The Policy Nexus: Analytics & Equity

  Cheers to the New Year! As we step into a brand-new year, I'm wishing you fresh beginnings, exciting opportunities, and plenty of reasons to celebrate. Thank you for being part of our community. Here’s to a wonderful year ahead!

Metanoia, Maps, and the Courage to Save 2,200 Homes in San Jacinto. We often speak of the housing crisis as if it is a weather event—something that just happens to us, driven by market forces we cannot control. We see the encampments in the San Jacinto riverbed, we cheer for the $12 million grants to clear them, and we think we are solving the problem. But while we are looking at the riverbed, we are missing the map. In my work as a Doctor of Public Administration student, I study the gap  between digital governance (the paperwork) and on-the-ground reality (the people). Recently, I found a gap so wide it threatens to swallow the future of our city. It is called the Stoneridge Commerce Center .  The Fear Equation: Why We Freeze. Before I explain the project, I want to talk about why we usually ignore these things. Harvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati argues that fear = uncertainty + loss of control. When developers drop a 500-page Environmental Impact Report o...

  As 2025 draws to a close, I express my deepest gratitude for your partnership and trust. You are an invaluable part of this community, and your support is the engine that drives our work to protect, educate, and advocate for California’s most underserved populations—including older adults, diverse communities, and those navigating economic challenges or limited English proficiency. While 2025 brought its share of uncertainty, it also proved the power of collective resilience. As we look toward 2026, we know significant challenges remain in the fight for equity. I invite you to stay engaged in the coming year as we work to turn policy into progress. Together, we can meet these challenges with expertise, compassion, and unwavering dedication. Thank you for believing in this mission. With gratitude and appreciation,  Eric

 From $13 Billion to One Senior: Unmasking the 'Submerged State' in Housing Policy photo by Don Leach This isn't a shelter, it's a permanent home for people like Robert Taylor—a small business owner who paid taxes for 40 years before getting sick. The funding we are voting on today (TEFRA/Bonds) is what allows 'Robert' to move out of his truck and back into our community. If we vote 'No' on this bond, we aren't stopping 'homelessness'—we are keeping Robert in his truck. We often speak of housing policy in the abstract language of liquidity, collateralized advances, and z-scores. A new report from the Urban Institute estimates that the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) system generates between $13.2 and $21.4 billion in economic stability annually. But what does $21 billion actually look like? It seems like Robert Taylor. A former motorcycle shop owner in Huntington Beach, Robert spent years sleeping in his truck until a complex web of invisib...

 We often think of time as neutral. A waiting list is just a list; a deadline is just a standard; business hours are just a convention. But in my research as a Doctor of Public Administration student, I’ve come to a different conclusion: Administrative time is rarely neutral—it is often a weapon. I recently read Judith Dangerfield’s profound analysis of the 14th Amendment, 'The Fourteenth Amendment: Our Constitutional Promise Against Caste.' She argues that the Constitution imposes an affirmative duty on the government to dismantle systems that rank people as superior or inferior. This framework immediately struck a chord with my current research on a concept I call administrative chrononormativity. What is administrative chrononormativity? Sociologist Elizabeth Freeman describes chrononormativity  as the way society uses time to organize bodies for maximum productivity. There is a correct  timeline we are all expected to follow: School. Marriage. Mortgage. Kids....

As many of you know, alongside my community advocacy work, I am currently a Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) student at the University of La Verne. My goal in this program is to research how our institutions actually work—and often, how they don't work for the communities facing the most significant hurdles. Here is a sneak peek into my latest research focus. It centers on a concept that sounds complicated but is something many of us have experienced: Administrative Chrononormativity . In simple terms, this is the idea that our institutions set rigid timelines (like the "9-to-5" standard) that prioritize their own convenience over the reality of people's lives. When a clinic has limited hours, forms take weeks to process, or appointments have indefinite waiting periods, "time" becomes an invisible barrier to healthcare access—especially for marginalized groups like the Queer community, gig workers, or parents with rigid schedules. Below is the abstract ...

Welcome to the newly rebranded home of Public Policy.  Long-time readers will notice a significant change in our visual identity. We have retired the previous branding to make way for a look that reflects the evolution of this platform. This is no longer just a space for casual observation; it is a space for critical analysis. As a Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) student and an Equity Fellow, my work has shifted toward a deeper interrogation of the systems that govern us. I am interested in the gaps between legislative intent and lived reality—specifically, how administrative timelines and digital governance often exclude non-normative life cycles and underserved communities. Here, we will explore: The Digital Divide: How policies on the web differ from the realities of daily life. Health Equity: Analyzing the "administrative chrononormativity" that impacts queer health and marginalized groups. Governance: Insights from my work with the Graduate and Adult Student Gov...