Smarter Podcasts

“A safe, decent, affordable home is like a vaccine — it literally keeps children healthy,” says Dr. Megan Sandel, Co-Principal Investigator at Children’s Health Watch; Associate Professor of Pediatrics & Public Health at Boston University Schools for Medicine and Public Health; and Medical Director of the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership. In this month’s episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Dr. Sandel joins host Joanne Greene in a lively and informative discussion on the impacts of what Dr. Sandel calls “housing insecurity”– overcrowded conditions, frequent moves, unsafe or unsanitary conditions, and inability to keep up with rents–on the health of children, particularly those between the ages of zero and three.

RESOURCES

* Listen to this and prior episodes of the Affordable Housing Podcast at EdenHousing.org
* For additional information on this topic, visit:
* ChildrensHealthwatch.org
* Medical-LegalPartnership.org
* Free subscriptions to the monthly Affordable Housing Podcast are available in iTunes

Jennifer Peck, founding member and Executive Director of the Oakland, CA based Partnership for Children & Youth joins Affordable Housing Podcast host Joanne Greene to discuss this organization’s services and accomplishments that started in 1997. Their primary goal is to connect schools and their community partners in underserved Bay Area communities with available public and private resources. They’re also committed to improving the effectiveness of funding streams and services for low-income children so that all children have the learning, health and social support they need to succeed in school and in life.

RESOURCES
* Listen to this and prior episodes of the Affordable Housing Podcast on Eden Housing’s website.
* For more information on Partnership for Children & Youth, please visit PartnerForChildren.org.
* For resources on back to school services you may also visit SummerMatters2You.net
* Free subscriptions to the monthly Affordable Housing Podcast are available on iTunes

Larry Minnix, President and CEO of Leading Age, a Washington, D.C. based association dedicated to making America a better place to grow old. LeadingAge focuses on advocacy, education and applied research, promoting adult day services, home health, hospice, community-based services, and Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, known as PAC. Host Joanne Greene invites Larry to discuss their work on senior housing, assisted living, continuing care communities, & nursing homes as well as technology solutions and practices that support the health and well-being of seniors, children and those with special needs.
LeadingAge members comprise 6,000 not-for-profit organizations, 39 state partners, hundreds of businesses, research partners, consumer organizations, foundations and a broad global network of aging services organizations that reach more than 30 countries.
Eden Housing has promoted senior housing and aging in place throughout its history.

RESOURCES
* Listen to this and prior episodes of the Affordable Housing Podcast on Eden Housing’s website.
* For more information on Leading Age, please visit LeadingAge.org.
* Free subscriptions to the monthly Affordable Housing Podcast are available on iTunes

Dianne Spaulding, Executive Director of the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH) returns to discuss the challenges and opportunities of inclusionary housing in California. Creatively implemented by cities and counties throughout the Country, inclusionary housing policies are an innovative solution to fund the development of greatly needed affordable housing for lower-income residents. These policies, tailored by local jurisdictions to meet their unique community needs, require developers to offer lower-priced units in otherwise market-rate developments, or encourage their inclusion through incentives.

NPH has gained a national reputation for many of its capacity building initiatives including the areas of technical assistance and training, inclusionary zoning, housing element campaigns, community acceptance strategies planning and other groundbreaking approaches to boosting the supply of affordable housing production.

RESOURCES
* Listen to this and prior episodes of the Affordable Housing Podcast on Eden Housing’s website.
* For more information on Inclusionary Housing, please visit www.nhc.org.
* Free subscriptions to the monthly Affordable Housing Podcast are available on iTunes

When California’s redevelopment agencies were eliminated, affordable housing took a crushing blow. Advocates throughout the State are mobilizing to create a new dedicated funding source for affordable housing through the California Homes and Jobs Act. On this episode of the Affordable Housing podcast, brought to you by Eden Housing, host Joanne Greene speaks to our guest California Senator Mark DeSaulnier, Chairman of the Housing and Transportation Subcommittee and sponsor of SB 391, the California Homes and Jobs Act. SB 391 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on April 9, 2013.

As chair of Transportation and Housing, Senator DeSaulnier has fought for greater accountability on the state’s transportation infrastructure projects. Through other committee assignments Senator DeSaulnier has been a strong advocate for California’s more vulnerable populations, introducing legislation to support underserved, homeless and foster youth.

In late 2011 – early 2012, the California Supreme Court rendered a set of decisions that resulted in the elimination of redevelopment agencies. That effectively eliminated a billion dollars a year that local governments were using to help create and preserve affordable housing. Senator DeSaulnier was a leader in efforts to save housing funding.

