Affordable Housing Podcast

Deciphering the proposed 2011 HUD budget with Paul Weech

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:18:47 -0800

The proposed FY2011 Obama Administration's budget include strengthening the housing market, meeting affordable RENTAL housing needs, improving quality of life, continuing the Choice Neighborhood’s Initiative, and transforming the way HUD does business. Paul Weech, Senior Vice President for Policy, at the Housing Partnership Network and Stewards of Affordable Housing joins Joanne Greene of the Affordable Housing Podcast to help decipher what the new budget has in store for affordable housing advocates and nonprofit developers like Eden Housing. Paul is a federal housing policy advocate with more than 25 yrs of experience in housing & financial services. He was a consultant for Innovative Housing Strategies, served as VP for mission strategy & execution at Fannie Mae, chief of staff at the Small Business Administration, & staff director for the Subcommittee on Housing & Community Development for the Senate committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. For more information on the budget go to http://www.budget.gov or http://www.hud.gov

The Affordable Housing Podcast is a production of Eden Housing

Success Starts at Home

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:38:58 -0800

The American Dream as defined by Chinese immigrant Bailin Zheng consists of educating your children and having your own home. Scholarships have enabled Miriam Torres to graduate college and contribute enough for her family live in a safe environment. 94 year old Josephine Lopez believes that affordable housing has been a blessing to help her maintain independence.

These are a few of the Eden Housing residents you'll meet in this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast.

The success of Eden Housing would not be possible without the tireless efforts and generous contributions of our supporters. Please consider an annual gift to help us continue to improve the lives of countless people in need who seek nothing more than a safe home and a better life for themselves and their families. http://EdenHousing.org

HUD Multifamily Programs with Deputy Assistant Secretary Carol Galante

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:55:11 -0800

We are pleased this month to bring you an interview with Carol Galante, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Carol is also the former President and CEO of BRIDGE Housing and served as the second Executive Director of Eden Housing from 1982 to 1987. In this edition of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Carol talks about the Obama Administration’s efforts to promote and preserve affordable housing, the improvement of existing programs and new programs on the horizon.

The Affordable Housing Podcast is a production of Eden Housing

Promoting healthy, energy- and resource-efficient building practices

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:13:07 -0700

Bruce Mast, Program Director for Build It Green joins host Joanne Greene to talk about this membership supported, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting healthy, energy and resource-efficient building practices in California and beyond.

The Affordable Housing Podcast is a production of Eden Housing

Affordable housing for moderate income workers with Janine Cuneo

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:58:58 -0700

Affordable housing for moderate income workers, including teachers, nurses, firefighters, government workers and police officers affects about 40% of the population in high cost cities like Washington D.C, Boston, and San Francisco. Janine Cuneo, VP of Urban Land Institute Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing discusses their research on the relationship between the transportation costs and housing in the Washington DC area. They invite you to try the Terwilliger Housing + Transportation Calculator, which is a new tool designed to calculate combined housing and transportation costs in the greater Washington, D.C. region.

The California deficit impact on Redevelopment Agencies

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:09:19 -0700

California's Redevelopment Agencies quietly and effectively revitalize neighborhoods and are a vital tool for creating thousands of affordable housing units in California. Redevelopment Agencies stand to lose more than $2 billion over the next two years under the latest state budget. Host Joanne Greene talks to John Shirey, Executive Director of the California Redevelopment Association about the long term impact of these budget cuts on California's residents and communities.

Homeless Count 2009. Promising survey results over 2007 numbers

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:50:35 -0700

Elaine de Coligny, Executive Director of EveryOneHome shares the results of the 2009 Homeless Count for Alameda County with Joanne Greene. 200 volunteers surveyed over 1,200 individuals in January to update local data on how many people and the characteristics of those who are homeless and at-risk of homelessness. Their findings also examine housing situations ranging from on the streets, in shelters, at imminent risk of eviction, staying with friends or relatives on a temporary basis, and in permanent housing using local safety net services.

The impact of affordable housing on the well being of children and frail elderly

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:14:35 -0700

The negative impact of substandard housing on children and the frail elderly is tremendous. On the is episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, Joanne Greene speaks with Dr. Sandra Newman, Director and Professor of Policy Studies at John Hopkins University about her research on affordable housing and its impact on these two important elements of society.

Creating Energy Efficient Buildings through Stimulus Package with Dvora Lovinger

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:43:38 -0700

The federal economic recovery bill, also known as the Stimulus Package, provides unprecedented funding for building energy retrofits. On this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, Joanne Greene speaks with Dvora Lovinger, Senior Director of Government Affairs for Enterprise Community Partners, about the specific programs that will help to rehabilitate public housing units, provide grants or loans to owners of "HUD-assisted" housing, help low income homeowners to weatherize their homes, and more.

