One of my favorite corners of early-1990s New York dance music is a trio of releases by N.Y. Housen Authority. It is one of many aliases used by Rheji Burrell, a musician and producer from Queens who worked closely with his twin brother, Ronald, or Rhano, to craft some of the greatest underground hits of the eraif you havent heard it, seek out the Club Mix of Bs Noirs My Love Is Magic. With N.Y. Housen Authority, the instrumental vibe is more stripped down and introspective, even spatial. The titling reinforces the sensibility: There is an EP of housing projects (Dyckman House, Tilden House) and one of apartments (Apt. 3A is my personal favorite). On Renovation & Restoration, Burrells numbers read like a to-do list for an NYCHA super: New Elevators, Adequate Lighting, Landscaping. I like the music because it cultivates a bouncy but reflective mood to inhabit when thinking about the spaces where we live. Its a fitting soundtrack to this issue, because, from its news to its reviews, AN considers the urgent topic of housing and home. To start, we send love to our friends in Los Angeles, where the worst fires in Californias history have devastated parts of the city. Climate change has arrived in our living rooms, imploring us to take to the streets to repair our neighborhoods, keep a watchful eye over those who stand to profit from it, and stand better prepared for whatever happens next, Shane Reiner-Roth wrote in a moving piece for AN about his experience during the first week of blazes, accompanied by photographs of Altadena by Tag Christof.The loss of life, stability, architectural heritage, and property is serious, but it is heartening to see the architecture and design communitys response. In ANs online coverage, weve gathered leads on folks looking to help. One resource is Design for LA, a free and public directory of architects, designers, landscape architects, contractors, engineers and other experts related to the building process, particularly in Southern California.The worst fires in Californias history have devastated parts of the city. (Tag Christof)The conversation about how and where to rebuild is an urgent one, as Los Angeles will continue to face fire dangers as the effects of climate change intensify, and it is in the throes of a housing crisis. In the January/February issue, an interview with Frances Anderton and Russell Brown addresses this confluence while reflecting on their work highlighting low-cost multifamily buildings through their Awesome and Affordable campaign. Development in California (and elsewhere) has expanded into the wildlandurban interface, which has put more people and properties at risk, a condition we covered in a 2022 feature story.Homes ought to be places of safety and repose, but they are also a part of our economy. Comprising about 4 percent of the countrys gross domestic product for both single- and multifamily projects, the home-building industry is fast at work, though due to decades of low output, a serious deficit remains: Last year, Zillow estimated the country is short 4.5 million homes. Here, we collect some responsive efforts. Emily Conklin surveys Genslers efforts in office-to-residential conversions and SROs as ways to deliver units. ANs news editor, Dan Roche, assesses the housing plans of New York City mayoral candidates in the wake of City of Yes, passed last December. It was advertised as the most ambitious update to the citys zoning code since 1961 and includes a variety of proposals that address the housing shortage by making it possible to build a little more housing in every neighborhood. Our Focus section about home construction surveys a quintet of diverse home types from across the continent by creative architects, along with notable new products.Read my story about architects who design amenity spaces. I was interested in how these spaces shape the lives of their residents. In some ways, the convenience of amenity-rich buildings reduces the need to seek services in our neighborhoods. It reminds me of societys wider consolidations, like the concentration of actions collapsed into our smartphones (Remember film cameras and wristwatches?). Dwellings are sites of cultural memory and political action: Read Marianela DApriles review of Making Home, the Smithsonian Design Triennial at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum on, and next door see Peter Sealys assessment of To Build Law at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, an exhibition about the campaign to launch HouseEurope!, which advocates for new EU laws to make renovation and transformation more easy, affordable, and social. And in their manifesto, Viren Brahmbhatt and Richard Plunz share seven steps the new Trump administration can take to make a dent in the housing crisis.The issue is not all doom and gloom. Im excited to share ANs inaugural Twenty to Watch list, which recognizes rising residential architecture design talent in New York. We will celebrate their promiseand, more generally, the optimistic power of design to create a better worldat New Yorks A&D Building on March 6. See you there.