The Holistic Housing Podcast

Jim Johnston, NACCED Board President and Manager of Municipal Development at Allegheny County, PA Economic Development, joins the show to take a walk down memory lane. We discuss his time with NACCED and his career in community development, including Pittsburgh’s cultural transformation from an immigrant-rich steel town to a modern tech and robotics hub, and how partnerships make all the difference in successful projects. Plus, we celebrate being together for the first time in two years, and ask, when were emoticons invented? And did Kenny Rogers wear rhinestones? Laura also announces a show hiatus – we’ll see you on the other side! Follow the show on Twitter at @HousingPodcast and send us a note at podcast@nacced.org. Please subscribe and give us a five-star rating. Thank you for listening!

Repvblik co-founder and principal Richard Rubin joins the show to discuss how his company reimagines and transforms existing infrastructure to become workforce housing. We discuss the future of office space, how adaptive reuse helps address the labor shortage, and how to reckon with pandemic-induced questions about quality of life, as we inch our way closer to the “metaverse.” Plus, Laura learns what Branson, Missouri is, and Cameron shares some fun facts about a well-known (but maybe cursed?) Washington hotel ahead of NACCED’s annual Legislative Conference. Follow the show on Twitter at @HousingPodcast and send us a note at podcast@nacced.org. Please subscribe and give us a five-star rating. Thanks for listening!

In the last episode of 2021, Clay Grubb, CEO of Grubb Properties based in Charlotte, NC joins Cameron and Laura to discuss Clay’s career growing up in the family business (including his time as a 12-year-old mortgage collector), why cars are the enemy of affordable housing, the need for more essential housing, and how solutions truly do come from all sides of the political spectrum. Plus, what role did Lexington BBQ play in ending the Cold War? And, we debut a new question: if you were a vending machine, what would you vend? Follow the show on Twitter at @HousingPodcast and send us a note at podcast@nacced.org. Please subscribe and give us a five-star rating. See you in 2022!

In his book, Sunbelt Blues: The Failure of American Housing, Andrew Ross examines the state of housing in Osceola County, FL. Once the main approach to Disney World, where vacationers found lodging on their way to the Magic Kingdom, the fifteen-mile Route 192 corridor in Osceola has become a site of shocking contrasts. At one end, global investors snatch up foreclosed properties and park their capital in extravagant vacation homes for affluent visitors, eliminating the county’s affordable housing in the process. At the other, underpaid tourist industry workers, displaced families, and disabled and elderly people subsisting on government checks cram themselves into dilapidated, roach-infested motels, or move into tent camps in the woods. We discuss how ineffective government planning, property market speculation, and poverty wages have combined to create this catastrophe, and what solutions are available. Plus, in this episode, Laura continues to advocate for Christmas music out of season, and Cameron drops a Sherlock Holmes reference. Follow the show on Twitter at @HousingPodcast and send us a note at podcast@nacced.org. Don’t forget to subscribe and give us a five-star rating. Thank you for listening!

It’s time to meet your new co-host! In this episode, Laura interviews NACCED’s new Membership & Operations Associate, Cameron Wheeler, on his work and interests. Topics include: storytelling, federalism, fruit, livin’ simple, and just why NACCED’s local government members are so special. Plus, how DO you pronounce Wawa? And, Cameron answers just about every questions that’s ever been asked on the show, and Laura finally has a hot dog ally. Follow the show on Twitter at @HousingPodcast and send us a note at podcast@nacced.org. Don’t forget to subscribe and give us a five-star rating. Thank you for listening!

Arroyo Village is an award-winning, first-of-its-kind community in Colorado to encompass a continuum of care for people experiencing housing instability that includes a homeless shelter, permanent supportive housing and affordable housing under one roof. In this conversation, we’re joined by two of Arroyo Village’s leaders, Laura Rossbert of Shopworks Architecture, and Dontae Latson, CEO of Rocky Mountain Communities, to discuss building using trauma-informed design to create opportunities and hope for people in need. Plus, Laura D. reps the NHP Foundation Symposium (nhpfoundation.org) and asks, is it too early to listen to Christmas music? Follow us on Twitter at @HousingPodcast, rate, review, subscribe, and send us an email to podcast@nacced.org. Thanks for listening!

How do we bring agencies and governments together to achieve a comprehensive national housing strategy for the US? Atlanta Housing Authority CEO Eugene Jones, Jr. joins the show to discuss this question, bringing the perspective of a career in housing that has taken him from San Francisco to Atlanta and many places in between. We also discuss Eugene’s book, Housing Humans, and just what can be done about Atlanta’s traffic (and that Georgia heat). Plus, we celebrate the show’s four-year anniversary, Sarah says farewell, and Laura declares that the show must go on! Follow us on Twitter at @HousingPodcast, rate, review, subscribe, and send us an email to podcast@nacced.org. Thanks for listening!