How Banks Help Customers Facing Foreclosure

Mon, 18 May 2009 15:43:36 -0700

Partnerships are key to the development of affordable housing and lenders like Wells Fargo Bank play an indispensable role in insuring that projects are completed and services are provided to residents. These days, banks also play an important role in helping customers to understand their options when they're unable to make payments on their mortgage loans. In this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, host Joanne Greene speaks with Eden Housing Board member Tim Silva, Senior Vice President and Regional Director of Community Development for Wells Fargo Bank, who explains what the bank is doing to assist customers in avoiding foreclosure.

Stimulus Money for Broadband Access

Mon, 04 May 2009 09:56:36 -0700

Internet access and computer education are key components to the services provided to residents of affordable housing developments. In this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, Joanne Greene speaks with Alan Greenlee, Vice President of One Economy California, an organization that helps to provide broadband access to low income individuals and other underserved populations. Alan speaks about the funds allocated to broadband in the federal economic stimulus package approved by Congress.

Lessons from the Housing Crisis

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:42:14 -0700

There's much to be learned from the current housing crisis, according to Wellesley College Economist Karl Case. In this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, he and host Joanne Greene discuss how we can move forward and take advantage of some of what's happened to create more affordable housing. Case say the primary lessons are that markets don't solve all problems, housing prices don't always go up, and the use of leverage must be controlled.

"America's Youngest Outcasts" - Report on Child Homelessness

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:59:20 -0700

California ranks 48th in the new state report card on child homelessness, "America's Youngest Outcasts". In this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, Joanne Greene speaks with Ellen Bassuk, president of the National Council on Family Homelessness, about the new study, how homelessness impacts children adversely, and what is being done throughout the country to address this growing problem, particularly in view of the increased number of home foreclosures.

Impact of Economy on SF Bay Area Real Estate

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:24:45 -0700

Though credit has been extremely tight, there has been plenty of activity of late in the San Francisco Bay Area real estate market. In this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, Joanne Greene speaks with David Stark, Public Affairs Director for the Bay East Association of Realtors, a trade association serving over 5000 real estate professionals throughout the Bay Area. With a special focus on central and southern Alameda County, Stark assesses the market, what we can anticipate in the months to come, and the impact of foreclosures on the sale of homes.

Fannie / Freddie Foreclosure Relief Plan

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:45:47 -0700

Details of President Obama's foreclosure relief plan have been announced and on this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, George Duarte, Vice Chairman of the California Association of Mortgage Brokers, explains how the plan will assist some homeowners in avoiding foreclosure. From his vantage point as both a mortgage and real estate broker, Duarte offers an assessment of where we are in the credit crunch and how things are moving.

Foreclosures: Local Impact/Local Strategies

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:18:45 -0800

There's much that can be done on the county and city level to aid those who face foreclosure. In this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia talks about counseling to help residents to maintain their homes as well as efforts to deal with the numerous homes that have been lost in the crisis and are now empty. Supervisor Gioia addresses short term as well as long term solutions to the problem and shares his optimism that things will improve in the new presidential administration.

The impact of affordable housing on children's health

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:07:39 -0800

In her work leading the Child Health Impact Assessment Working Group, Dr. Lauren Smith, Medical Director of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, has uncovered many links between safe, appropriate affordable housing and children's health. In this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, Dr. Smith explains the ways in which children's health suffers when they're denied stable housing and how connecting the dots will hopefully inform policy to improve access to acceptable affordable housing for low income families.

Affordable Housing in the Economic Stimulus package

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:20:00 -0800

Substantial investment in affordable housing constitutes economic stimulus that would create not only housing but jobs. In California alone, there are more than 32,000 shovel ready affordable homes that could be started this year, leading to the creation of an estimated 37,000 badly needed jobs. Matt Schwartz, President of the California Housing Partnership Corporation, explains the provisions in the stimulus package that would be most beneficial for affordable housing and asks all advocates to contact their representatives and senators as soon as possible to ask that these funding measures be included.

Destination: Home - Efforts to End Homelessness

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:22:42 -0800

While an increasing number of families face foreclosure, Santa Clara County's Blue Ribbon Commission to End Homelessness is doing all it can to provide coordinated services to get people into transitional and permanent housing. Santa Clara County Supervisor Don Gage describes how they've made significant progress is getting access to free transportation for homeless community members, lowering the turnaround time for getting food stamps, and providing job counseling and assistance. Visit destinationhome.ning.com to learn more.

