diverse group of fellow citizens: different ages, different races, different religions, different classes. In some ways, voting is such a simple act, but it wasn't this year. I was proud to stand there and wait it out with my neighbors. I'm hopeful that we can do more in the coming months and years.

4. What is one thing that is holding the state or local business community back from greater progress on implementing affordable housing and climate solutions?

At the risk of being too academic: racial capitalism.

But also, the power of refusal. I know policy changes are difficult and we live in a complicated world. But we can just say no to policies and entities that don't have our community's interest at heart.

5. What is a climate action personally or professionally that you are proud of?

I'm proud of helping Joy Johnson in her amazing and inspiring garden!

6. What is one thing we could do as a community to build a more equitable society?

Act with the knowledge that people who are different from you deserve and need the same things that you do. Put otherwise, act knowing that good jobs and education, affordable healthcare, and stable housing for all keep our communities safe.

7. This is challenging work.  What is your favorite way to recharge and rejuvenate?

Cooking! And spoiling my dog. I'm also grateful for my wonderful and supportive friends.