RESOURCES
* Listen to this and prior episodes of the Affordable Housing Podcast on Eden Housing’s website.
* For more information on SB 391, please visit www.cahomesandjobsact.org.
* Free subscriptions to the monthly Affordable Housing Podcast are available on iTunes.

What topics and special guests would you like to see featured on the Affordable Housing Podcast? We want to hear from you! Send your ideas to Eden Housing’s Communications Department<mailto:[email protected]>.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership!

Severely wounded American Veterans are returning home from years of service to our Country and facing huge challenges with housing, employment, and support services. Our guest on this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast is Mike Conklin, founder of the nonprofit organization Sentinels of Freedom. Mike, the father of three Army Rangers, describes to host Joanne Greene how Sentinels of Freedom connects permanently disabled Veterans with caring community volunteers who pool their resources to provide four years of housing, an accessible vehicle, a suitable job, ongoing community support, and self-sufficiency services.

For information on how to get involved, please visit http://SentinelsOfFreedom.org

Free subscriptions to the monthly Affordable Housing Podcast are available on iTunes.

For more information on the Affordable Housing Podcast, and to access our archives dating back to 2008, please visit http://EdenHousing.org.

This episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast kicks off our sixth year of podcasting with a look at the current state of federal housing policy and the challenges we face now and in the future. Our guest is David Gasson, Executive Director of the Housing Advisory Group, an organization founded in 1993 to advocate on behalf of affordable housing issues in Washington, D.C. Federal housing programs such as those administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the mortgage interest deduction, and Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC) are discussed. Gasson is also the VP and Director of Corporate Communications for Boston Capital, a diversified, real estate investment and advisory firm, serving clients nationwide and internationally.

For more information on how you can help protect and preserve the Housing Credit, visit http://rentalhousingaction.org.

For more information on the Affordable Housing Podcast, and to hear past episodes, please visit http://EdenHousing.org

The National Housing Conference (NHC) has helped to ensure safe, decent and affordable housing for all people in the United States since 1931. This episode features a conversation with the new NHC President and CEO, Chris Estes. Chris speaks with host Joanne Greene about his new role, the current state of housing issues and challenges, and how we can all work toward more effective housing policy and improved federal funding.

http://www.nhc.org

For more information on the Affordable Housing Podcast, and to hear past episodes, please visit http://EdenHousing.org

The world has gone digital, and like everything else, access to digital technology and adoption isn’t as accessible in low income communities. It is becoming increasingly imperative for educational advancement, health improvement, employment, and well-being to have access to a computer and the Internet. Nearly three of four California households have broadband Internet connections at home, which represents a 33 percent increase in home adoptions since 2008. California is leading the nation, but there is more work to do to connect unserved and underserved communities.

This special edition of the Affordable Housing Podcast brings you a panel discussion that highlights critical efforts and bold successes in bridging the digital divide. Guests include Luis Arteaga, Director of Emerging Markets of the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF); Rachelle Chong, Regional Vice President of Government Affairs for Comcast’s California region; Linda Mandolini, President of Eden Housing; and host Joanne Greene.

RESOURCES

· Learn more about CETF at CETF.org

· For more information about Internet Essentials which provides affordable Internet access, a low-cost computer, and free Internet training for eligible families,

o Call 1.855.846.8376 or visit internetessentials.com

o For Spanish speakers, call 1.855.765.6995 or visit Internetbasico.com

In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, we travel back down under for part 2 of “Affordable Housing in Australia”. We welcome back Ken Marchingo in a engaging discussion with host Joanne Greene about the Australia’s housing landscape, the cost of not providing affordable housing, and how Haven; Home Safe partners with the government as a solution in affordable housing. Ken, founder and CEO of Haven; Home, Safe, is a pioneer in the field of social housing and housing affordability. Haven; Home, Safe is Australia’s only vertically integrated affordable housing association and homelessness services provider.

For more information, visit:

www.ahuri.edu.au
www.haven.org.au
www.powerhousingaustralia.com

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit EdenHousing.org.

On this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, David Smith, founder and Chairman of Recap Real Estate Advisors shares his insights on current and potential initiatives to improve the health of affordable housing in the U.S.A. Smith is also founder of the global non-profit Affordable Housing Institute, which develops sustainable housing financial ecosystems worldwide.

For more information, visit:

* Recap Real Estate Advisors
* Affordable Housing Institute

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org.

In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast we travel down under to learn about affordable housing in Australia. Joining us is Ken Marchingo, founder and CEO of Haven; Home, Safe. Marchingo is a pioneer in the field of social housing and housing affordability. Haven; Home, Safe is Australia’s only vertically integrated affordable housing association and homelessness services provider.