Strategies for ending affordable housing crisis

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:25:35 -0800

In an effort to end America's affordable housing crisis, the National Low Income Housing Coalition has set an ambitious goal: to build, rehabilitate and preserve 1.5 million affordable rental units. Its president, Sheila Crowley, shares the history of the affordable housing crisis in America, her perspective on the progress made in addressing the problem, and ways in which her organization plans to help the incoming Obama administration develop housing trust fund regulations and protect Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as initial sources of funding.

Andre Shashaty, Founder and 15 year editor, Affordable Housing Finance

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:31:01 -0800

The subprime and foreclosure crises are clues to the deep-rooted housing crisis that has plagued our nation for decades. In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Andre Shashaty, founder and editor for 15 years of Affordable Housing Finance, shares the advice given to the Obama administration about housing and HUD, the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. Shashaty concludes that HUD needs to be made a much higher priority and be overhauled in order to address fundamental issues. He addresses the Low Income Tax Credit program and the need for more rental and affordable housing in the U.S.

Help for Homeowners Fearing Foreclosure

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:39:49 -0800

With proper guidance and assistance, many homeowners can avoid foreclosure even when all signs point to losing their homes. Ken Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America, supports a network of more than 240 affordable housing and community development organizations serving over 4,000 communities. In this podcast episode, he addresses the state of the housing crisis in the U.S. and what's being done, with the help of $4 million in grants from HUD, to help existing and prospective homeowners understand the mine fields and navigate their way through to successful home ownership.

Dianne Spaulding, Executive Director Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:50:06 -0800

One of the major policy tools to address the affordable housing crisis is inclusionary housing, also called inclusionary zoning. These ordinances require or encourage market rate developers to include a percentage of homes in their projects - often 10-20% - that will be affordable to low and moderate income households.On this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, Joanne speaks with Dianne J. Spauling, Executive Director of the NonProfit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH), about the history of inclusionary housing, what works and what doesn't, and how it is helping to increase the supply of affordable housing in California.

Foreclosure Impact and Permanent Funding with Lynne Jacobs, Dir., CA Housing & Community Develop.

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:51:20 -0700

Prior to the current foreclosure crisis, countless working Californians were not earning enough money to afford decent housing. While Proposition 1C created bonds to fund affordable housing, that money will run out. Lynne Jacobs, Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development, discusses efforts to secure a permanent source of funding on this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast. Once a permanent funding source is in place, housing advocates won't have to return to the voters every few years to make their case. In conversation with host Joanne Greene, Jacobs also describes the successful programs currently funded through Proposition 1C and administered by the State.

Transit Based Development with James Corless, Senior Planner with the Metropolitan Transit Commission

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:55:04 -0700

Those who build and manage affordable housing developments for low income families, seniors, and adults with disabilities prioritize locating this housing near good public transit. In the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) studies, develops and finances transit systems and is a key player in advocating for the development of transit-based housing. On this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, MTC Senior Planner James Corless describes how the Bay Area's transit systems stack up against other areas around the country, how those systems can be improved, and what's being done to encourage transit-based affordable housing development. He and host, Joanne Greene, also discuss the upcoming Rail Volution conference, October 26-30, 2008 in San Francisco.

Government Funding with California State Assembly Member Alberto Torrico

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:51:30 -0700

With a pervasive budget crisis in the state of California filtering down to the counties and cities, it's hard to be hopeful about the continued funding of affordable housing projects. Yet state Assembly member Alberto Torrico is very optimistic. In this episode of the "Affordable Housing" podcast, Torrico proposes an alternative method to secure a continuous flow of funding that would involve a flat fee on all real estate transactions in the state. Torrico authored a bill that was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger last year that defers fees for developments where at least 49% of the units are low or very low income housing. Deferring these fees improves the feasibility of affordable housing projects by reducing the amount of money the develop must borrow during construction.

Green Building with Eden Housing Senior Project Developer Katie Lamont

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:09:58 -0700

In the eight years that Senior Project Developer Katie Lamont has been developing affordable housing in California, environmental responsibility has been at the forefront of priorities. The challenge is that building "green" is often more expensive and funders want to stretch their investment dollars as far as possible. On all projects developed by Eden Housing, certain measures are a given - double pane windows are installed, for instance, and faucets, toilets and shower heads conserve water. While energy efficiency is a prime concern, indoor air quality is equally important in building design. Learn what it takes to design cost effective, environmentally responsible affordable housing on this episode.

