What does the housing crisis actually entail? To wrap up Season 3 of American Building, I’m joined by Keith Rand, Vice President at Mill Creek Residential, to discuss the main housing production issues Americans face today and different solutions to address them. We look at limitations with local and state government policy and unpack the proposed housing supply plan from the White House. 

In our conversation, Keith explains the root cause of the supply and demand imbalance in New York City. Between the exorbitant cost of land, insurance, and property taxes, the city that more than 8 million people call home is increasingly unaffordable and unsustainable. Keith breaks down a potential rezoning approach called “Own Your Air,” which promotes diverse housing stock and reinvestment into underserved neighborhoods. 

Keith shares his perspective on the most pressing issues we need to tackle when it comes to housing production and affordability, namely starting with local and state government policy. He highlights inefficiencies in large-scale tax credit programs and suggests ways to improve them. We also reflect on inspiring progress we've seen in state legislatures across the country, including California, Colorado, and Texas. 

About the Guest:

Keith Rand is Vice President at Mill Creek Residential, the 3rd largest residential rental development company in the country. Previously, he worked in senior roles at Stonehenge and Greystar. He began his career at Silverstein Properties and JP Morgan Chase. Keith is a graduate of Duke University, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Kennedy School at Harvard.

Topics Covered:

• Shared housing challenges of rural and urban landscapes 
• Highlights from Keith’s time working for the Bloomberg administration
• How the lack of standardization in real estate creates challenges in housing development 
• Thoughtful ways to lower property taxes for rental housing in New York City 
• Ideas for building out the Section 8 voucher program 
• Approaching housing from an empathetic, holistic perspective 

Resources Mentioned: 

• FACT SHEET: President Biden’s Budget Lowers Housing Costs and Expands Access to Affordable Rent and Home Ownership  
• Episode 62 with Melissa Román Burch 
• Progress and Poverty by Henry George 

About Your Host: 

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Keith Rand: 

• Connect with Keith on LinkedIn

Follow Us: 

• Grab our exclusive guide: How Eight Developers & Designers Are Responding to the Housing Crisis
• Learn more

Garden-style apartments offer residents the best of both worlds: green space and lower density living without the upkeep and price tag of a single-family home. In this episode, I trace back to the origins of garden-style apartments and highlight who lives in them now. I also revisit a conversation with developer Matt Giammanco of AvalonBay Communities to discuss Thanet Circle, a new multi-building garden-style apartment complex in Princeton, New Jersey.

Located in a suburban environment that is walkable, bikeable, and in need of rental housing, Matt shares how he and his team chose and developed this project. They saw the opportunity to redevelop a 1980s, vintage office building into a townhome neighborhood with a community clubhouse. Located on 15 acres of land, the four-story buildings are a secluded and quiet place for those looking for rental options in the Princeton area.  

We also dive into AvalonBay’s regional approach to development and how they use local, on-the-ground knowledge to ensure the successful completion of their projects. Listen in to learn how this project was financed, redeveloped, and to discuss the technology that is being used today in the development world. 

About the Guest:

Matt Giammanco is a Senior Director of Development at AvalonBay Communities. He previously worked at Goldman Sachs Real Estate Investment Group and began his career at Ernst and Young in their transactions real estate group. He is a graduate of Columbia Business School and Penn State.

Topics Covered:

• Key characteristics of garden-style apartments 
• The intersection of race, class, and garden-style apartments 
• Examples of how garden-style apartments fill the gap between affordable and luxury housing
• Why Princeton is a desirable town for development 
• The benefits of public financing programs 
• Affordable housing laws in New Jersey
• How Thanet Circle was financed 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Instead of a Balcony, How About a Garden Apartment? 
• “The Suburbs” by Arcade Fire and the 2014 cover by Mr. Little Jeans on Spotify

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Matt Giammanco

• Connect with Matt Giammanco on LinkedIn
• Follow AvalonBay Communities on LinkedIn
• Learn more about AvalonBay Communities 

Follow Us: 

• Grab our exclusive guide: How Eight Developers & Designers Are Responding to the Housing Crisis
• Learn more on the American Building website
• Follow us on

Dorm life is a quintessential part of the American university experience, but that wasn’t always the case. In this episode, I outline the history of dormitories and share an edited version of my conversation with Arthi Krishnamoorthy, Senior Principal at TenBerke, to discuss the firm’s residential college project on the Princeton campus. 

After three years of attending Zoom school, college students are setting records for on-campus housing demand. Mixed with the ever-rising rent prices in college towns, many universities are reimagining the traditional dorm model to accommodate the crowds. 

