shanedphillips@gmail.com
Interested in having Shane write for your publication, speak to your organization, or consult on your jurisdiction’s housing policies and programs? Good news! He can be contacted at the email below and is available for paid engagements through his firm, Domain Consulting.
Shane Phillips is a researcher, public speaker, and consultant on housing affordability. He manages the Randall Lewis Housing Initiative at the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies as a researcher and policy analyst, and he co-hosts the UCLA Housing Voice Podcast, a biweekly show that translates emerging research for a non-academic audience of policymakers, practitioners, and advocates. He's also the author of The Affordable City, which advocates for prioritizing Supply, Stability, and Subsidies and offers more than 50 recommendations for advancing those goals.
Outside of his role at UCLA, Shane has presented to audiences across the U.S. and abroad, written for major publications including the Los Angeles Times and the Atlantic, and worked with public and private stakeholders on context-sensitive housing solutions. Originally hailing from Seattle, Shane earned his bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of Washington and masters degrees in public administration and urban planning from USC. Prior to his role at UCLA, Shane was most recently director of public policy for the Central City Association of Los Angeles, and before that director of Los Angeles Streetcar, Inc.
In 2023, Shane was commissioned to speak or consult on housing in:
Grand Rapids, MI
Wilmington, NC
Columbus, OH
Barcelona (Spain)
Santa Cruz, CA
Lexington, KY
Sioux Falls, SD
Washington, DC
Raleigh, NC
Norman, OK
Reno, NV
Nashville, TN
Mexico City (Mexico)
Recent consulting projects
In November 2023, Shane presented a report to the Reno City Council on recommendations to reform housing and land use policies and improve affordability citywide. The full report can be found here. A video of the brief presentation and Q&A with the council and mayor is here.
Recent Speaking engagements
Highlighted Podcast episodes
Episode 61: Homelessness is a Housing Problem with Gregg Colburn (Pathways Home pt. 1)
Episode 59: The Costs of Discretion with Paavo Monkkonen and Mike Manville
Episode 57: Origins of the Mortgage Market (and Federal Bailouts) with Judge Glock
Episode 45: What Happened When Auckland Upzoned Everywhere with Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy
Episode 42: Vienna’s ‘Remarkably Stable’ Social Housing with Justin Kadi
Episode 40: Valuing Black Lives and Housing with Andre Perry
Episode 37: Public Housing and Tenant Power in Atlanta with Akira Drake Rodriguez
Episode 22: How Housing Shapes Transportation Choices with Adam Millard-Ball
Recent publications and research
Manville, M., Monkkonen, P., Gray, N., & Phillips, S. (2023). Does Discretion Delay Development? The Impact of Approval Pathways on Multifamily Housing’s Time to Permit. Journal of the American Planning Association, 89(3), 336-347.
Phillips, S., Reid, C., Cuff, D., & Wong, K. (2022). Housing And Community Development In California: An In-Depth Analysis of the Facts, Origins and Trends of Housing and Community Development in California. California 100.
Phillips, S., Reid, C., Cuff, D., & Wong, K. (2022). The Future of Housing and Community Development: A California 100 Report on Policies and Future Scenarios. California 100.
Phillips, S. (2022). Building Up the" Zoning Buffer": Using Broad Upzones to Increase Housing Capacity Without Increasing Land Values. UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies.
Phillips, S., Manville, M., & Lens, M. (2021). Research Roundup: The effect of market-rate development on neighborhood rents. UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies.
The Atlantic: Renting Is Terrible. Owning Is Worse
Selected Older publications
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies: Housing Demolition and Redevelopment in Los Angeles
UCLA Lewis Center: A Call for Real Estate Transfer Tax Reform
UCLA Lewis Center: Affordable Housing Primer
UCLA Lewis Center: LA’s COVID-19 Response Should Prioritize Long-Term Rent-Stabilized Tenants for Housing Assistance
UCLA Lewis Center: Increasing the Duration of Affordability Requirements for New Affordable Housing
UCLA Lewis Center: Revisiting LA’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance and “Allowable Rent Increases”
Los Angeles Times Op-Ed: Why is L.A. too pricey? Blame low vacancy rates, not luxury high-rises
LA Times Op-Ed #2: Can pro-development and anti-demolition factions find common ground on affordable housing?