S.F. Bay Area Housing Crisis — Phase 1

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:26:17 -0700

Cultural journalist Carol Lloyd began writing her "Surreal Estate" column on the Bay Area housing crisis in the SF Chronicle during the dot.com bust. As she completed her final column recently and was interviewed for the "Affordable Housing" podcast, she spoke about the unique challenges faced by home buyers and renters in SF, how the local market is more resilient than in other areas, and why she anticipates a second phase of the housing crisis where building will be stalled and there will too little available housing.

Changes to the Tax Credit Program with Ronne Thielen, President of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:38:01 -0700

The new landmark federal legislation known as the Foreclosure Relief and Prevention Act includes major changes to the low-income tax credit program that fuels affordable housing. On this episode, Ronne Thielen, President of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition and Managing Director of Centerline Capital Corporation, explains the basics of the tax credit program, the changes that have now been passed, how the current financial market impacts tax credits, and how new provisions will make it easier to build and manage tax credit properties.

Bridging the Digital Divide with Sunne McPeak, President of CETF

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:16 -0700

Providing a roof and a stable home is step one. These days, affordable housing advocates are going beyond that and providing additional services to help residents improve their economic standing and broaden their options. As the former California State Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing, Sunne Wright McPeak is all too familiar with the challenges of affordable housing. In her current role as President and CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund, McPeak is leading an effort to bridge the digital divide and bring broadband access across all demographic groups in California in the next five years. In this episode of the "Affordable Housing Podcast", McPeak addresses programs, like Eden Housing's Digital Connectors, that teach residents in low income housing developments about computers and the Internet. She cites research that unequivocally demonstrates how teaching computer literacy to young people empowers their families to be able to take advantage of what our digital economy has to offer.

Funding Models with Carol Galante, President of Bridge Housing

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:04:11 -0700

Having co-chaired California's successful bond measure campaign which allocated $2.85B for affordable housing, Carol Galante, President of Bridge Housing, understands the need for a permanent funding source. In this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, Carol explains how the current model is complex and inefficient, with funding provided by multiple sources on a per project basis. She explores potential approaches for creating a permanent funding source including adding statewide recording fees when properties are sold and/or increasing the fees that local redevelopment agencies pay to the state.

Role of Business with Carl Guardino, President of SVLG

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:33:52 -0700

CEOs interested in preserving their workforce are motivated to impact public policy in the area of affordable housing. Carl Guardino, President of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, believes that business leaders can play a pivotal role both at the grass roots level and as well at raising funds that can support development. In this episode of the "Affordable Housing" podcast, Guardino talks about how important an available housing pool is to the business community and how various strategies are developed to help projects receive approval. He speaks, about the Housing Leadership Council and the first ever volunteer funded Housing Trust Fund, which has amassed $30 million of funds for home ownership, affordable rentals, and housing for the homeless.

A Developer's Perspective with Rick Holliday, President of Holliday Development

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:20:17 -0700

Affordable housing has come a long way since the late 1970's when Rick Holliday served as the first paid Executive Director of Eden Housing. These days, he's a successful for-profit developer in the San Francisco region, well respected for bringing NY style lofts to the Bay Area. In this episode, Rick discusses the evolution of affordable housing and the kinds of partnerships that are necessary to fund and build developments that provide low income and workforce housing. He talks about the unique role of non-profit organizations and how they interface with government agencies. Finally, Rick addresses the role of for-profit developers now and moving forward in supporting the growth and sustainability of affordable housing.

Activist Roots with Eden Housing Board member William Vandenburgh

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:42:38 -0700

The roots of the affordable housing movement, at least in the San Francisco Bay Area, are found in activist circles. Back in the 1960's a group of ministers and concerned lay people gathered to see what they could do to protect low income families from being victimized by housing discrimination. They embarked on a few projects, hiring minority contractors to renovate homes and then helped a few families to purchase those homes. It was a bold experiment that paved the way for Eden Housing to accomplish much in its first forty years. In this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, William Vandenburgh, a current and original board member of Eden Housing, describes the roots of the movement and what the issues are that currently need attention.

Affordable Housing and the Subprime Crisis with Linda Mandolini, Eden Housing E.D.

Tue, 20 May 2008 13:07:33 -0700

Even in a booming economy, there are many who fall through the cracks and need assistance in procuring appropriate, affordable housing. In this inaugural episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, brought to you by Eden Housing, Eden's Executive Director, Linda Mandolini, describes why such housing is critically important, who is eligible, and how the recent subprime mortgage crisis is impacting the industry. Home ownership clearly isn't for everyone and it's important for people to be financially literate so that they won't fall prey to unrealistic loan products and those who sell them. Part of what Eden and other affordable housing nonprofits do is to counsel tenants and provide a range of support services to help people enhance their lives and increase their options for success.