Arthi is working closely with the stakeholders at Princeton to ensure the new multi-building dormitory complex enhances student well-being, integrates living environments, and fosters a sense of community and responsibility. 

Located strategically on the edge of campus in a woodland area, the two new residential colleges consist of eight new buildings that house approximately 1,000 students. Each building features a transparent base that encourages community involvement through visibility and encompasses a contemporary style to the rest of the campus. 

Princeton's ten-year plan aims to significantly increase the undergraduate student population as well as their living and dining hall options on campus. Arthi explains how symbolic and detailed architecture ensures that students will be overcome with a sense of discovery and community through this new endeavor. 

Note: New College East has since been renamed Yeh College since this episode was originally recorded.

About the Guest:

Arthi Krishnamoorthy is a Senior Principal at TenBerke, which is the new name of Deborah Berke Partners, the NYC-based design firm. Prior to Deborah Berke Partners, she worked at and started her career at Pelli Clarke & Partners. Arthi is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the University of Pennsylvania.

Topics Covered:

• Historical dormitories associated with colonial colleges
• How on-campus student housing has changed since the inception of dormitories 
• The controversial trend of windowless dorm rooms 
• Examples of universities that are exploring unconventional off-campus housing solutions 
• How the undergraduate residential college system works
• Wayfinding and its importance on a college campus
• Building community and awareness on a campus
• How to give students choice through architecture 

Resources Mentioned: 

• The Dystopian Windowless Dormzilla Trend Continues 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Arthi Krishnamoorthy

• Connect with Arthi Krishnamoorthy on LinkedIn
• Connect with TenBerke on LinkedIn
• Learn more about TenBerke

Follow Us: 

• Grab our exclusive guide:

Between the global financial crisis, tanking housing production, and rapid inflation, housing affordability for middle income workers has become increasingly out-of-reach. Workforce housing, a type of unregulated affordable housing, addresses the limitations that professionals like teachers, healthcare providers, and retail clerks are facing when it comes to owning a home. 

In this episode, I unpack the concept of workforce housing and revisit a conversation with Peter Brosens, founder of Stolar Capital, where we cover the details of Chatham on Main, his firm’s garden-style, multifamily complex in Chatham, New Jersey.

Located in an affluent town 45 minutes from Manhattan, Chatham on Main is a 118-unit property featuring one- and two-bedroom floor plans. The extensive renovations include roofing, shutters, lighting, and landscaping. 

Stolar Capital specializes in buying mixed-use or multifamily properties and repositioning them through asset management. Peter shares the challenges he faced starting out, which ultimately led him to specialize in this area. He also walks us through approval processes, why he prefers buying and fixing existing property, and the importance of relationships in real estate. 

About the Guest:

Peter Brosens is the founder of Stolar Capital, a real estate investment firm with offices in Hoboken and in Philadelphia. The firm's focus since 2012 has been on developing large mixed-use projects in transit-oriented downtown locations in New Jersey. In addition, he has raised a 10 million specialty financing fund to focus on investment in repositioning multi-family residential assets across the country. Prior to starting at Stolar Capital, Peter worked at the JBG companies in Washington, DC. He is a Columbia University alum.

Topics Covered:

• What workforce housing is and who it serves 
• Why the term ‘workforce housing’ is considered controversial 
• Ways that Chatham on Main delivers a best-in-class living experience 
• What goes into the development approval process
• The metrics and criteria that Peter uses to determine which communities to invest in 
• Key takeaways from the early days of Stolar Capital 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Workforce housing and middle-income housing subsidies: A primer 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Peter Brosens

• Connect with Peter Brosens on LinkedIn
• Follow Stolar Capital on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Stolar Capital

Follow Us: 

• Grab our exclusive guide: How Eight Developers & Designers Are Responding to the Housing Crisis
• Learn more on the American Building website
• Follow us on...

You can’t have a conversation about affordable housing without acknowledging the impact of rent regulation. Also known as rent control, rent stabilization or rent limits, these coveted units offer occupants a sense of stability by guaranteeing their monthly rent payment won’t skyrocket year after year. So, why is regulated affordable housing so hard to come by? Developer Andrew Regenstreich has an idea. 

Andrew was the former Director of Real Estate and Economic Development of Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS). In this episode, I’m revisiting a conversation we had to discuss the agency’s affordable housing project at 523 Freeman Street in Orange, New Jersey. The site is a centrally-located mixed-use property with four stories. Perfect for young professionals, the building houses one and two-bedroom units with 1,500 square feet of commercial use on the ground floor, as well as access to public art and a rain garden. 

