Community TrailBlazers: Recent Episodes
Nan McKay
Housing and community development's evolvement rests on the shoulders of women and men who have played a strong role in developing affordable housing and communities throughout the country. Their stories provide a human historical perspective on our cities and the housing within our cities.
Join In a lively discussion among five leaders of the CEO Circle regarding managing nonprofits for excellence and connecting people to opportunities across America. this episode, we feature members of the CEO Circle who are the CEOs of community development and justice organizations. They are leaders in their fields working to create new ways for communities to enrich where people live and connect them to the opportunities they need. Listen in to learn how to leverage your experience as a leader of color in community development to better serve communities of color.
Key Takeaways:
- The importance of strengthening and realigning communities of color to bounce back after the COVID-19 crisis
- How to leverage your personal experiences as resources as a CEO of color
- How to find better recruitment methods to help with diversity in the housing and community development sector
- How to economically grow America by changing our systems to create racial equity and inclusion
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Leonard Zax is the CEO of the Hamilton Partnership, a nonprofit organization that led the effort to create the Paterson Great Falls National Park in his hometown of Paterson New Jersey. He has degrees in law and city planning from Harvard University and has worked for more than thirty years on community development projects across the country. In this episode, Leonard talks about his extensive role at HUD and his contribution to the preservation and revitalization of cities. Listen in to learn the importance of designing cities in a way that protects them from natural disasters like storms and hurricanes. You will also learn the importance of preserving new cities’ uniqueness across the country.
Takeaways:
- Why you shouldn’t have a strategic plan for your life and instead allow its serendipity
- Learn what it takes to develop large complex projects that can transform a city, neighborhood, or reservations
Having genuine hope to continue transforming our cities uniquely for today and the future
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
David Engel shares his successes and challenges working in affordable housing for decades and the concern he still expresses for the industry. He has a unique perspective since he worked in research at HUD, not production. His thoughts on the impediments to affordable housing and what is needed for the future are important take-aways! Listen in to learn the importance of making workforce housing affordable to cater to workers who otherwise can’t afford homes. You will also learn how zoning has over the years constricted housing supply leading to unaffordable houses in many areas.
Key Takeaways:
- How shared housing can reduce housing cost for the low-income population
- Why housing affordability should be prioritized in growth economies
- How to innovate the housing sector and make housing sustainable and affordable
As President and CEO of the International Economic Development Council, Jeff Finkle is a recognized leader and authority on economic development. In this episode, Jeff talks about his role as an assistant secretary at HUD in the mid-80s and his contribution to economic development. One of the many things you will learn in this interview is how to create a foundation which serves people in need. Jeffrey talks about his time at HUD, how economic development is going to become even more important in the future and gives some great advice to young people ready to start a career. Listen in to learn about the internal and external challenges that organizations face in their day-to-day operations. You will also learn the importance of having education, practice, and patience in your career of choice before seriously venturing into it.
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl_bUBBV4BieMfshU9xWyPQ
Ep. 74 – Alison Gross weaves a fascinating story of handling global events in Monte Carlo to coordinating the Maccabi games and a world sailing race in the U.S. She started a business during COVID and explains how the new normal will be different but will adapt. She then talks about adaptive reuse and how cities like New York will change. And she talks about the 5 reasons for optimism for 2021, thinking about which things will make the largest economic impact, starting with the COVID passport. Listen in to learn the importance of articulating your business message realistically and sustainably. You will also learn how to adapt your business to the changes brought by the pandemic to enjoy success going forth.
Key Takeaways:
- How to be courageous enough to chase after your career dreams
- How to build your business upon thought-leadership to better reach your clients
- Take a personal responsibility towards making a difference in climate change
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Lisa L. Walker has discovered the way to both succeed as an attorney while satisfying her other passion, impacting lives. Housing Development Law Institute, referred to as HDLI fills a unique need – a one-stop shop for attorneys in affordable housing. Both housing authorities and private real estate owners rely on HDLI as the go-to place for the latest developments in the affordable housing world.
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
As senior vice president for affordable housing initiatives at the Mortgage Bankers Association, Steve O’Connor is rolling out affordable housing initiatives in several cities. Steve’s role in the association is to build partnerships to address affordable housing and create more homeownership opportunities for low income and minority consumers.
Key Takeaways:
- How to innovate and take responsible risks to find the hardest to reach consumers
- The need for creating more homeownership opportunities for low income and minority consumers
- How to have valuable public interest conversations by collaborating as different groups
- How to make a difference in affordable housing by working together
- Find your authentic purpose and create relationships for support to propel you
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Stanley Marcuss explains the negative effects of the adverse consequences of international trade. Listen to his story on Adlai Stevenson and why foreign corruption is still rampant in international marketplaces.
