Turning Vacant Spaces into Vibrant Places with Kathleen J. Guillaume-Delemar

In this inspiring episode of WAHNcast, WAHN President & CEO Ashley Northcutt sits down with Kathleen Guillaume-Delemar, President and CEO of the Center for Community Progress. Kat shares her remarkable journey from growing up in Brooklyn in the shadow of entrenched poverty and systemic inequities, to becoming a nationally recognized leader in community revitalization. With candor and passion, Kat discusses how her lived experience informs her leadership, why she believes in “daring to dream,” and how vacant and abandoned properties can be transformed into community assets. She also unpacks the role of policy, philanthropy, and unlikely allies in creating dignified, affordable housing—and makes a powerful case against the criminalization of poverty. This is a conversation about resilience, justice, and the possibility of building communities where everyone belongs.