In this episode, Andrew and I discuss what affordability means, the funding involved, and what kind of timeline to expect when developing affordable housing. Andrew shares the team he put together for this project and how he makes sure that his buildings reflect the community around them and the people who live there. 

About the Guest:

Andrew Regenstreich is the former Director of Real Estate and Economic Development at Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS). HANDS is a developer of affordable housing in New Jersey. Andrew previously worked at New Jersey Community Capital. He's a graduate of NYU and Northeastern and while at NYU he had an opportunity to work at the Massachusetts legislature, the US Senate and the US State Department.

Topics Covered:

• The difference between unregulated and regulated affordable housing
• Why many developers are interested in the unregulated affordable housing market
• What a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) is and the role it plays in affordable housing
• Challenges of building in Orange, New Jersey
• Why is affordable housing necessary? 
• The difference between federal, state, and local funding for affordable housing  
• Different incentives for developing affordable housing 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Multifamily Series: How Affordable Housing is Changing 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Andrew Regenstreich

• Connect with Andrew Regenstreich on LinkedIn
• Follow Housing and Neighborhood Development Services on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Housing and Neighborhood Development Services

Follow Us: 

• Grab our exclusive guide: How Eight Developers & Designers Are Responding to the Housing Crisis
• Learn...

As the old adage goes, a man's home is his castle. That doesn't mean that every home is a castle or a mansion, but in this day and age, it could very well be a McMansion. In this episode, I explore the history of mansions and how the style has been interpreted by millions of suburban homeowners. I also revisit a conversation I had with Kirk Mitchell of AKT Designs about his single-family home renovation in Englewood, New Jersey that exemplifies how to avoid tired McMansion tropes. 

In the suburbs of New York City, it’s common for developers to knock down existing properties and replace them with supersized homes. Instead, Kirk found a way to marry the client's desires, budget, and current design trends to create a modern ranch-style home. 

By adding a second kitchen, home gym, and billiards room, the house now strikes a balance between the client's request for a modern ski chalet and a bachelor pad. Kirk shares his step-by-step process for renovating this type of property, including coming up with floor plans, construction drawings, and interior design ideas. 

We also discuss the importance of having the right development team, using Pinterest to create mood boards and design ideas, and some of Kirk's other multi-family and commercial projects. 

About the Guest:

Kirk Mitchell is the Founder and Principal at AKT Designs, an architecture and interior design firm based in Bergen County, New Jersey. He focuses on residential projects across New York and New Jersey. He has particular expertise in combining historic details with modern technology, having completed over 80 townhouse projects at AKT Designs and previously as the Director of Design and Construction for a Dixon Advisory.

Topics Covered:

• What is a mansion? 
• Typical design elements of mansions and McMansions 
• How the McMansion trend continues to affect suburban neighborhoods 
• Insight into the community in and around Bergen County
• How to add value to a property while honoring a client's desires
• The pros and cons of modernizing instead of rebuilding 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Bad Manors by Kate Wagner 
• Kate Wagner’s blog: McMansion Hell 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Kirk Mitchell

• Connect with Kirk Mitchell on LinkedIn
• Follow AKT Designs on LinkedIn
• Learn more about AKT Designs

Follow Us: 

• Grab our exclusive guide: How Eight Developers & Designers Are Responding to the Housing Crisis
• Learn more on the American Building website
• Follow us on

The racially-charged NIMBY, or ‘not in my backyard’, phenomenon is at the core of zoning laws, particularly in the greater New York City area. In this episode, I take us back to the early 1900s to look at the nation’s first zoning resolution and examine how it continues to affect communities today. I also revisit a conversation with developer Johanna Anderson, the executive director of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, to learn more about a mixed-use affordable housing development in upstate New York. 

Founders Way is a mixed-use structure that boasts two separate wings with a new addition of studios to four-bedroom homes, as well as office space for rental and for sale. With a project of this size, Johanna discusses how she involved the community to preserve the existing design of the neighborhood and enhance structures, without creating a stark difference in architecture. 

We also touch on some barriers to housing such as racial disparity and affordable housing stigma. We define what exactly these concepts are and the impact they’ve had on Ithaca, as well as how climate change has affected housing in the area. 

About the Guest:

Johanna Anderson is the executive director of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services. This nonprofit organization focuses on the development and operations of housing for lower and middle-income people in Central New York State. Prior to working at INHS, she focused on affordable housing development and support services for native people in Maine and in Minnesota. She has also held board member roles in other nonprofit organizations working in this arena.