Key Takeaways:
- The differences and similarities between government-led and private-led redevelopments
- How to harness the knowledge of other people to be able to work together and find solutions
- How to compromise to maintain peace in the world today
- How to embrace your ability to be flexible when it comes to your career
In this episode you’ll discover:
Stanley’s experience working with Governor Adlai Stevenson [2:58]
The many legislation on trade issues promulgated during Adlai Stevenson’s time [5:07]
Why foreign corruption is still rampant in international marketplaces [8:09]
Understanding the Anti-Boycott law that seeks to protects Israel’s trade interests with the US [8:54]
How Antidumping and Countervailing Duties create a level playing field on international trade [10:14]
The meaning of US-China delegation to enable trade between the two countries [13:12]
The challenges of adverse consequences of international trade [14:53]
How the US engages in protectionism through trade tariffs imposing [17:11]
The social-economic consequences between government-led and private-led redevelopment [19:56]
How luck played in the success of Stanley in his diverse career [26:45]
The many challenges facing the world today [29:20]
Two things you should know before committing to a career in international trade [31:32]
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Top Takeaways:
- The importance of supporting your children’s passions which might become their lifelong careers
- The power of persistence and taking advantage of a moment that could change the trajectory of your life or career
- Why you should always be aware of your surroundings not to be left behind and also follow what you have an interest in
- The benefits of going after your passion with dedication, focus, and certainty
Earl Rose, a multi-talented Emmy and ASCAP award winner, has led a really interesting life and is a famous guy, sometimes “behind the scenes” and sometimes right up front! From the Johnny Carson Show to the Dick Cavett Show to writing songs for Johnny Mathis and Olivia Newton-John to playing at the Carlyle Hotel on New York’s Upper East Side, he’s done it all – but he isn’t resting on his laurels! Hear about his young years with his father, a vaudeville comedy dancer who later appeared in Irving Berlin revues at the Music Box Theater on Broadway, and his mother who traveled the world with a circus trapeze act. Hear his story about Paul McCartney. Fascinating!
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Michael Moskow is a manager personified. Mike’s professional accomplishments include service in both the public and private sectors, as well as higher education. During the course of his career, he has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate for five positions in the federal government. Like Carla Hills, he has worked for HUD and been a U.S. Trade Ambassador. He covers a wide range of topics from a reconnaissance mission touring dangerous public housing projects in the 1970’s to comparing differences in management from the public to private sector to receiving Japan’s honorable award, "The Order of the Rising Sun; Gold and Silver Star." He even educates us on the role of the Federal Reserve Bank.
How do you turn around a dying town? What happens to small to medium-sized cities when their largest employer pulls out? Shekar Narasimhan has been putting his plan in place in communities that have been left behind . . . and it's working! Shekar also tells us how to address generational poverty, racial bias and gender inequities - and defines it. He is an advocate for housing as a right and tells us why.
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl_bUBBV4BieMfshU9xWyPQ
“Bill Lilley taught at Yale, worked for the federal government, worked at CBS in New York, and started a software company, which he sold,” said John Fox Sullivan, longtime friend and former Yale student.“ Meet William “Bill” Lilley III, an American Western History Buff, who taught at Yale where he received his Ph.D. for most of the 1960s with American history and American studies as his fields. He worked in the federal government in all of the 1970s where he was deputy assistant secretary at HUD. He then worked as the acting director of the U.S. Council on Wage & Price Stability and later as Staff Director of the Budget Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. Bill also worked in the private sector for CBS Inc., the media company in New York, where he was Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for seven years. He then left CBS to found his own company called iMapData which built an extensive library of databases that could be visualized on a web-based platform.
Meet Alfred Dellibovi, President and CEO of the Federal Home Bank of New York and a nationally recognized authority on banking, the lending industry, housing, and public finance. He was United States Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1989 until 1992 under Jack Kemp, having been appointed by President George H. W. Bush. In his podcast he tells us why the HUD Reform in the 1980's was necessary and what was done to “clean it up.” He gives us insight into his role at HUD, as Deputy to HUD Secretary Jack Kemp, establishing priorities to create change.
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Lynne Sagalyn, an expert in real estate development and finance, gives us the theory and thinking behind how and why cities exist as they do today. She has been an educator and scholar for over 40 years. She built an innovative and rigorous program of graduate studies in commercial real estate finance and investment strategy at Columbia business school. She explains how cities are built and redeveloped and endeavors to demystify the politics and planning process surrounding large scale development projects and their impacts on the physical fabric of cities.
Read more at www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Antonio Santaella, a very famous flamenco dancer referred to as the international flamenco maestro whose culture influence qualifies him to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Housing and Communities. He started his long journey to Puerto Rico from Granada, Spain his birthplace and coming of age. He was discovered at a show in Paris by the famous Laura Toledo, who later invited him to join her company for a nationwide tour of the United States, which lasted for two years. Remember the BIC pen ad? That was Antonio!
Some of this podcast is in Spanish with an interpretation by Kimberly, one of Antonio’s students.
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Robert Rozen, referred to as Bobby, worked for many years in the U.S. Senate and was involved in the establishment of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program which is the primary means of financing affordable housing today. In the 30 years since enactment, nearly 3 million housing units have been built with LIHTC equity, 3.1 million jobs have been created and an industry has grown around it. But to understand how the LIHTC passed, it’s important to go back to the political climate of the time. When it was passed, the attention was on the simplification of the tax code and the elimination of many tax shelters. Bobby takes us through those times and the challenges in establishing the tax credit program.
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl_bUBBV4BieMfshU9xWyPQ/
Is fair housing fair? What is disparate impact and how can housing authorities and landlords determine the application of it? What is reasonable accommodation? How is HUD conducting market testing to determine racial discrimination? Amy M. Glassman is a partner with Ballard Spahr, a law firm with more than 650 attorneys and 15 offices. Amy has had extensive experience with HUD regulatory and statutory compliance issues including disparate impact. She assists clients on matters such as federal procurement requirements, relationships with public housing affiliates and instrumentalities, uses of program income, the Uniform Relocation Act (URA), and the Section 8 programs.
