Who Killed the Starter Home?

Is Sustainable Affordable? Conversation with Matt Kaplan

In this episode, I spoke with Matthew Kaplan, Cofounder and CEO of ReVireo, an energy efficiency and green building services company based in New Jersey. Matt and his team live and breathe sustainability as it relates to buildings. As a leader in the field, he shed light on how sustainable projects are approved and delivered—what’s not working, and what could be improved.
 
We would like to hear what you think about this conversation or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the brink of extinction, send us a note at starterhomepodcast@gmail.com 

Legalizing Cities: Conversation with Burhan Azeem

This is one of the most inspiring conversations I have had. 
 
In this episode, I spoke with Burhan Azeem. He is the youngest city councilor in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Burhan worked tirelessly to remove costly parking minimums and expand zoning for 100% affordable housing projects. He is laser focused on legalizing multifamily housing up to six stories throughout the city, ensuring that Cambridge remains an affordable and accessible place to live for all its residents. 
 
For those who are familiar with the work or Abundant Housing Massachusents or Ezra Klein's and Derek Thompson book, Abundance, Burhan's work is the real life implementation. 
 
We would like to hear what you think about this conversation or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the brink of extinction, send us a note at starterhomepodcast@gmail.com
 
 
 

Gentrification: Hopeful and Practical Solutions

I’m thrilled to continue the conversations with brilliant millennials about housing and homeownership.
 
In this episode, I spoke with Iziah Thompson, a Senior Policy Analyst at the Community Service Society of New York, where he researches and advocates for housing policies aimed at improving the lives of low-income New Yorkers and strengthening urban communities. We discussed Community Land Trusts, and I learned about Land Acquisition Revolving Funds. We also didn’t shy away from addressing the uncomfortable topic of gentrification.
 
We would like to hear what you think about this conversation or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the brink of extinction, send us a note at starterhomepodcast@gmail.com
 
 

Theory and Practice of Changing People's Minds, conversation with Matt Mleczko

As we continue in our series of conversations with brilliant Millennials, I spoke with Matt Mleczko. Dr. Mleczko received his Ph.D. in Population Studies and Social Policy from Princeton University where he conducted research as part of the The Eviction Lab. Matt also practices what he preaches - he can be found educating people about housing policy, attending public hearings supporting local projects and helping build coalitions. Check out his organization PrincetonGrows.com
Do let us know what you think about this conversation, what other topics you would like to hear or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the brink of extinction, send us a note at starterhomepodcast@gmail.com

Caught between Institutional Investors and NIMBYs, conversation with Katie Brennan

This episode kicks off a series of conversations with millennials about housing and homeownership.
 
I spoke with Katie Brennan, a graduate of Rutgers University’s Master of Urban Planning program. She has worked for both nonprofit and governmental organizations—for example, she served as the Chief of Staff at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. She is also running for public office. I was interested in hearing both the personal stories and professional perspectives of these talented and dedicated young people.
 
We would like to hear what you think about this conversation or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the brink of extinction, send us a note at starterhomepodcast@gmail.com

What millennials are NOT willing to sacrifice, conversation with Peter Dennehy

As we rethink the future of starter homes, we explore what truly matters to young buyers in their home searches—and what they’re willing to sacrifice. Spoiler alert: They might give up the car, but not the dog!
In this episode, I spoke with Peter Dennehy, Senior Vice President at John Burns Research and Consulting. With over 20 years of personal experience and access to the extensive research conducted by his firm, Peter provides us with a data-driven perspective on the housing market. John Burns Research offers the most comprehensive analysis of the residential for-sale market, covering both new construction and resales—from individual communities to national trends.
 

The Market Has No Feelings, conversation with Joshua Wilton

Did your parents help you buy a starter home? Are you planning to help your child buy a starter home? In this episode I spoke with Joshua Wilton, broker and owner of Queenston Realty. He is planning to help his 3 kids and we talked about why. 
In the interest of full transparency, Josh and I are partners in Princeton Home Connections, a company that designs and builds Accessory Dwelling Units.
 

Fear of School Children and Snob Zoning, conversation with Richard Kahlenberg

In this episode I spoke with Richard Kahlenberg. The New York Times called Richard, The Liberal Maverick Fighting Race-Based Affirmative Action. Dr. Kahlenberg works on helping improve educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged people of all races. He is the author or editor of 18 books, testified in front of the US congress and was an expert witness at the US supreme court. We talked about why his book Excluded is about housing.
 
Do let us know what you think about this conversation, what other topics you would like to hear or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the brink of extinction, send us a note at starterhomepodcast@gmail.com

NIMBYs and American Liberalism, conversation with Jacob Anbinder

In this episode, I spoke with Jacob Anbinder. His upcoming book, NIMBY Nation: The War on Growth That Created Our Housing Crisis and Remade American Politics, caught my attention. As a historian of American politics, Jacob has researched the root causes of NIMBYism—an essential topic for those of us working to create housing while facing NIMBY opposition every day. Jacob's research offers a wealth of useful information, but be careful—you'll discover that NIMBYs aren't lying or wrong all the time.
 
Do let us know what you think, what other topics you would like to hear or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the brink of extinction, send us a note at starterhomepodcast@gmail.com
 

Homeowners in Progressive Cities, conversation with Randy Shaw

In this episode, I spoke with Randy Shaw, the executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, a nonprofit organization in San Francisco that provides free legal services and housing for the homeless. Randy is also the editor of Beyond Chron and the author of six books.
The book that caught my attention is Generation Priced Out: Who Gets to Live in the New Urban America—a must-read. Randy was one of the first to highlight that the worst housing shortages are in our progressive blue cities. For example, do you know where the first "neighborhood preservation ordinance" originated? It was in Berkeley, CA, in 1973.
If you’ve ever proposed housing and been labeled a "gentrifier," you need to hear Randy’s explanation of gentrification without any new construction. I found his optimism about the future of housing incredibly encouraging—I hope this conversation inspires all of us.
Do let us know what you think, what other topics you would like to hear or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the brink of extinction, send us a note at starterhomepodcast@gmail.com