Booming Economies and the People They Leave Behind

There's no question that the thriving economies of wealthy west coast cities have left some residents behind. The gap between rich and poor is wider than ever. And although the market has cooled some, the cost of housing continues to rise, leaving more and more people unable to afford housing at all. So, what do we do? For this episode of the Crosscut Talks podcast we gathered urban leaders, including King County Executive Dow Constantine, Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. They weighed in on what's worked, and what hasn't, to address issues of affordable housing and homelessness in their cities, and to explore what solutions might still be out there.