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Referred to as Bill Kelly, he is the developer of a co-creation model to bring social change to affordable housing. He was a special assistant and executive assistant to the secretary of HUD Carla Hills from 1975 to 1977. He was only 30 years old at the time but he and Carla clicked in style and substance. When he left HUD, he joined the law firm of Latham and Watkins where he worked for 25 years as a partner. He had experience with the United States supreme court as a law clerk in his early days. He co-created the National Affordable Housing Trust in 1996, and in 2003 he was a co-founder and president of the Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAFE) which now has 13 nonprofit members who own 150,000 affordable housing. He now serves on the low-income investments fund board.
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Website: www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Podcast Page: TrailBlazers Impact: https://trailblazersimpact.com/trailblazers-impact-1/
Podcast Page: Community TrailBlazers: https://trailblazersimpact.com/community-trailblazers/
Podcast Page: Coping in Crisis: https://trailblazersimpact.com/coping-in-crisis-podcast/
You Tube TrailBlazers Impact Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZD4jDrEEvBVH1atmJ5VmZQ
You Tube Community TrailBlazers Academy Series: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl_bUBBV4BieMfshU9xWyPQ
You Tube Coping In Crisis: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjc1M7WazQ0NbpN5rCr__vw
Sarah Rosen Wartell: Elevate the Debate Ep. 60 - Sarah Rosen Wartell has articulated a strategy for Urban: elevate the debate. She is the public policy executive and housing markets expert who serves as president of the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan social and economic research and policy organization whose more than 550 researchers, experts, and other staff believe in the power of evidence to improve lives and strengthen communities. In 2012, Sarah Rosen Wartell became the third president of the Urban Institute since it was founded in 1968. She feels Urban can elevate the debate by:
- Bringing more of its insights from research to federal, state, and local government and practice
- Becoming a leader in research communications and data visualization
- Undertaking an ambitious program of business systems and technology modernization.
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Website: www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Podcast Page: TrailBlazers Impact: https://trailblazersimpact.com/trailblazers-impact-1/
Podcast Page: Community TrailBlazers: https://trailblazersimpact.com/community-trailblazers/
Podcast Page: Coping in Crisis: https://trailblazersimpact.com/coping-in-crisis-podcast/
You Tube TrailBlazers Impact Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZD4jDrEEvBVH1atmJ5VmZQ
You Tube Community TrailBlazers Academy Series: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl_bUBBV4BieMfshU9xWyPQ
You Tube Coping In Crisis: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjc1M7WazQ0NbpN5rCr__vw
Meet Muriel Tillinghast, a human rights activist from the 1960’s to today! She takes us on a long but fascinating journey from the initial civil rights activities in the 1960’s through an extensive career in revenue generation and oversight to mediation and negotiation to educational teaching and administration. She describes her experiences in NAG and SNCC in both desegregation and tenant rights. She tells us about her advocacy work in AIDs, immigration, medical experimentation, murder/false accusation, alternative sentencing, prison reform, and housing issues. She was even a Green Party candidate for Vice-President in 1996! This woman has LIVED it!
Norm McLoughlin is a master of creative real estate financing in the public sector. Whether it is tax exempt bonds, tax credit, or federal, state or local funds, Norm has experience in all of them! As President of the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies or Director of the Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority, Norm has created thousands of jobs and added millions of dollars to the tax rolls. He explains the differences in financing and developing much-needed affordable housing in rural areas, along with the Self-Help Homeownership Program which became the largest program of its type in the Northwest.
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Can you imagine managing a 500K+ subsidized housing unit program with 10,238 employees? How about 9.375 units plus 58,000 families in the Section 8 program? Joseph Shuldiner is the only executive director in the country to manage three behemoth housing authorities! He was HUD’s Assistant Secretary of Public and Indian Housing, and he was a turnaround agent for the Chicago Housing Authority. Hear what it is like to manage enormous government agencies – and thousands of staff members. All under public scrutiny. Joe says the key to it all is to engage the residents, understand the concept of service, work to make people’s lives better.
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
David Stevens believes in a better and diverse America, a country where the economic gap is less wide and both the majority and the minority have safe affordable places to call home. The only way to do that is to close the diversity gap in housing. He believes in the creation of inclusive policies that give access to each group. David knows what he’s talking about. David Stevens is President and CEO, Emeritus, of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).
www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Bryan Greene knows what discrimination looks like, especially in housing. But how do we end racial bias in housing so that housing is equally available to everyone? Bryan handled many discrimination cases while he managed HUD’s fair housing policy and practices. He lets us know what the current impediments are to prevent discrimination today in both rental and sales housing. His chapter two takes him to the National Association of Realtors with a mission to educate and promote fair housing within the real estate industry. You will be fascinated by what has succeeded and failed in the area of discrimination from sunset towns to communication today about diversity and inclusion.
Mark Willis’s life work is about stabilizing and revitalizing cities, with a strong focus on New York City, but creating theory and systems which would work throughout the country. He feels it is crucial to bridge between theory and practice when it comes to providing affordable housing and community development. He discusses the need for inclusion and equality when reviving neighborhoods in legacy cities. Find out how the affordable housing sector is reinventing New York by transforming hotels and office space into residential space. Hear his thoughts on Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac as they relate to multifamily housing.
