As Santa Fe, New Mexico became an ever more appealing home for well-to-do folks, property values skyrocketed. Eventually Latino families that had lived in Santa Fe for generations were in jeopardy of losing their homes.

Identifying solutions to complex issues like this is of great interest to the Pew Partnership for Civic Change. This booklet describes the innovative and effective team-based solution that solved this problem in Santa Fe. It’s a great model for any city facing similar problems.

The Pew Partnership wanted a cost-effective publication that documented this promising approach to creating affordable housing. They provided a few photographs, all black and white, some table data, a manuscript and a great title. We used the title as the defining metaphor throughout the book, from the die-cut brick “stair step” on the front cover to the matching photo shapes inside and the southwestern architectural motifs that grace the illustrated charts. Add a desert-inspired brown and orange color palette and you get a great little book.