Attainable Housing Sprint Participant Spotlight: Kevin Dayton

Monterey County Land Collective Team 

With more than three decades of public policy experience across federal, state, and local government, Regenerative California Attainable Housing Sprint Participant Kevin Dayton brings both deep institutional knowledge and a practical, community-focused approach to Monterey County’s housing challenges.  

Since 2019, Kevin has been deeply immersed in housing policy through his involvement with Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP). As the Government Affairs Liaison for the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas Valley Chambers of Commerce, he enjoys studying housing public policy issues and coming up with strategies to get housing built.

From his perspective, the greatest obstacle to housing production in Monterey County isn’t permit limitations, funding, or government red tape; it's the public’s resistance to growth. “I believe housing doesn't get built in coastal California because of the democratic will,” he shares. “The majority of people in coastal California do not want new housing to be built because they don't want the population to go up.”

By participating on the Monterey County Land Collective Team, Kevin and his collaborators are focused on creating a coordinated platform to activate land for attainable housing by identifying viable sites, enabling mission-driven partnerships, and reducing early-stage barriers.

Kevin is hopeful that Regenerative California and the three sprint teams will make a positive impact, especially for Monterey County’s residents. “We can make all sorts of changes to the system, but the missing component is changing people's hearts and minds about the value of new people, especially young families, coming to their communities,” he shares. “When we have a net increase in families with children moving to Monterey County, and we see school enrollment going up, then we'll know we're going in the right direction.”