Q: What is City for Everyone about?
A: Our Platform is here!
Q: How is City for Everyone structured as a group?
A: Right now it’s not very structured, but we informally agreed at the last meeting that we are interested in adopting democratic bylaws along the lines of what East Bay for Everyone uses.
Q: Does this mean you’re opposed to YIMBY ideas now?
A: Certainly not! We still share many of the goals and ideas of the YIMBY movement: opposing exclusionary neighborhoods and building dense housing for everyone are goals compatible with both YIMBY and socialist ideas.
Q: Are you opposed to YIMBY Action specifically now?
A: Nah; we’re not a subgroup anymore, but we expect to work alongside them in many areas (e.g. Nov 2018 Prop C, or the upcoming effort to repeal Article 34). Some, but not all, C4E members are also YA members.
Q: If you’re not opposed to YIMBYs does that mean you’re opposed to socialist and tenant groups?
A: No, this is explicitly a leftist group. We like socialism and tenants rights and decommodification of housing. There’s a lot more policy overlap between these movements than the online animosity between them might suggest.
Q: How do you feel about [insert politician here]?
A: We haven’t voted on any endorsements yet, we’re just getting started. It’s fairly safe to say that while we like pro-housing candidates we’re not so completely focused on that as to ignore things like their positions on policing, rent control, or homelessness.
Q: Do you really think you can solve the housing and homelessness crises?
A: We think everyone, together, absolutely can. We want to help that along, but we can’t do it alone!
Q: Do you think we can build ourselves out of these crises?
A: No, building more and denser housing is one of many tools we can apply to these problems. Part of a complete breakfast!
Q: Do you think tenants rights groups are NIMBYs?
A: No. Ask actual NIMBYs (rich homeowners and landlords) how they feel about tenants rights groups.
Q: Are you the “Density Bolsheviks”?
A: We’re so upset we didn’t think of that name before the NIMBYs did.
Q: Why should we trust you?
A: We don’t expect anyone to trust us immediately! Hopefully over the next few years we can earn your trust through our actions.