“It’s time to ensure that no American has to worry about where they and their families will sleep tonight.” James Stockard, referred to as Jim, feels affordable housing should be a right, not a privilege. He links the lack of affordable housing to social justice. He defines the inadequacy of affordable housing in the United States as directly tying into racial and class biases. Jim has been involved in housing on many levels. In 2019, he delivered a lecture in Glasgow for the UN Economic Commission for Europe conference on city living. He was also a visiting lecturer in Shanghai China. As a principal for over 25 years with the Cambridge-based consulting firm Stockard & Engler & Brigham, he has worked with nonprofit groups and public agencies across the country on such issues as affordable housing development, property management, neighborhood revitalization, and supportive service planning. He has been involved in public housing take-overs and cost studies. www.TrailBlazersImpact.com
Walk through a detector into a commercial building and be safe! Retrofit your house and be safe! Install an app that will let you know when someone with COVID is within your range. David Smith, the affordable housing guru, reveals what the future can look like. He has come up with a healthy secure housing concept that supports healthy living after the COVID-19 reopening. He has created concepts that explain the essentiality of housing and establishing health-secure environments, especially in multifamily dwellings. A fascinating interview revealing the “why not’s” available to us!
Meet Gerald Benoit, referred to as Jerry, one of the icons from the 1970s and a member of the Academy of Housing and Communities. He started out by directing a Section 23 Leased Housing program for the department of HUD where he kept moving up to become a special assistant to the office of public housing. He then became deputy director of the office of Indian housing. His biggest role, however, was director of the existing housing division where he oversaw the national implementation and management of the ongoing operations of Section 8 rental voucher, certificate and moderate rehabilitation programs through HUD offices assisting 1.5 million households with an annual budget of 7 billion dollars. This program has grown to be the largest subsidized housing program in the country.
Meet DeLois Strum, referred to as DeeDee, a 40+ year entrepreneur, a public speaker, an affordable housing advocate, and is currently involved in offshore wind as a renewable source of energy. DeeDee has worked in the housing & community development industry as both a housing professional and volunteer at the national level where she previously chaired the national Section 8 Committee of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. She previously worked in the public sector, having served two terms as Executive Director of the Indiana State Housing Board; an appointment she held under two governors. DeeDee founded her company in 1981, M.D. Strum Housing Services, Inc.-a professional services firm specializing in the planning for neighborhood revitalization, commercial and real estate development, strategic planning, public-private partnerships, homeownership, entrepreneurial program initiatives for public housing authorities and community development corporations.
What would it be like to be responsible for negotiating a trade agreement with China or Japan or any other world country? Imagine yourself about to take a high-level job with the Federal government when the news came on about the Saturday Night Massacre. Carla Hills takes us on a journey through her very interesting life, working directly with several United States Presidents. Carla A. Hills is a high-profile, powerful woman, having been U.S. Trade Ambassador under President Bush Senior and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary under President Ford, the first woman to serve in that position and the third woman cabinet member. She also served as Assistant Attorney General in the Civil division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Ambassador Hills is now the chairman, and CEO of Hills and Company, specializing in international strategy and trade consultants. The firm provides advice to US business on investment, trade, and risk assessment issues abroad, particularly in emerging market economies.
Bruno Fulda is a Frenchman who is determined to bring real change on a global scale. He believes in regulated capitalism’s interface with climate change and why fighting poverty and inequality are some of the most important issues today. He discusses how sustainable development will address some of the global major problems. He is a fellow in the American Academy of Housing which he got interested in after meeting the founder Mr. Kent Watkins. Bruno is a Member of the High Council for Environment and Sustainable Development of France, which advises the French government on Ecology, Energy, Transportation, Sustainable Development, Climate, and Biodiversity. A French civil servant with financial, legal, and technical background, Mr. Fulda has had responsibilities in the fields of public affairs as well as the private sector. He started his career in line with his passion for aviation as an advisor to French Transport Ministers and then the chief economist and planner of an airline and is a pilot himself today.
Judith Hermanson, President and CEO of IHC Global, brings a Smart City. Just City initiative to increase inclusiveness and equity in cities across the globe. The Smart City. Just City. Initiative will develop and advance a policy framework that uses smart city techniques to attain a just city vision of an equitable, inclusive, and participatory urban reality. Having worked in 50+ countries, she knows the challenges ahead but is convinced it can and must be done.
Shel Schreiberg considers himself very lucky for not experiencing any challenges during his career in the affordable housing sector. He is also very modest in all the projects he and his team members contributed to bringing to fruition. He believes in the power of tax credits in ensuring and sustaining affordable housing for the past several years when public housing development has been nonexistent. Shel Schreiberg is a nationally recognized expert on affordable housing and works primarily in the lending, tax, housing, real estate, and policy development areas.
Meet John H. (“Jack”) Sullivan – if it’s part of his passion – watch out! If he wants something enough, he’ll fight for it until he gets it! He tells about his activism in many arenas – internationally in 65 countries, as head of USAID’s Bureau for Asia and Pacific, in the Green Revolution, in family planning, and even in water outflow in his own city. In 1978 he was awarded USAID’s Superior Honor Award for “outstanding leadership in the areas of equal opportunity and affirmative action,” for his appointment of women and minorities to executive positions.
Marcia Blum is a retired social worker and mental health therapist whose professional career included pioneering open adoption, hospice care and grief programs. She has worked in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. She has been in the front lines of hospitals, adoption agencies, state legislatures, universities, and hospice agencies. She is a certified yoga instructor who regularly practices yoga and mindfulness. Currently she advocates against sex trafficking and is active in a Tri-Faith community, a unique collaboration of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. She provides a great description of open adoptions.