For more information about affordable housing in Australia, visit www.ahuri.edu.au.

To learn more about Haven; Home, Safe, visit haven.org.au.

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit EdenHousing.org.

Buildings account for 42% of all U.S. GHG emissions. Reducing occupant energy consumption through behavior change can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. Behavioral changes have little to no cost and require no regulation to achieve. Recent studies show that simply giving office building occupants a web page where they can track their energy usage can lead to a 15% reduction in individual usage. Also, it has been shown that when given feedback, college students reduce their energy usage by between 12-40%.

The Climate, Buildings, and Behavior (CBB) Project, a component of the Climate, Mind and Behavior (CMB) program at the Garrison Institute in New York, helps real estate developers, managers and owners to utilize knowledge from the neuro, behavioral and social sciences to design effective energy consumption behavior change programs. Karen Ehrhardt-Martinez, Ph.D discusses the work of the CMB with host Joanne Greene.

For more information on the CMB, visit:

http://www.garrisoninstitute.org/cmb-video
http://www.garrisoninstitute.org/cbb-video
http://www.garrisoninstitute.org/ccb-video

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org.

In February 2012, President Obama submitted a $3.8 trillion budget to Congress with $4 trillion in long-term deficit reduction measures that included spending cuts, tax increases and other measures of tax reform. The President called for $44.76 billion to be spent on programs in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a 3.2% increase over the previous year’s budget.

Affordable Housing Podcast host Joanne Greene discusses the potential impact of these budgets with Ali Solis, Senior Vice President and Public Policy and Corporate Affairs Executive for Enterprise Community Partners.

For more information, visit http://EnterpriseCommunity.org or http://RentalHousingAction.org.

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org.

Homelessness is one of the sadder outcomes of our economic crisis. Child homelessness is, perhaps, the most tragic result. According to America’s Youngest Outcasts 2010, a report by The National Center on Family Homelessness (NCFH), more than 1.6 million American children, or one in 45 children, are homeless each year – a 38% increase in child homelessness from 2007 to 2010.

On this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, we welcome back Dr. Ellen Bassuk, founder and president of NCFH and discuss highlights from this groundbreaking report, including trends in child and family homelessness across America and state and federal policy priorities for 2012.

For more information, visit
http://www.familyhomelessness.org.

Download a copy of the report and details regarding each state
http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/reportcard.php

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org.

As part of its effort to balance the budget in 2011, the Governor and the State Legislature voted to eliminate local Redevelopment Agencies throughout the State of California. The legislation passed two trailer bills along with the budget – AB 1×26 eliminated redevelopment agencies and AB 1×27 would have allowed them to continue to exist if they made payments to the State to help balance the budget in this fiscal year and future years. The Redevelopment Agencies sued the State of California in an effort to strike down both pieces of legislation. On December 29th, the Supreme Court ruled that AB 26, the bill to eliminate redevelopment agencies is legal and struck down AB 27, ruling that under Proposition 22, it is illegal to force the localities to pay the State. This is the worst possible outcome for affordable housing because 20% of Redevelopment Funding, nearly $1 billion a year, was dedicated to affordable housing production in 400 jurisdictions throughout the State.

The Affordable Housing podcast has been following this issue closely and we have invited back Lynn Hutchins, a partner at Goldfarb and Lipman LLP, a leading redevelopment law firm in California, to discuss the short and long term implications of the Court’s decision.

Previous Affordable Housing Podcast episodes on this subject can be listened to on Eden Housing’s website at http://www.edenhousing.org/podcast.asp.

For more information, visit:

· Senator President Pro tem Darrell Steinberg’s website http://sd06.senate.ca.gov/,
· Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California http://nonprofithousing.org,
· Housing California http://www.housingca.org, or
· Goldfarb and Lipman LLP http://goldfarblipman.com

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org.

Earlier this year, California passed two pieces of legislation – ABX 126 and 127 – that could have major consequences for affordable housing. On this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, we focus on the pending State Supreme Court decisions on the legality of these bills and, more generally, how the future looks for redevelopment agency financing. Host Joanne Greene speaks with Michael Kiely, a partner in the Real Estate and Land Use and Natural Resources Practice Groups of the firm Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles. Michael has extensive experience in real estate development transactions with a public/private emphasis, including redevelopment, relocation, mixed-use and transit-oriented development projects, and public finance, including tax increment financing.