Cache County Director of Economic Development Shawn Milne joins the show to share his perspective on what it’s like to work in in the nation’s fastest growing state, Utah. We talk the importance of housing workers near jobs, why housing should be a nonpartisan issue, and how serving in elected office taught Shawn the benefit of political moderation. Plus, the show starts with a comedy of errors, Sarah has an announcement, and we wonder, is Shawn really just in town because he is a Freemason and needs to steal the Constitution or something? We may never know! Find us on Twitter at @HousingPodcast, rate, review, subscribe, and send us an email to podcast@nacced.org. Thanks for listening!

Why do street addresses matter? Author Deirdre Mask joins us to talk about her book, The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power. In this fascinating look at the history and impact of addresses from West Virginia to Kolkata and everywhere in between, we ask: why are some people resistant to having an address? How can addresses prevent public health crises? Is being unreachable a new status symbol? Will digital addresses become a thing? All that and more! Plus, we celebrate being back in the studio together for the first time in 14+ months, Sarah is mostly uninterested in thinking about the future, and Laura needs more snacks. Find us on Twitter at @HousingPodcast, rate, review, subscribe, and send us an email to podcast@nacced.org. Thanks for listening!

Maggie Jones, Assistant Director for Community Development at Tarrant County, TX, joins the show to talk all things change-making. Hear what’s it been like to adapt as a local government professional providing community services during COVID, why change does not have to equal loss, and how working at a Greek restaurant was the perfect customer service training. Plus, Maggie knows more about Jeeps than any other person on the planet, Laura enforces the rules of a new game a little too stringently, and Sarah is open to trying to the new trend of cooking cicadas. Thank you to the NHP Foundation for sponsoring this episode, and be sure to learn more about NHP’s annual symposium at NHPFoundation.org! Find us on Twitter at @HousingPodcast, rate, review, subscribe, and send us an email to podcast@nacced.org. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, we’re joined by Ken White, Director of Resident Services at Operation Pathways, which provides services for residents of multifamily housing. But they’re not just services – they’re resident-led programs that empower individuals and families to set goals, learn new skills, lead healthier lives, and achieve greater independence and quality of life. Ken tells us how Operation Pathways walks with these residents in their journeys, prioritizing dignity and creating community. Plus, did you see the pink super moon? What do they call sandwiches in Massachusetts? And prepare to feel completely one-upped by Ken’s pandemic hobby, which was learning how to build staircases. Wow. Find us on Twitter at @HousingPodcast, rate, review, subscribe, and send us an email to podcast@nacced.org. Thanks for listening!

People incarcerated more than once are 13 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public. What can be done to break the jail-to-homelessness cycle? Urban Institute researcher Sarah Gillespie joins to discuss: why the public should care, how the housing first model provides stability and dignity, myths around homelessness, and whether homelessness really is solvable.Plus, Sarah G. has a spaghettios for adults to share, Sarah M. has pre-registered for the vaccine, and Laura is so discombobulated by daylight savings time she forgets to say the spiel at the end about subscribing (do it!). Find us on Twitter at @HousingPodcast, rate, review, subscribe, and send us an email to podcast@nacced.org. Thanks for listening!

Atlanta-based PadSplit has helped over 1,000 renters access safe, stable, furnished housing, at a fixed, weekly rate. Founder and CEO Atticus LeBlanc joins the show to discuss PadSplit’s unique co-living model, serving primarily frontline and working class individuals, who are able to save money, build credit, and in some cases, go on to buy a car or even their own home. We discuss the ongoing need for zoning reform and a more equitable distribution of housing, and how now is the time to ask: do the people who serve you live in your community? If not, why – and are you willing to do something about it? Plus, Atticus shares his daily practices for staying mission-focused, Sarah recommends a life-changing alarm clock, and Laura appreciates it when dogs have a first and last name. Subscribe and rate the show wherever you listen! Send us a note to podcast@nacced.org and follow us on Twitter at @HousingPodcast.

What, if any, role can your local police department play in addressing homelessness? Officer Mike Keen, the Homeless Outreach Program Coordinator for the Arlington County, VA Police Department, joins the show to answer that question. Officer Keen’s homeless outreach program breaks down silos between local government departments in order to assist people experiencing homelessness to acquire the services and resources they need. We talk jail diversion, crisis intervention, decriminalizing homelessness, community policing, and the value of working together. Plus, Mike picked up a new skill during COVID, Sarah wants to play the steel drums, and Laura loves squirrels (now and always). Please subscribe to the show and give us a 5-star rating! Send us a note at podcast@nacced.org and follow us on Twitter at @HousingPodcast.