Stockton Williams is Executive Director of the National Council of State Housing Agencies. NCSHA’s state housing finance agency members have delivered nearly $500 billion in financing to make possible the purchase, development, and rehabilitation of more than 7 million affordable homes for low- and moderate-income households. He feels there will be a rise in delinquency and defaults in the housing sector and a stress in the viability of the existing affordable housing stock. He stresses the need for innovation in housing.
Malcolm ‘Mike’ Peabody’s life has been founded on giving people the freedom of choice. He is known as the man who reinvented Public Housing. Working for HUD Secretary George Romney, Malcolm Peabody helped launch the creation of Housing Choice Vouchers, one of the few anti-poverty programs with enduring bipartisan support. Listen as he tells stories of the Peabodys and how they impacted civil rights. Also hear his championing of charter schools.
Joyce Cowin of New York City is a 90-year-old Fellow of the Academy going on 55. She never ceases to amaze those around her with her activities and achievements. Her last 40 years have been mainly spent as a sparkplug on various boards and philanthropic ventures, through the Joyce and Daniel Cowin Foundation that includes funding New York Historical Society's Center for Women's History, Columbia University Teachers College's Cowin Financial Literacy Institute, Heritage School and many other philanthropic endeavors.
Listen in to hear the wonderful history she and her late husband created both in their professional and personal lives. You will also hear her contribution to helping children and women be at a better place with education and professionally.
One of the best storytellers ever, the 97-year-old activitist has had a fascinating life! Dwight Ink's government career serving seven Presidents is magnificent! A farm boy who couldn't afford shoes ferreted out corruption in Fargo, changed government personnel policies still in effect today as civil service, and was kidnapped in the cocaine fields.
Dwight's management career spanned the Atomic Energy Commission, the newly formed HUD, the Office of Management and Budget, the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Community Services Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. This is a "MUST LISTEN."
James Loewen's gripping retelling of American history as it should, and could, be taught, Lies My Teacher Told Me, has sold more than 1,500,000 copies and continues to inspire K-16 teachers to get students to challenge, rather than memorize, their textbooks.
Jim Loewen taught race relations for twenty years at the University of Vermont. Previously he taught at predominantly black Tougaloo College in Mississippi. He now lives in Washington, D.C., continuing his research on how Americans remember their past.
Hear about sundown towns and their effects.
Lyn Burton is President and Executive Director of Affordable Housing Connections, a nonprofit organization that provides training and education services to owners, managers, and tenants of affordable rental housing developments and technical assistance, consulting, and compliance monitoring services to local, state and federal regulatory agencies.
Hear about her new endeavor with Hamlin University Graduate School of Business to design and teach a certificate program course in an affordable housing, targeted to prepare members of diverse populations for leadership within the industry.
Stanley Newman is interviewed by Nan McKay on Community TrailBlazers Podcast (https://trailblazersimpact.com/community-trailblazers/). Mr. Newman has had a distinguished career in local and federal government since coming to Washington as legislative assistant to Congressman William Fitts Ryan. He tells Nan about the program he directed which was one of the government’s largest economic development programs, the Urban Development Action Grant program (https://academic.oup.com/publius/article-abstract/19/3/93/1917525), including its positives and negatives. He recounts hearing Martin Luther King speak in Montgomery, Alabam, the civil rights act of 1964 anad 1965, and the redlining going on at FHA (https://www.thoughtco.com/redlining-definition-4157858). He also talks about the segregation of public housing (https://prospect.org/article/public-housing-government-sponsored-segregation/).
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Helen Dunlap contrasts policy at HUD in problem-solving and practice in 1993 to today. She feels the layers of complexities have grown exponentially. 25% of HUD's multifamily portfolio when she got to HUD was at risk for forclosure. She was at HUD during the creation of mark-to-market as an innovative solution at the time. She was included in a handful of people who created HUD's Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) which focused on property inspections. She applauds non-profits who exist to provide affordable housing, paying more attention to neighborhoods. She talks about being a voice for poor people as part of the Low-Income Housing Coalition.
Rod Solomon, a practicing attorney, has worked in the affordable housing and community development sectors for the last 4 decades as Deputy Assistant Secretary for HUD and for both Boston and Atlanta housing authorities. He explains why the Rental Assistance Demonstration program was established and how it is used by housing authorities.
Rod shares how he helped enact the Moving to Work demonstration program 24 years ago, its purpose, and how it has performed over the years.
Learn about Rod’s success stories working for housing authorities and the challenges he believes are facing affordable housing development today.
With his strong entrepreneurial spirit, James Hindman has spent most of his professional life leading companies, educating young people, and working towards helping others.
He has worked as a real estate developer, hospital administrator, founded companies, became an educator, and successfully ran nursing homes. Hear about James’ interesting stories on his entrepreneurial journey over the course of his career.
Listen in to hear how even at 85 years, James still feels the need to contribute to fulfilling other people’s dreams.
Arthur spent more than four decades practicing law in Washington DC where he was largely involved with housing clients and working for the Federal government.
He shares how he reviewed urban renewal plans when slums were being torn down and the land was being cleared and sold for redevelopment. He describes why the family high-rise housing project in New York failed in the 20th century.
Learn why Arthur’s greatest achievement was being able to recognize right from wrong in his career.
As an international studies major, Jane Katz came to Washington, D.C. with high ideals about the future. Yet like many who have had a non-linear career path, she found herself working in the housing arena, spending time at HUD and Fannie Mae.
