Bridging the Gap

In this episode, David Gray is joined by Deletta Dean and Conor Kenny to talk about housing affordability. From preserving older housing to building new units, this conversation provides key insights about durability (how long homes stay affordable), stewardship (who's responsible for maintaining affordability), and control (who gets to shape the future of housing in their community). Deletta serves as the Housing Director for the City of Austin, and Conor is a Principal with Capital A Housing.

In this episode, David Gray is joined by Nefertitti Jackmon and Kieron Slaughter to take a hard look at what happens when neighborhoods begin to gentrify – when new investment comes, property values rise, and longtime residents and businesses face real risks of being priced out or pushed aside. Nefertitti leads the Displacement Prevention Division in the City of Austin’s Housing Department, and Kieron serves as Economic Development and Housing Manager with the City of San Pablo, CA.

In this episode, Arcelia Barajas joins Seth Floyd to define some terms in the housing space (what is the difference between affordable, attainable, and workforce housing?), discuss the challenges affecting those with housing needs, and cover how communities can facilitate building more units. Arcelia is the Director of Neighborhood Services for the city of Las Vegas, NV.

In this episode, Seth Floyd is joined by Emily Hamilton for a primer on the regulatory side of the housing. They discuss the role of regulations in the housing shortage as well as reforms happening in communities across the country. Emily is a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Her research focuses on urban economics and land-use policy.

In this episode, Brian Hoben is joined by Maggie Rogers to discuss the factors around housing stability. Maggie Rogers has over 20 years of experience in non profit and social service focused work, including experience in her current role as the executive director of Catholic Charities. She specializes in affordable housing development in Pasco County, Florida, and launched the Tampa Hope program.

In this introductory episode of the “Bridging the Gap” podcast series, Brian Hoben introduces the Housing Heroes and his team members who will be leading the series. He also fills us in on what we can expect in this 6 episode series, dedicated to educating you on the realities around housing in our communities. This series will focus on the challenges and the potential solutions we can provide to housing insecurity, homelessness, and the range of experiences that people will face when facing a housing crisis in their lives. It is our goal to give you concrete information, and encourage you to be a part of the conversation by provoking thoughtful discussions and insights into each episode's topic.