Jill Shook, was a campus minister, coordinated teams from Berkeley to Harvard serving with teams in developing countries, moved from Mexico to Pasadena, to learn from Dr. John Perkins, a Christian Community Developer. She co-founded an afterschool program, witnessed how segregation and the high housing costs is one of biggest purveyor of poverty, leading her to advocate for affordable housing for the past 24 years. She authored/edited Making Housing Happen: Faith Based Affordable Housing Models and co-founded Making Housing and Community Happen a catalyst for thousands of affordable housing apartments in Pasadena where the homeless count has dropped by 56% in the past 10 years. Shook collaborated on a chapter in Gone for Good: Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition (2024).
Jim Bergdoll, AICP has been co-leading and organizing the Northern California Congregational Land Initiative since 2023, capping more than 10 years providing technical assistance to church-based projects and community development programs. Jim started his career earning a BS in Architecture and a Master of City Planning, and has applied these skills in various ways while pursuing a calling to focus on affordable housing. He started and completed a successful housing project with his church in Oakland 1997-2000, then developed housing for two faith-based non-profits before becoming a consultant. He has worked for many different developers and public or non-profit agencies, planning and/or building over a thousand affordable units.
Mary Biasotti has decades of experience in Christian community development and is an active leader in her Presbyterian church currently developing a housing project plan. She has led mission-oriented program and strategic planning, grant writing, and implementation for many non-profit organizations for 30+ years, including Harbor House Ministries, GRID Alternatives, Richmond Main Street Initiative, San Pablo Economic Development Corp, and International Rescue Committee.
Charles Luizzo presenting on Eden Housing One of the oldest and most experienced affordable housing mission driven non-profits in California, Eden Housing since 1968, Eden has developed, acquired, or preserved nearly 12,000 affordable units. They currently provide homes to over 25,000 lower-income and moderate-income families, seniors, and people living with disabilities. Charles lead’s Eden Housing with project management, staff supervision, and efforts to grow Eden’s pipeline of projects in the Sacramento region. Currently is team is working on the financing a 67-unit senior project, entitling a site for 130 units of family affordable housing, and the rehabilitation of a 210-unit project built in the 1970s. Before working at Eden, Charles was a Senior Project Manager at Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC) in Fairfield, CA and also worked at the National Association of Home Builders. He earned an MBA and an MA in Urban Planning from the University of Arizona.
Thank you, Placer Planning team, for today’s event!!
· Ms. Veronica Blake, CEO the Placer Community Foundation
· Ms. Nikki Streegan, Principal Planner | Housing Manager of Economic Development and Housing Division, Placer County
· Darius Brown, past City Planner San Jose; now Placer County Housing Specialist Economic Development & Housing Division
· Rev. Cliff Haggenjos, Pastor St. John’s Episcopal, Roseville, and Vice Pres of the Board of The Gathering Inn
· Dr. Pete Constant, Chair Public Policy Dept, Jessup University
· Dr. Erin Hill, Associate Vice President for Strategic Academic Projects, Associate Professor School of Humanities and the Arts, Jessup University
· Mr. Scott Roberts, Professor, Jessup University
· Beth Gonzales and Ed Morgado: Co-Directors, Placer People of Faith Together (PPoFT)
· Mary Odbert, community organizer, coordinator
· Rev. Virgil Nelson, Chair PPoFT's Affordable Housing and Homeless Task Force
The Planning team also wishes to give a special shout and thanks those who helped with research on Cities and county: Auburn, Lincoln, Loomis, Rocklin, Roseville, the Placer Count
Tori Connolly
Cliff Haggenjos
Darius Brown
Anthony Manousos
Jill Shook
And others.