Her background would turn out highly useful, as she rose to become director of international affairs and programs with Habitat for Humanity, where she manages the Global Housing Indicators Project. She’s worked at challenging governments to work on behalf of their citizens for better living conditions and housing opportunities. She describes her views current housing debates and where sound policies can make the difference.
John Koskinen's role as a fixer focused on dealing with a crisis without panicking the public. He has had a plethora of impactful jobs, most of them in the government and many in the role of rescuer. Listen to the behind-the-scenes work as the plane hit the pentagon in Washington DC during 911 and what happened during the anthrax scare. He describes communicating with no cell phones during crises. Listen to his description of Y2K global implementation. His stint as IRS Commissioner reveals a political challenge, a potential impeachment, and the identity theft problem. He describes his partipation in the U.S. Soccer Foundation and his impact on soccer in the inner city.
He had the ultimate rebuilding job when he became CEO of Freddie Mac during the 2008 financial crisis. In this role, he meticulously restructured operations and processes to help stabilize the government-backed company.
Get a first-hand account about the value of public service and how to make an impact at the highest levels of government. This is a long one, but a terrific history lesson!
John Weicher is a senior Fellow and Director of the Hudson Institute. He also is a sought-after expert in housing policy and economics. He served four years as assistant secretary for housing and federal housing commissioner at HUD, with a strong record of regulatory reform and safeguarding programs like FHA financing. During his tenure he oversaw a staff of thousands and over half a trillion dollars in mortgage insurance.
In this episode he offers his breadth of experience to discuss trending issues in the housing and real estate markets and surveys the key accomplishments from his career. As the author of 14 books and numerous scholarly articles, Weicher provides an academic’s insights combined with the experience of someone who served in the halls of government. Shop on our site for his latest book.
After 15 years at HUD, Marion Mollegen McFadden felt she could make a bigger impact outside of the government. She now leads the public policy team at Enterprise Community Partners, which supports innovative solutions to affordable housing, disaster relief, and empowering people with job skills.
Now outside of HUD, she has candid advice on the priorities and political will Washington should have. Not only should there be more money for HUD, but it needs to be a priority at the executive branch level. While that isn’t the case right now, there is hope to be found in the private sector and state and local governments who are making major commitments to prioritizing affordable housing. Tune in for her sage advice on what the future of housing should hold.
Michael Bodaken knows it’s going to take serious innovation and creativity to turn around the nation's neglect of its affordable housing crisis. He’s worked directly on the issue for years, with a long tenure as head of the nonprofit National Housing Trust. Bodaken discusses why without sufficient housing supply and direct assistance, too many must struggle to compete in the same market as those with higher incomes. He strongly advocates for energy efficiency when rehabbing housing, as it lowers construction costs and the improved efficiency means lower utility rates and a lower rent payment. This should be part of many workable, bipartisan solutions like expanding vouchers and rehabilitation of housing stock.
Barbara Adams is an influential leader in Pennsylvania for her tireless efforts to implement housing projects, help reduce poverty, and advocate for social justice issues. She spent nearly 30 years at a Philadelphia-based law firm where she started as a summer intern and rose through the ranks to tackle complex housing projects that significantly improved the lives in her community.
Adams recounts her journey and discusses how to improve senior housing and the keys to tackling a poverty epidemic in Philadelphia. She also shares her work in clean energy, which she argues is essential for creating jobs and fighting poverty.
Bob Elliot has held significant roles in many of the critical decisions that shaped housing policy. He served as general counsel of HUD, a time he described as some of his most satisfying professionally, and later went on to found his own law firm.
In this episode he tells the story of a key Supreme Court decision he was directly involved in that helped desegregate public housing in Chicago, which was notorious for housing discrimnation. Listen to the background of how the Chicago Gautreaux decision came about.
After starting his career as a journalist, Barry Zigas decided he wanted to do more than just report on policy — he wanted to help craft it. He has been a substantive voice for public housing, with leadership roles at many key agencies, notably leading efforts to create the Low Income Housing Tax Credit.
Zigas details why the proper supply of affordable housing often falls short, with funding regularly lacking to get “the train running at maximum efficiency.” While he credits private investment capital that has lifted the burden from public agencies and moved projects forward, funding needs to be more directed at increasing the supply, given that only one fourth of those eligible for Section 8 housing assistance receive it.
Harry Finger already had a distinguished career before he arrived at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1969. An aeronautical nuclear engineer, Finger was seminal in NASA’s pursuit of rocket propulsion technology for deep space missions to Mars and beyond.
After an “out of the blue” offer, he jumped abroad HUD. His work there was critical to building a strong foundation for the agency, rising to Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology. He offers a fascinating story from his time supporting World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps to innovative ideas in boosting affordable housing policy.
Sharon Wilson Geno was fresh out of law school and working for a firm when she realized it wasn’t the path she wanted. So she changed course, earning a graduate degree in urban studies and went to then went to work at shaping housing policy in her native St. Louis.
In discussing her journey, she details the patience and persistence in a major housing development around Washington, DC’s Nationals Park region, a neighborhood she lives that’s been transformed through smart housing goals and investments. Geno discusses what it takes to keep projects moving each day and ongoing growth areas in housing policy.
Larry Pearl spent nearly 40 years inside HUD and offers a first-hand account of how the agency battled discrimination, was forced to adapt to evolving political views, and at times struggled to achieve its mission. He offers a detailed retelling of his journey growing up in an all-white neighborhood in Philadelphia and later attending a more diverse college and connecting with friends’ and colleagues’ experiences of daily prejudices. His experiences attuned him to deep levels of discrimination in housing and how to be an ally in the long road to equality. Listen to his story of where progress has been made, what it took to fight those battles, and what lies ahead.