We’re joined at the end of 2020 by Ben Hobbs, Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy at the White House. Ben talks his roots in Ohio (including his first business selling chicken eggs), solutions to eliminating poverty that go beyond government programs, and America’s eternal ability to resiliently recover from difficult times – even a pandemic. Plus, Sarah declines to share her number one song from 2020, and Laura manages once again to make aliens a focal point of the conversation. Joyfully recorded in-person at Podcast Village! Subscribe to the show and rate it wherever you listen. You can email us at podcast@nacced.org and follow the show on Twitter at @HousingPodcast. Thanks for listening!

In this Thanksgiving edition of the Holistic Housing Show, NACCED members Jessica Facciponti and Joe Riddle discuss their careers in the context of diplomacy, advocacy, and recovery. Located in New York and Florida, respectively, they share on-the-ground stories about working with the public, serving as liaisons between constituents and elected officials, and their work on NACCED’s housing and community development policy efforts at the national level. Plus, there’s at least five minutes’ conversation about gravy, Sarah learns what hashbrown casserole is, and Laura learns where Arkansas is.Please subscribe and rate wherever you listen, send us an email at podcast@nacced.org and follow us at @HousingPodcast. Thanks for listening!

Alan Mallach, Senior Fellow at the Center for Community Progress, joins the show to discuss what’s next for America after COVID-19, including the much-discussed future of cities, and long-term trends in work and the economic recovery. Plus, Alan shares his policy recommendations for America’s next president, Laura gives stock tips (buy outdoor heaters!), and Sarah is ensuring America’s election security. Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and give us a five-star rating wherever you listen. You can email us at podcast@nacced.org and follow the show on Twitter at @HousingPodcast. Thanks for listening!

Claudia Aiken and Vincent Reina, researchers with the University of Pennsylvania’s Housing Initiative at Penn, help local governments develop and operationalize affordable housing programs. This year, that has meant a focus on rent relief programs funded by the CARES Act. Claudia and Vincent tell us what has worked to build and communicate programs for hard-to-reach populations, how “home” means much more than physical infrastructure, and why now is a great time to bring an innovative mindset to the work of housing. Plus, Claudia has fond memories of (overly) civically-engaged bike riders in her hometown, Sarah decides to dress her dog as a ghost, and we ask, would you rather live 500 years in the future, or the past? You can find Claudia and Vincent at @ClaudiaAiken7 and @VrainBK and follow UPenn’s @WeitzmanSchool and @PennPraxis. Follow the show on Twitter at @HousingPodcast. Subscribe to the show and please give us a five-star rating!

In this episode, your hosts are joined by Professor Emily Benfer to discuss the eviction crisis caused by COVID-19. Emily, a co-creator of Eviction Lab’s Housing Policy Scorecard, explains the circumstances that led to 30-40 million people being at risk of eviction, the downstream societal costs of housing instability, and how health, housing, and racial justice are deeply involved. We take a look at how this moment has uncovered disparity in America and provides an opportunity to reset the US’s policy trajectory toward justice. Plus, Sarah and Laura celebrate the show’s three-year anniversary, and get to see each other in person for the first time in five months! You can find Emily on Twitter at @emilyabenfer. Subscribe to the show and give us a five-star review wherever you listen, follow on Twitter at@HousingPodcast, and send us a note to podcast@nacced.org. Thanks for listening!

The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is a network of providers helping survivors heal from domestic violence (DV). In this episode, we speak with Debbie Fox, NNEDV’s Senior Housing Policy & Practice Specialist, about how different forms of housing, like shelters, safe homes, and transitional housing, are critical for DV survivors. Hear about Debbie’s early and formative experience as a care coordinator in a DV shelter, and her belief in the important work of unlearning violence as an answer to conflict. Plus, we learn about Debbie’s many musical talents and ask, what’s up with the fox stealing newspapers in Laura’s neighborhood? And are “trash bagels” the term Sarah uses for sub-par bagels, or the name of DC’s newest punk band? You can follow Debbie and the NNEDV at @theDebbieFox and @NNEDV. Follow the Holistic Housing Show on Twitter at @HousingPodcast and NACCED at @NACCEDNews. Subscribe to the show, give us a five-star rating, and send us a note to podcast@nacced.org. Thanks for listening!