Tell us about your internship! [Paul]

Paul remained in San Luis Obispo for the summer to work as an intern with the County of San Luis Obispo and participate on research for the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

At the County, Paul works in the Energy section of the Long Range Planning Department, where he is involved in monitoring and reporting on the EnergyWise Plan (a climate action plan). This process is part of implementing the climate action plan policies to reduce energy use and GHG emissions by County government and the unincorporated community. Additionally, he participates in presenting unincorporated communities with potential energy saving measures to save money and reduce emissions.

Along with Hemalata Dandekar, CRP Department Head, Paul has been working on identifying innovations in design, financing, and regulation that support the development of affordable and workforce housing without direct government subsidies. The work includes identifying case studies and best practices; interviewing architects, developers, and planners; and coordinating with HCD about how to make the information useful for planners and developers.