Affordable Housing Podcast Presented by NALHFA

Episode 20: Shawn McKenna, ProLink Solutions by Affordable Housing Podcast Presented by NALHFA

In this episode, Katelynn Harris speaks with David Dworkin, President and CEO of the National Housing Conference. Their conversation includes a history of the Community Reinvestment Act and a discussion on the proposed modernization of this important policy.

In this episode, Jonathan Paine speaks with Robert Dietz, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for the National Association of Home Builders. Their conversation includes a look back at 2019 economic trends, projections for 2020, and how interests rates could affect the housing market and home affordability. Dr. Robert Dietz is Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Economics and Housing Policy for the National Association of Home Builders, where his responsibilities include housing market analysis, economic forecasting and industry surveys, and housing policy research. He has published academic research on the benefits of homeownership, federal tax policy, and other housing issues, and has testified before Congress on real estate policy issues. He is often cited on housing and economic issues in the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and other media sources. Prior to joining NAHB in 2005, Robert worked as an economist for the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, where he was the committee’s real estate expert. He is a native of Dayton, Ohio and earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the Ohio State University.

In this episode, Katelynn Harris speaks with Taí Coates, Campaign Media Organizer, and Moha Thakur, Public Engagement and Policy Associate, from the National Housing Trust about the "Where Will We Live" campaign. Their conversation includes everything you need to know about the campaign, including why it started, what they hope to accomplish, and where you can find campaign resources. Learn more about NHT's "Where Will We Live" campaign at nationalhousingtrust.org/where-will-we-live

In this episode, Katelynn Harris speaks with Noëlle Porter, Director of Government Affairs for the National Housing Law Project, about the Disparate Impact rule. Katelynn and Noëlle's conversation includes the history of the Disparate Impact rule, the potential effects of the new proposed rule, and the grassroots activity in response to the proposed rule.

In this episode, Jonathan Paine talks to Eric Enderlin, President of New York City Housing Development Corporation, about the ADC Genesis Year 15 Resyndication project, which was awarded the Redevelopment Excellence award at the 2019 NALHFA Annual Conference. Eric shared details about the creativity involved in financing the project, the community response to the project, and the diverse group of public and private partners that came together to make the ADC Genesis Year 15 Resyndication project possible.

In this episode, Katelynn Harris speaks with Carley Ruff, Director of State and Local Relations for Habitat for Humanity International, about the Cost of Home campaign, Habitat for Humanity's first national advocacy campaign, launched earlier this year. Katelynn and Carley's conversation includes the goals of the campaign, recent successes in communities around the country, and what local housing finance agencies are able to do to participate.

In this episode, Jonathan Paine talks to Mandy DeMayo, Community Development Administrator for the City of Austin Neighborhood Housing and Community Development, about Aldrich 51, which was awarded the Multifamily Excellence award at the 2019 NALHFA Annual Conference. Mandy shared how the project is the result of a citizen-driven effort to redevelopment the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport and is an example of an innovative partnership between Austin Housing Finance Corporation and DMA Development Company.

In this episode, Katelynn Harris speaks with author P.E. Moskowitz about their 2017 book, How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality and the Fight for the Neighborhood. Katelynn and P.E. discuss the research that went into the book, the factors that lead to gentrification, and what cities can do to protect their residents from displacement.

In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Jonathan Paine talks to Julie Collins, Housing Development Coordinator at Allegheny County Residential Finance Authority, about Forest Hills Veterans Housing, which was awarded the HOME Excellence award at the 2019 NALHFA Annual Conference. Julie is joined by Ron Ciotti, Senior Housing Developer at ACTION-Housing, and Allyson Holtz, Executive Director of Operation Valor Arts, to discuss how the project was developed and the many ways it will support veterans and seniors in the community.

In this episode, Katelynn Harris is joined by Jim Brooks and Mike Wallace, primary authors of the National League of Cities' recently released housing report titled Homeward Bound: The Road to Affordable Housing. Jim and Mike talk about the Housing Task Force that oversaw the report, housing innovations from cities across the country, and policy recommendations for the federal, state, and local levels to address the affordable housing crisis.

