America’s housing authorities face growing demand, limited funding, complex regulations, and years-long waiting lists. How can affordable housing leaders continue serving their communities while navigating those pressures?

In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie speaks with Crystal Wojciechowski, executive director of the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association, commonly known as PHADA.Crystal shares how a temporary position at the King County Housing Authority introduced her to the real-world impact of affordable housing. She explains how watching families receive safe and stable homes inspired a career that has now spanned more than 20 years.

Katie and Crystal discuss the changing affordable housing workforce, including the growing number of leaders entering housing from outside the industry. Crystal explains why new perspectives can strengthen housing authorities when paired with experienced professionals who understand regulations, inspections, recertifications, and resident services.

The conversation also explores PHADA’s Executive Director Education Program, its partnership with Rutgers University, and the importance of building a trusted network of housing professionals who can help one another solve difficult problems.Crystal explains how PHADA works with Congress and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to translate federal policy into practical solutions. She also shares why housing authorities must tell their stories, build relationships with elected officials, and position themselves as the leading affordable housing experts in their communities.

This conversation offers practical guidance for housing authority executive directors, commissioners, policymakers, developers, and anyone working to improve affordable housing across the United States.

Learn more about PHADA at PHADA.org.Learn more about Katie Goar and Quadel at Quadel.com.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
01:12 Crystal’s unexpected start in affordable housing
02:35 Seeing the human impact of housing assistance
05:02 How the affordable housing workforce is changing
07:05 Bringing outside perspectives into housing leadership
08:46 PHADA’s Executive Director Education Program
10:00 Building a trusted network of housing experts
13:35 PHADA’s policy and advocacy work
15:29 Turning federal regulations into practical solutions
16:50 Why housing authorities must tell their stories
18:22 Translating complex federal rules for local agencies
21:13 How PHADA learns from housing authority members
22:45 When regulations create more work
25:20 Three ways housing leaders can begin advocating
27:39 Building long-term relationships with elected officials
30:02 Why housing commissioners need specialized training
32:03 The difference between governance and operations
35:50 Supporting women in affordable housing leadership
38:27 Finding new ways to fund affordable housing
40:27 Building stronger industry coalitions
41:39 The case for Moving to Work flexibility
44:09 Maximum funding and maximum flexibility
45:41 How to connect with PHADA
47:51 Final thoughts

Katie Goar knows affordable housing from every angle.Today, she is the president of Quadel and one of the leading voices in America’s affordable housing sector. But long before she became a housing CEO, Katie experienced homelessness herself. As a child, she lived in a tent with her family, carried the shame of that experience for years, and later transformed that pain into purpose.

Katie joins Joe Pardavila to discuss her new book, The Audacity, and the personal story behind her work in housing, leadership, and community impact. She opens up about the moment her younger brother drew a tent when asked to draw his home, why homelessness is a condition rather than an identity, and how stable housing can change the trajectory of an entire family.

Katie also explains why “bootstrapping” can only take people so far, how NIMBYism holds communities back, why local solutions matter, and how leaders can build a “yes plan” when the default answer around them is no.This conversation is about housing, but it’s also about shame, survival, leadership, and the power of turning your story into a tool for helping others.

What You’ll Learn

• How Katie Goar went from housing insecurity to becoming president of Quadel
• Why homelessness should be seen as a condition, rather than a permanent identity
• How childhood instability can shape leadership, risk, and resilience
• Why “bootstrapping” alone can’t solve homelessness or housing insecurity
• How affordable housing impacts education, health, employment, and local economies
• Why NIMBYism often blocks the exact workers communities depend on
• What Katie means by “strategic generosity”
• How a “yes plan” can help people move from fear to action
• Why leaders need a hype squad, a win journal, and the audacity to start before they feel ready

Watch Katies Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/UMIn8_rA5iU?si=FvUg8WDWICYl8Wys
Order Audacity: https://www.amazon.com/Audacity-Go-Wannabe-Leader-Others-ebook/dp/B0GZPV5N3C/

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:28 Why Katie Goar decided to tell her story
02:00 Becoming a public voice in affordable housing
03:28 Breaking stereotypes about homelessness
06:06 Why bootstrapping can only go so far
08:16 The moment Katie’s brother drew a tent as his house
10:30 Anger, resentment, and growing up in survival mode
13:38 The “necklace of shame”
15:40 How childhood instability leaves fingerprints later in life
18:15 Homelessness as a condition, not an identity
19:32 Becoming an audacious problem-solver
21:00 From living in a tent to leading Quadel
24:26 Saying yes before you feel ready
25:45 Why people “fall into” affordable housing
27:49 Women leaders in the housing industry
30:00 Strategic generosity and solving housing locally
33:00 Federal funding, local action, and housing complexity
35:18 NIMBYism and the real cost of saying no
39:38 Affordable housing as workforce policy
40:35 Why Katie believes in a “yes plan”
42:02 Quadel’s mission and employee homeownership support
43:27 Wannabe leaders vs. leaders others want to follow
45:10 Why every leader needs a hype squad
46:45 First rodeo, second rodeo, third rodeo
48:36 Why Katie recommends starting a win journal
56:31 The sliding door moment that changed Katie’s family
58:10 Closing

Sean Gilbert, executive director of Tennessee Valley Housing Services and president of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, joins Katie Goar to explain why affordable housing is essential to economic development, workforce growth, and thriving communities.