Topics Covered:

• The history of zoning in the greater New York City area as a means of separating uses
• Examples of mixed-use projects and why they work in combining uses
• Different types of affordable housing 
• Funding options for affordable housing projects 
• Who can live in affordable housing?
• Constraints when building affordable housing

Resources Mentioned: 

• The Birth of Zoning Codes, a History. Or, how Americans learned to legislate our NIMBY impulses
• Diverse neighborhoods are made of diverse housing 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Johanna Anderson

• Connect with Johanna Anderson on LinkedIn
• Follow Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services 

Follow Us: 

• Grab our exclusive guide: How Eight Developers & Designers Are Responding to the Housing Crisis
• Learn more on the

Whether it’s called a shore house, weekend home or cottage, the concept remains the same: escape from the city. The cultural phenomenon of staying at a non-primary residence during the summer is especially pervasive in New York City. In this episode, I look into the history of vacation homes in the tri-state area and how the current work-from-home culture impacts these communities. I also revisit a conversation with architect Jenny Peysin to discuss the Passive House movement and learn about her unique build in the Catskill region of upstate New York.

Wilderness Drive in East Jewett is located near Hunter Mountain on a 5-acre lot. It’s a single-story, modern bungalow featuring two wings with five bedrooms and three baths. Central to the tenets of Passive Houses, the build has more insulation, minimalized thermal bridging, and an airtight envelope, all of which ensure a comfortable temperature throughout. 

In our conversation, Jenny walks us through her initial vision for this build as a client project and how it turned into a personal vacation home instead.  We also dive into the history of Passive Houses, LEED vs. Passive House building criteria, and why they make great second homes for families. 

About the Guest:

Jenny Peysin is a licensed architect based in Brooklyn. She founded Jenny Peysin Architecture in 2016. She previously worked as a designer at Blaze Makoid Architecture. She became a Certified Passive House Designer right before the pandemic and has been shifting her focus toward this way of designing and building,

Topics Covered:

• The history of vacation homes in the greater New York City area 
• How the pandemic affected the economy and housing market in ‘vacation towns’  
• Examples of venture-backed companies transforming the vacation rental industry
• The inspiration behind Wilderness Drive
• The fundamentals of modern Passive House design
• Tips for incorporating Passive House standards into your home 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Adventures in the Wilderness by William H. H. Murray 
• Where Was the Birthplace of the American Vacation?
• Hudson Valley Towns Have a New York City Problem
• Pacaso
• Den Outdoors
• AvantStay       
• International Passive House Association 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Jenny Peysin

• Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn
• Follow Jenny Peysin Architecture on

With Zoom school largely a thing of the past, college students are back to living on or near campus again. Between dormitories, apartments, and multifamily homes, there are an estimated 8.5 million student housing beds across the US with an projected increase to 9.2 million this decade. 

In this episode, I’m unpacking the factors contributing to the boom in student housing and the pros and cons this housing type poses to the surrounding communities. I’m also revisiting a conversation with Nick Falker of Cambridge Realty Partners to discuss The Elm, the firm’s multifamily build in New Haven, Connecticut. 

Designed for Yale students and young professionals, The Elm is a six-story building with studios to four-bedroom options. It features bright, modern colors, a robust fitness center, conference rooms equipped with TVs and projectors, and a roof deck overlooking downtown and the Yale campus. 

New Haven appeals to many people for its walkability, foodie scene, and relief from overpopulation. Nick dives into who he thought would be the ideal renter for his build versus who currently occupies it, as well as the decisions he made that allow his build to compete with others in the city. 

Nick and I also discuss how to raise capital when just starting out, estimating renovation costs, and the effect the pandemic had on major US cities. 

About the Guest:

Nick is the managing partner at Cambridge Realty Partners based in New Haven, Connecticut. The firm has been investing and developing in real estate opportunistically since 1978. Over that time, they have focused on office assets in the Northeast US, Texas, Mexico, and most recently, in multifamily in Connecticut. Nick previously worked at Cigna Realty Investors and Bristol Group. 

Topics Covered:

• The current state of student housing
• How student housing differs from traditional multifamily housing 
• The economic and social impacts student housing can have on surrounding areas
• The specs and amenities of The Elm 
• How the renter profile of The Elm has changed since the inception of the project 
• The appeal of New Haven, Connecticut 

Resources Mentioned: 

• The National Multifamily Housing Council: The Future of U.S. Student Housing Demand 

About Your Host:

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Nick Falker: 

• Connect with Nick on LinkedIn
• Follow Cambridge Realty Partners on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Cambridge Realty Partners

Follow Us: 

• Grab our exclusive guide: How Eight Developers & Designers Are Responding to the Housing Crisis
• Learn more on the