ABOUT US
Better housing, together
We’re YIMBYs: we believe that everyone deserves a high quality, safe and affordable place to live. That means we want to see better places and more homes built with the support of local communities. YIMBY stands for “Yes in my back yard”: we support more high-quality homes near us.
YIMBY Alliance is an alliance of campaigns working to end the housing crisis. Check out our local groups as well as some great National campaigns!
OUR TEAM
KANE EMERSON
YIMBY ALLIANCE TEAM
Head of Housing Research at YIMBY Alliance
.Kane Emerson is head of housing research at YIMBY Alliance. As a community activist and Labour councillor, Kane has heard about poor housing conditions and overcrowding on hundreds of doorsteps across the country.
Kane co-wrote the UK Day One report proposing Tempsford New Town, which received wide national media coverage. He is co-author of the joint YIMBY Alliance and Tony Blair Institute report, The Urgent Need to Build More Homes, and the UK Day One report Fast Wins on Planning for Housing.
Kane is also a school governor, former chair of his estate’s residents’ association and chair of the Labour Party Irish Society.
From: Derry, Northern Ireland.
Favourite YIMBY case study: Haringey’s upward extensions.
JAMES GRADEL
YIMBY ALLIANCE TEAM
Policy and Campaigns Officer at YIMBY Alliance
James is the Policy and Campaigns Officer at YIMBY Alliance. He works on policy research, political strategy and communications.
James studied International Relations with French at the University of Birmingham, where he wrote a dissertation analysing the political speeches of New Labour.
As part of his degree, James also spent a year studying in France at Sciences Po in Lyon.
From: Bury, Greater Manchester.
Favourite YIMBY case study: the Bee Network.
ANYA MARTIN
YIMBY ALLIANCE TEAM
Policy Lead at YIMBY Alliance
Anya is Policy Lead at YIMBY Alliance. She was previously director at PricedOut and has a background in research and data analysis in a number of sectors including housing associations, charities, and financial regulation. She is interested in how we can make the best evidence and policy design on housing affordability from around the world accessible to and implementable by policymakers.
From: Moulsecoomb, Brighton.
Favourite YIMBY case study: Land Readjustment.
JOHN MYERS
YIMBY ALLIANCE TEAM
Director at YIMBY Alliance
John Myers is Director of YIMBY Alliance. Inspired by the grassroots movement for affordable housing in the US, John brought together a team to work with communities on sustainable ways to end the housing crisis.
John is co-author of the joint YIMBY Alliance and Tony Blair Institute Report, The Urgent Need to Build More Homes.
In his spare time, John is a trustee of the London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies. John trained as a lawyer.
From: Ormskirk, Lancashire.
Favourite YIMBY case study: California’s residential annexes.
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News
Where have Camden’s children gone?
Since 2017, children have been disappearing from Camden’s schools. Rolls are down and 52 classes have been removed in primary schools alone. The dwindling pupil numbers have hit school finances, and the Council has been struggling to fill the gap. State schools in...
Yet another summer of overcrowding for families
A childhood summer is the highlight of many of our lives. But it is not so for the hundred of thousands of kids living in overcrowded houses for whom a school day is a welcome break. Across Britain, a harsh reality is hidden quietly behind closed doors: the...