Host Sophia Layne meets Evelyn Stivers, Executive Director of the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, outside Pen Station — a model affordable family housing development steps from the Hillsdale Caltrain stop, complete with after-school care, a community garden, and a playground. It's a fitting backdrop for a conversation about what it takes to turn a good idea into a building full of families who finally have a place to call home.

Evelyn traces a path from teenage peace activist and anti-poverty volunteer to environmental organizer to housing advocate — a journey that crystallized the night she showed up, against her boss's wishes, to a planning meeting where 300 people had gathered to oppose a senior affordable housing project. The development was killed by a requirement for six parking spots per unit — for seniors who couldn' ...