Local governments often know best when it comes to housing solutions for their community says says Rick Gentry, the president and CEO of the San Diego Housing Commission. He oversees a budget of over $40 million dedicated to helping families both find, and often keep, their housing. He argues that solutions must be tailored to the needs for each area, as San Diego issues may be different from other communities.
San Diego has been a model for tackling homelessness, with programs that focus finding housing as quickly as possible and intervening to keep others from being put out. It’s why he says flexibility, and understanding that one size doesn't fit all, are key to building housing crisis solutions.
Housing expert Chuck Edson knew just the moment when affordable housing would become a national issue — when people had to move in with their mother-in-law. Now it’s happening, as affordability has moved from the margins to the mainstream due to the lack of supply in many parts of the country.
Edson, a Georgetown Law lecturer and retired housing attorney, knows housing law inside and out from his decades of legal work and public service. He discusses how we went from public housing to subsidized private housing as the primary solution, the implications, and a future that must embrace multifamily housing and more creativity.
For Mayra Collazo, dance and the arts are vital for any culture. A lifelong performer and now professor of dance in Puerto Rico, she wants to expand opportunities for people to experience the arts. Her goal is a museum of dance history in Puerto Rico to teach and spread the cultural breadth of dance.
As a professor at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, she shares her experiences dancing for multiple companies and performing worldwide. Collazo believes access to the arts may foster healing in a community that has suffered through so much.
She discusses how she’s fighting to earn the political will for greater arts investment and how her long career in dance has shaped this passion.
Robert Embry has been a change agent in Baltimore, playing a pivotal role in shaping the area’s housing policy as Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development for Baltimore and as Assistant Secretary of HUD during the Carter administration.
In this podcast, he discusses controversies and successes in his native Baltimore and how to address wider housing issues, such as what housing policies must do to improve quality of life and create strategies that build a sustainable community. Hear why some of his work to help families change neighborhoods drew controversy, and what the future holds for driving upward mobility.
The future of housing must change, according to Conrad Egan. With 20 years of service to HUD and ongoing work with housing agencies in Northern Virginia, he points to communities that are embracing greater density to provide more housing at lower costs.
In particular, he urges millennials to take power with local governments and push back against resistance to new approaches and an outdated affinity for the single-family home. Egan cites communities like Minneapolis and his own Northern Virginia region as places that are taking new approaches, so those in the economic middle aren’t squeezed out of the opportunity for home ownership.
Kent Colton is a sought-after voice in housing policy. As president of the Colton Housing Group and senior research fellow at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, he has a sweeping knowledge of the long effort to ensure all Americans have adequate and fair housing. Learn about the Ivory Prize and many of the innovations in affordable housing currently coming to fruition.
In this episode he dives into the policy of the housing finance system, credit quality, the policy successes over the years, and the pitfalls unveiled by events like the great recession. Anyone who wants a deep understanding of the current housing issues and what the future holds will want to hear what Colton has to say.
Transportation policy is a path to understanding how U.S. cities were built and their role in shaping people’s lives. Emil Frankel has a distinguished career, serving as Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and now works an independent consultant.
In this podcast he weaves the history of rail and auto transit, and their influence on where cities sprung up and the downstream effects on how and where people lived. They weren’t always positive, as some housing projects warehoused families with little to no outdoor space. Learn more about current efforts at urban renewal and how governments still struggle to provide adequate housing for all.
Joe Schiff has been at the highest levels of HUD, responsible for housing millions of families and a continual voice for reforming the system. He deep dives into what is and isn’t working in public housing. He urges agencies to ‘take off the blinders’ and realize that excessive bureaucracy, duplication, and paperwork stifle efforts to help more people get housing.
Now the CEO of The Schiff Group, he consults for public housing authorities. In this interview offers rapidfire ideas for streamlining processes and building efficiency into housing initiatives. With housing still struggling to gain traction in the political arena, outside the box thinking is more essential than ever.
Joe Ventrone believes that HUD and federal housing policy need a radical realignment. After over 40 years of industry experience in the private sector, Congress, HUD, and federal agencies, he believes housing policy is in a ‘sorry state of affairs.’
He says HUD has outlived its usefulness in some ways, with too many policies dictates instead of flexibility for states and local officials to make their own decisions. Policy makers must focus on creating inventory, rethinking how rent control works, and creative solutions.
Despite the challenges, Ventrone shares insights from his long career, and has optimism about new ideas and bipartisanship taking coming out of the challenging environment in Washington.
William Gilmartin has led a life committed to public service. He spent over 44 years in Washington with the Army, Congressional offices, and reaching the level of Assistant Secretary of Congress and Intergovernmental Relations for HUD under President Clinton.
He recounts the leaders who worked across the aisle to strengthen HUD and make every effort to help families with affordable housing. Over time he’s seen housing drop off the Congressional radar, lost in a dark cloud of partisanship that only seems to be growing. He details what must change and the heroes who are that are pushing to make affordable housing the priority it ought to be.
Ann Schnare is an expert in housing and mortgage finance, with 20 years as president of her own consulting firm. With a Harvard Ph.D in economics, she built a strong career in many sectors of the housing industry, including a senior VP role with Freddie Mac.
