Our new Executive Director Lindsay Haddix has officially joined us at East Bay Housing Organizations. We’re so excited about what the future holds for EBHO!
Read this Q&A from Lindsay covering topics from EBHO’s future to her hobbies to her favorite caffeinated beverage. We hope you’ll attend our Annual Membership Meeting & Celebration coming up on Wednesday, November 8th where our membership will have an opportunity to meet Lindsay in person!
You can reach Lindsay at lindsay@ebho.org.
What was your journey to working in affordable housing?
I’ve been working in affordable housing and homelessness issues my entire career. My father was a city planner and public servant in my hometown of Yakima, Washington, so there must be something in my DNA around public service that was passed on to me by my folks.
I studied environmental studies in college, which eventually led me to housing work. After college, I did the Peace Corps, where I taught environmental education in a public grade school in Ipala, Chiquimula, Guatemala. Seeing the educational opportunities available to my friends in Ipala gave me a greater appreciation for my access to high-quality graduate school education in the States. I decided to apply for planning school. I applied from Guatemala and took the GREs in Guatemala City — which was an adventure in itself!
After planning school, I got my first career position at the City of New York’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. From then on, I have continued to work in housing and homelessness, mostly in the non-profit and public sectors, but I have also had a stint in the private sector as well.
What’s your caffeinated beverage of choice?
Well, I don’t drink coffee. But I am really lucky to have an amazing housemate who makes incredible chai from scratch! So Lila’s chai would be my caffeinated beverage of choice.
What’s your favorite natural or built space in the East Bay?
My favorite built space is the Chapel of the Chimes and adjacent Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. The Chapel of the Chimes is a mausoleum that was designed by Julia Morgan in 1928, the first licensed woman architect in California. It’s up in the Oakland Hills, and it has a beautiful view.
I love it because it’s a super peaceful and welcoming space, and of course, Julia Morgan is an icon. Every time I visit, I reflect on her contributions to the field of architecture and what a trailblazer she was.
What do you like to do outside of work?
In terms of hobbies and personal activities, I’m a runner. I’ve done three marathons. I’m also a pretty avid reader and a huge baseball fan! I’m a big Mariners fan.
What keeps you in this work even when it’s hard?
Fighting for systemic change is hard. It takes a lot of time, energy, and collective effort.
It’s so important to make space for joy and celebration along the way. We have to celebrate our wins — like passing SB 567 to expand tenant protections statewide or Measure U to fund the production and preservation of housing in Oakland. It’s these wins that shore you up in the times when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the task in front of you.
The affordable housing community is also a huge motivator for me. The people in this fight are so passionate and selfless. We all pick each other up when we’re feeling down, and we have each other to celebrate with when we have victories.
What are you most excited about for the future of EBHO?
Campaign-wise, I’m excited about the regional bond coming up in November 2024. This campaign has been a passion of mine since the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA)’s inception. Getting to join EBHO, which is already one of the lead agencies organizing around the ballot measure, is very exciting.
I feel very honored to be joining EBHO at this moment. EBHO has such a strong, dedicated, staff and active membership; I am so fortunate to get to partner with this team.
And we’re coming up on our 40th anniversary next year! Forty years is a big milestone; we’re reaching middle age. EBHO is now a mature and wise organization, but we still have a lot of spunk. I’m looking forward to taking this next year to recognize the staff, Board, and membership that has built this organization, and look forward to our next forty years of work.