Making change personal – HLC Executive Director Evelyn Stivers

Host Sophia Layne meets Evelyn Stivers, Executive Director of the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, outside Pen Station — a model affordable family housing development steps from the Hillsdale Caltrain stop, complete with after-school care, a community garden, and a playground. It's a fitting backdrop for a conversation about what it takes to turn a good idea into a building full of families who finally have a place to call home.Evelyn traces a path from teenage peace activist and anti-poverty volunteer to environmental organizer to housing advocate — a journey that crystallized the night she showed up, against her boss's wishes, to a planning meeting where 300 people had gathered to oppose a senior affordable housing project. The development was killed by a requirement for six parking spots per unit — for seniors who couldn't drive. Evelyn went home and cried, then spent the next decades getting it right.The conversation gets at something most leaders in any sector will recognize: how do you move people who are afraid? Evelyn's answer is clear — lead with personal stories, understand the fear underneath the opposition, and hold the long view. She's seen former opponents show up at grand openings to take credit for the very projects they fought against. Her response? Big tent. Come on in.Sharp, warm, and deeply practical — this is a masterclass in leading through resistance, from someone who has been doing it, quietly and effectively, for decades.