It was really inspiring to get a tour of East Haven: 95 units of affordable housing coming soon to Swannanoa. Thanks to the team at Mountain Housing Opportunities for their leadership on this project, which will create safe, affordable home for hundreds of our neighbors.

Projects like this also show us what's possible - affordability, next to a bus stop, near a grocery store and health clinics, exactly the approach to development that we need to focus on.

And it's going up fast. We voted in February to approve county funding for this project and ground was broken by summer. I'd like to see us committing to an ongoing cycle of major affordable housing projects of this scale and believe we can do that in the next few years. For more information on East Haven and the application process, call 828.237.3055.

Saturday morning started off with meeting leaders in Swannanoa Valley precincts at The Root Bar, a fixture on US 70. It was exciting to feel the energy about organizing in the new District 2 and to hear from other candidates who also spoke - Rep. John Ager, County Commission Chair Brownie Newman, and State Senate Candidate Brian Casey.

One question kept coming up - how, in this divisive age, we approach those with different political views and world views. This question comes up all the time, in my personal life, in my work at the Campaign for Southern Equality, and in my work on County Commission, which is a bipartisan board. For me, it starts by approaching people with empathy, while also being very clear about  what I stand for. The alternative is that for time uncertain we just avoid each other, or become wholly alienated from one another. ​Of all the things at stake in our country right now, this feels like one of the most important to me. 

We'll be back at The Root Bar on January 24 for a campaign party, featuring music by Reed Turchi and Lemuel Hayes, and co-hosted by Annie Jonas and Stacey Enos. Hope you can join us!