Michael is a regular blog contributor at http://SheppardMullin.com

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org

Since 1968, NeighborWorks America has been a national leader in affordable housing and community development with a great track record of creating opportunities for lower income people to live in affordable homes in safe, sustainable neighborhoods. On this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, NeighborWorks Chief Executive Officer Eileen Fitzgerald discusses the organization’s history, the housing challenges around the country, and how NeighborWorks is helping to revitalize and strengthen communities.

NeighborWorks America can be found at http://nw.org

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org

Since 1975 California Housing Finance Agency (Cal HFA) has served first-time homebuyers by creating loans that meet the needs of lower income buyers and financing multi-family housing. In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast from Eden Housing, host Joanne Greene speaks with Cal HFA Executive Director Claudio Cappio, recently appointed by Governor Brown, about the Cal HFA’s programs, the housing challenges in California and her views on the current administration’s thoughts on moving forward in the State’s housing policies.

Visit http://calhfa.ca.gov.
For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org

The State of California approved a budget that eliminates redevelopment agencies throughout the State. Agencies can “opt” to stay alive by making payments to the State that help fill the budget deficit. Lynn Hutchins of Goldfarb and Lipman, one of California’s leading real estate law firms in affordable housing and redevelopment, joins host Joanne Greene to discuss the details.

For more information, visit http://www.calredevelop.org/, or http://goldfarblipman.com/.
For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org.

This month on the Affordable Housing Podcast, we’d like to bring you the majority of a panel discussion sponsored by Eden Housing, Enterprise Community Partners and StopWaste.org in coordination with the East Bay Housing Organization’s Affordable Housing Week and the US Dept of Housing and Urban Development. The topic of this panel recorded on May 13, 2011 us “Greening the Affordable Housing Portfolio: Upgrading Multi-Family Housing and Encouraging Tenant Involvement”.
The Keynote address and panel moderation is provided by Ophelia Basgal, HUD Regional Director. Panelists included Linda Mandolini, Executive Director of Eden Housing. Maryann Leshin, Director, Northern California Programs of Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., and Karen Kho, Senior Program Manager for StopWaste.Org.

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org.

It is difficult to address affordable housing without considering the issues of poverty and unemployment. They’re inextricably connected and, often, the most successful programs are those that address more than one aspect of the vicious cycle that prevents so many people from being able to attain the dignity and security that make for a productive life. This episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast features a conversation with Carla Javits, President of REDF – Roberts Enterprise Development Fund- which has pioneered a model to employ individuals who are overcoming chronic poverty, homelessness, criminal history, substance abuse or mental illness. REDF helps to create and grow “double bottom line” enterprises that earn income while employing people with high barriers.

For more information about REDF, please visit http://www.redf.org.

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, please visit http://EdenHousing.org

In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Barry Zigas, Director of Housing Policy for Consumer Federation of America, addresses President Obama’s call for the unwinding of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the future of Government Sponsored Entities (GSEs).

For more information, visit the Housing page at http://consumerfed.org .

For more information about the Affordable Housing Podcast, http://EdenHousing.org .

EH#45 As we work to protect housing funding here in California, the Federal Government is working on the budget for Federal Housing Programs, many of which will also face cuts in the coming year. The ripple effects on affordable housing production look to be severe. In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, Barbara Burnham, Vice President of Federal Policy for Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in Washington DC, offers an overview of the 2011 and 2012 Federal Housing budgets being proposed by the House of Representatives and the Obama Administration.

More information can be found at LISC.org. A list of helpful websites can be found at http://edenhousing.org/library/helpfulwebsites.pdf

Listen to the Affordable Housing Podcast at edenhousing.org <http://edenhousing.org/> or subscribe for free on iTunes.

EH#44 How can we shift people’s behavior in buildings to be greener? Three of the nation’s leading experts in the field of affordable housing and green building, Linda Mandolini, Executive Director of Eden Housing; Dana Bourland, VP of Green Initiatives for Enterprise Community Partners; and Jonathon Rose, CEO and Founder of the Jonathon Rose Companies join host Joanne Greene for a lively panel discussion on engaging residents and staff to change their behavior to create healthier and greener buildings.

More information can be found at GarrisonInstitute.org and EnterpriseCommunity.org

Listen to the Affordable Housing Podcast at edenhousing.org <http://edenhousing.org/> or subscribe for free on iTunes.

The nonprofit National Housing Conference helps ensure safe, decent and affordable housing for all by advocating for effective housing policy solutions at the local, state and national levels. Its research arm, the Center for Housing Policy, develops solutions. Keith Wardrip, Senior Research Associate at the Center for Housing Policy discusses with host Joanne Greene a recent report, “Building California’s Future”, that analyzed housing construction and its economic impact in California. The findings overall, indicated that California’s economy benefits substantially when a new home is built even with the economic downturn and declining home values. For more information or to access the full report, visit the National Housing Conference website at www.nhc.org.