In her consulting and academic work she studied how discrimination led to the many structural issues in today’s housing market. Schnare also digs into how these challenges impact today’s market, where jobs are clustering in many cities that now face housing crises. Discrimination, income inequality, and automation are among the serious structural challenges that today’s leaders must tackle.
SHOP for her books on TrailBlazersImpact.com.
For too long, the issue wasn’t even on the national dialogue and inaction has only worsened the crisis.
Yet he’s optimistic about the new conversations amongst the current presidential candidates and the traction the issue is gaining with younger voters. Bozzuto gives his solutions to what must change to keep the crisis from deepening.
Elisabette Calero is known as the high priestess of culture in Puerto Rico. At 14 she joined the Boston Ballet, the launch for a storied career traveling the world as a ballerina. Her many experiences included teaching ballet to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
She wanted to bring the joy and culture of dance to Puerto Rico. Calero brought in top teachers so anyone could learn dance, enhancing many lives with culture, joy, and new ways of expression. She formed an unlikely alliance with housing expert Kent Watkins to connect culture and housing to grow community wellbeing.
Dance is a unique healer. Giving someone a sense of place, community, and expression can develop potential and transform lives.
Marshall Kaplan gives an excellent first-hand account of HUD's evolution and expectations and its ability to meet them. He discusses the difficulties of HUD's role as a lead agency, how close we came to an income support program, program maturity in light of administration changes, meddling as a policy device, the effect of partisan politics, guns vs. butter in funding, the research efforts, the effect of targeting, HUD's ongoing conflict between people and places, and the US's missed opportunity to solve integration issues.
Monica Sussman has been on both sides of the affordable housing sector, serving as a deputy general counsel with HUD and currently practicing at a law firm focused on affordable housing policy.
She offers keen insights into what is holding back much of the badly needed affordable housing funding and construction. Sussman details how rising income inequality, neglected infrastructure needs, and excessive turnover at HUD fuel the challenges.
She offers hope that young people will rise up to tackle these challenges, work hard, and not be discouraged by the seemingly huge odds against them. Sussman shares how she molded and evolved her career to drive change forward, and hopes others will also have the same vision.
David is a self-taught pioneer in affordable housing, building two successful companies including the Affordable Housing Institute which has worked in over 65 countries, with partners including World Bank, USAID, the Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. His financing of housing in India and many other countries has provided stability and quality in the home, providing women with home-businesses with disposible income to make a better life for their families. His answer to any affordable housing question is, "Sure! I can do that!"
He feels we need to create value in the sky. His vision of changes needed for the future to supply affordable housing include transportation, more highrises in urban areas, zoning and infrastructure. As the family composition changes and technology revolutionizes home construction and home use, the physical and financial structure of housing needs to change.
Building housing in New York isn’t easy. There’s lots of red tape and high housing costs, but none of that detracted Carol Lamberg from pushing through projects that later when on to flourish.
As a longtime housing advocate, she spearheaded thousands of units in the New York area that are models for long-term success. These included buildings that accepted people from all income levels, breaking down social barriers and creating a sense of community. Many of these projects were burned-out buildings in The Bronx, rescued and revitalized from a history of arson and abandonment.
For Lamberg, creating housing is just the start. She shares how maintaining buildings well, investing in resources like community centers, and finding the right tenants help turn a building into a community.
After 36 years in the affordable housing industry, Bob Moss has a clear vision for what must change.
He discusses that to meet the myriad of needs in housing, the U.S. needs to be more creative about finding sufficient labor and cutting construction costs. As National Director of Governmental Affairs for tax and advisory firm CohnReznick, he pushes the industry to embrace new, innovative ideas.
Look to Europe, he says, where modular and stackable housing is becoming popular. At home, we should rethink the goal of sending everyone to college after high school — many could avoid debt and learn a successful trade in the housing industry. More housing should be built near transportation hubs for better convenience. The solutions are out there, he says, we must embrace and implement new solutions.
John Mcllwain has been on the ground floor of the country’s affordable housing movement, becoming a trusted voice on Capitol Hill for his deep expertise.
Mcllwain closed the first Section 8 deal in the U.S., worked for HUD, performed industry-respected policy research, and invested in affordable projects. From this vantage point he explains the state of housing challenges and how they are interconnected with other challenges: the ballooning federal budget, climate change, and transportation. Many people with middle incomes are squeezed, not qualifying for affordable programs, not earning enough for market-rate housing.
Getting the public’s attention and fighting for government funding are enormous challenges, yet his voice is one that must be heard.
Housing expert Denise Muha is a sought after expert in Washington for her insight on affordable housing policy. As Executive Director of the National Leased Housing Association, she regularly advocates and advises Congress and HUD on public housing’s benefits to families and communities. In this episode she outlines the affordable housing policy trends arising in a challenging political environment, and how she educates a new generation of policy advocates entering the field.
Kent Watkins and Nan McKay reflect on their decades of work in the affordable housing industry and analyze the many challenges on the horizon. They discuss their reasons for collaborating on this historic podcast on housing and communities.
McKay started working in the field in 1963 with various housing authorities before launching her own firm in 1980. Watkins began at the nascent HUD, and has since become a major voice for industry advocacy. He is the founder and chairman of the American Academy of Housing and Communities.
They discuss a forthcoming crisis when it comes to affordable housing — the current inventory is aging fast and the issue isn’t receiving enough attention in public policy discussions. Land is sparse, and many continue to struggle with affordability given heavy amounts of student loan debt. Solutions must come fast, but they’ll take political will to happen. Listen in to find out what needs to change.