In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Kathryn Driver, Executive Director of the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County, joins Jonathan Paine to discuss the Palms of Pinellas, which was awarded the Multifamily Excellence award at the 2019 NALHFA Annual Conference. Kathryn describes how public and private organizations came together to provide much needed affordable workforce housing in Pinellas County.

In this episode, Rachel Reilly, Director of Impact Strategy for the Economic Innovation Group (EIG), joins NALHFA's Policy Director Katelynn Harris to discuss Opportunity Zones. Rachel brings insight from the front lines of economic development and shares how communities across the country are using innovative financing and impact investing to address local needs.

In this episode, Emily Cadik, Executive Director of The Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, joins NALHFA Policy Director Katelynn Harris to discuss the recently introduced Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA). Emily shares details about the key provisions of the AHCIA, the impact the bill would have on affordable housing production, and tips for NALHFA members when advocating for the bill.

The sixth episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast is now available. In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Rhonda Mitchell, Single Family Program Manager with Southeast Texas Housing Finance Corporation, discusses the SETH/Freddie Mac Lender Training Webinar Series, which was awarded the Single-Family Excellence award at the 2019 NALHFA Annual Conference. Rhonda describes how the webinar series leveraged key partnerships to fill a critical need in Texas, and shares how HFAs around the country can adopt the model to their community.

In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, real estate expert John Burns discusses trends in the homebuilding industry and his insightful analysis will help NALHFA members understand recent changes and know what to expect from the market moving forward. John is the founder and CEO of John Burns Real Estate Consulting, which he started to help business executives make informed industry investment decisions. He is also the co-author of the best-selling book Big Shifts Ahead: Demographic Clarity for Businesses.

In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Elizabeth Strojan, Vice President of Government Affairs at New York City Housing Development Corporation and Chair of NALHFA's Legislative Committee, discusses strategies for engaging Members of Congress and advocating for affordable housing programs. Whether you are new to affordable housing advocacy or a seasoned expert, Elizabeth offers helpful advice to make sure your voice is heard. April 22 marks the beginning of National Community Development Week, which is an opportunity to educate your local community and elected leaders on the importance of affordable housing programs such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships programs.

In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Darryl Lewis, Managing Director at Trio, talks about Trio's unique lease-to-own programs. For families who are on the threshold of qualifying for home financing options, Trio's programs provide an opportunity to build equity to use toward a down payment when they are ready to buy. With a variety of homeownership counseling options, Darryl discusses what makes Trio special and how Trio can partner with NALHFA members to increase access to homeownership.

In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Diane Arvizo, Director of Homebuyer Services for the Nevada Rural Housing Authority (NRHA), talks about NRHA’s award winning Home At Last program. The Home At Last program uses innovative ideas to connect Nevadans with affordable, safe and comfortable housing solutions that are right for them. Through this program they provide everything from homebuyer education to pet adoption assistance. Their mission is to promote, provide and finance affordable housing opportunities for all rural Nevadans – and it’s at the heart of everything they do!

On this first episode of the NALHFA Affordable Housing Podcast, NALHFA Policy Director, Heather Voorman is joined by longtime member Norm McLoughlin of McLoughlin & Associates for a discussion on the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program. NMTC is a program of the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund and incentivizes community development through the use of tax credits to attract private investment to distressed communities. Tune in to learn how this underutilized resource can be used for a number of development projects including affordable housing. The NALHFA Affordable Housing Podcast highlights new and innovative affordable housing finance solutions by bringing together the nation’s leading housing finance experts, thought leaders, and decision makers. There is no city, county, or state in the entire country where a minimum wage worker can find safe and acceptable affordable housing options. The affordable housing crisis has led to the shortage of over 7.2 million affordable rental homes available to low income families. NALHFA’s Affordable Housing Podcast will explore the reasons behind the housing crisis and how the industry can unite together to discover creative solutions to provide more affordable housing options across the country.