Listen to the Affordable Housing Podcast at edenhousing.org or subscribe for free on iTunes.

Ophelia Basgal, Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Western Region, talks to host Joanne Greene about HUD’s mission and HUD’s priorities in the SF Bay Area and country, including sustainability, foreclosure prevention, and affordable housing preservation. For more information, go to www.HUD.gov.

Listen to current and prior episodes of the Affordable Housing Podcast at www.edenhousing.org <http://www.edenhousing.org> or subscribe for free on iTunes.

Executive Director of On Lok, Robert Edmondson, talks with host Joanne Greene about the PACE program which provides comprehensive care for low income elderly including medical, social and supportive services to frail seniors. Eden Housing is partnering with On Lok Lifeways on Peralta Senior Housing, a new community in Fremont that will provide 98 new affordable apartments for seniors. The project will also include 9,035 sq. ft. of clinic and day center space for On Lok Lifeways where the PACE program will be offered.

The Affordable Housing Podcast is a production of Eden Housing <http://EdenHousing.org>

Chris Gouig, Executive Director of the Alameda County Housing Authority and host Joanne Greene discuss PETRA- the Preservation, Enhancement and Transformation of Rental Assistance Act – as proposed by the Obama Administration. Through PETRA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development aims to preserve and renovate thousands of public housing units throughout the country For more go to www.HUD.org/petra.

The Affordable Housing Podcast is a production of Eden Housing <http://EdenHousing.org>

Kevin Zwick, Executive Director of the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County (HTSCC) discusses with host Joanne Greene how HTSCC has invested over $33 million and leveraged more than $1.7 billion to create more than 7,800 housing opportunities. HTSCC’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP2), funded by a $25 million federal grant, is helping to stabilize neighborhoods affected by the foreclosure crisis and helping low to moderate income earners purchase a home. Find out more at http://housingtrustscc.org/

The Affordable Housing Podcast is a production of Eden Housing <http://EdenHousing.org>

The downturn in the economy has created significant strain on many non-profit organizations, including non-profits that develop affordable housing. The economic situation that non-profit affordable housing developers face nationally and in the State of California is unprecedented. The single largest program that developers use, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, has seen a drop in investment from $9 billion to $4 billion and the State’s primary funding program Proposition 1C is scheduled to run out of bond funds by year end. In the fall of 2009, Citizens Housing, a Bay Area based housing developer that owned more than 2,000 apartment units looked out at the challenges in the funding environment and decided that the long-term prospects for expansion were limited.

Rather than shrinking its operations to subsistence level or waiting for crisis, the Board made a difficult decision to go out of business while at the same time meeting the ultimate goal of assuring the long-term affordability and quality of their portfolio. They reached out to two local non-profits, Eden Housing and Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) to help with the transition.

In this episode of the Affordable Housing Podcast, leaders from Citizens Housing, Eden Housing, and TNDC join host Joanne Greene in a panel discussion regarding Citizens’ recent transition that preserves over 2,000 affordable homes. They include:

-Noreen Beiro, Former Interim CEO for Citizens
-Don Falk, Executive Director of TNDC
-Dan Lopez, Interim CEO for Citizens and served 15 years on the Citizens Board, with the last 10 years as Board Chair
-Linda Mandolini, Executive Director of Eden Housing

The Affordable Housing Podcast is a production of Eden Housing <http://EdenHousing.org>

Pacific Gas and Electric Company is investing in a program that will help facilitate the adoption of solar technology in the multifamily affordable housing sector. Host Joanne Greene speaks to Andrew Yip, Supervisor of PG&E’s Solar and Customer Generation Group about MASH, an acronym that stands for Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing Program. For more information on MASH, visit http://www.pge.com/csi/.

The Affordable Housing Podcast is a production of Eden Housing <http://EdenHousing.org>

Years ago, California voters wisely passed two ballot initiatives – Props 46 and 1C – and the result was aa $4.1 Billion of affordable housing production. That funding is scheduled to run out at the end of 2010. This episode’s guest is Dianne Spaulding, Executive Director of the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, talks with host Joanne Greene about efforts to create another funding program.

The Affordable Housing Podcast is a production of Eden Housing <http://EdenHousing.org>

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 <http://EdenHousing.org>

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

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 <http://EdenHousing.org>

Bruce Mast, Program Director for Build It Green <http://BuildItGreen.org> 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 <http://EdenHousing.org>

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. <http://www.uli.org/CostCalculator>

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.