With the critical shortage of housing, it might seem to make sense to convert empty office buildings into condos or apartments. But it’s not that simple. From the regulatory and zoning hurdles to the high costs of retrofitting existing structures, in many cases the price of conversion would be far greater than building new housing. The idea is being considered elsewhere in the country, including in California, where lawmakers put $400 million toward grants for developers to offset conversion costs. Willamette Week reporter Sophie Peel has been covering this story and joins us to tell us more.