Sean shares how growing up in southern West Virginia shaped his belief that a house becomes a home through community. He discusses his journey into public service, the affordable housing shortage affecting employers across Tennessee and the country, and the work underway to renovate aging housing, build workforce housing, and expand services for residents.

The conversation also explores Sean’s national priorities as president of NAHRO, including stronger storytelling, professional development, collaboration between housing authorities, and bringing a new generation of leaders into the affordable housing industry.

Sean explains why housing authorities must move beyond traditional boundaries, pursue creative financing, build stronger partnerships, and show the public how housing investments improve education, employment, local business, and quality of life.

You’ll also hear how Tennessee Valley Housing Services partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, why childhood literacy can shape a community’s future, and how one conversation with a skeptical business owner changed Sean’s approach to affordable housing advocacy.

Timestamps
00:00 Introducing Sean Gilbert
00:56 Growing Up in Appalachia
02:44 Finding a Career in Public Service
04:40 Family, Community and Education
06:47 Leading Tennessee Valley Housing Services
08:21 Renovating Aging Affordable Housing
10:59 The Demand for Workforce Housing
13:17 Housing Is Economic Development
15:30 Partnering With Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
18:08 Why Childhood Literacy Matters
21:34 Changing the Story of Affordable Housing
22:15 Turning a Housing Critic Into a Supporter
25:47 Taking Residents’ Stories to Washington
28:33 Sean’s Priorities as NAHRO President
32:05 Improving the NAHRO Member Experience
34:05 Training the Next Generation of Housing Leaders
35:12 What to Expect From NAHRO’s Denver Conference
38:38 The Value of Conference Relationships
40:19 Why Housing Authorities Must Think Bigger
41:46 A Career That Changes Communities

Why is housing so expensive, and why does it take years to build new homes in communities that desperately need them?

In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie Goar speaks with Laura Foote, founder and executive director of YIMBY Action, about America’s housing shortage and the political choices that continue to limit housing production.

Laura explains how restrictive zoning, lengthy permitting processes, local opposition, fees, and political pressure make it harder and more expensive to build. She also shares how the YIMBY movement is organizing residents to support new housing, influence local officials, advocate for policy changes, and hold cities accountable.

The conversation explores how housing shortages affect teachers, nurses, small businesses, older adults, young families, and anyone who can’t afford to live near their job or community.

Laura also discusses the growing bipartisan support for housing reform, the expansion of YIMBY Action’s 87 local chapters, and the organization’s work to unblock tens of thousands of new homes across the country.

You’ll learn:
• Why America is millions of homes behind
• How zoning and permitting increase housing costs
• Why local opposition carries so much political power
• How housing shortages hurt businesses and essential workers
• Why housing reform has support across the political spectrum
• How ordinary residents can influence housing decisions
• What YIMBY Action means by “units unblocked”

Learn more about YIMBY Action and how you can get involved in supporting housing production in your community.

ChangeMakers with Katie Goar explores the people, policies, and ideas shaping the future of affordable housing.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:41 Laura Foote’s personal housing story
02:09 Why high housing costs feel like personal failure
02:28 How the YIMBY movement began
04:34 Why new housing is so difficult to build
06:52 The community-wide effects of housing shortages
07:46 How residents can change the political math
08:33 Addressing common objections to new housing
10:49 How communities move from NIMBY to YIMBY
12:59 Why older adults and employers are joining the fight
14:00 Yes in God’s Backyard and other policy reforms
16:11 Why the housing shortage affects everyone
17:01 America’s self-imposed housing crisis
18:21 Bipartisan momentum for housing reform
21:20 Inside YIMBY Action’s 87 local chapters
22:31 When YIMBY Action takes cities to court
24:15 How YIMBY Action measures its impact
25:00 What “units unblocked” means
26:21 Why YIMBY Action focuses on new construction
27:00 Turning housing expertise into political action

In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Sarah Buchanan, Executive Vice President of the San Diego Housing Federation, to talk about the real challenges facing affordable housing in one of the country’s most expensive regions.

Sarah shares how she entered the housing field, what makes San Diego’s housing market so difficult, and why residents now need to earn around $50 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment. She also explains the difference between naturally occurring affordable housing and tax-credit affordable housing, the need for roughly 100,000 more units in San Diego, and the role coalition-building plays in creating real change.

The conversation also explores homelessness, healthcare, hunger, childcare, workforce development, lived experience advocacy, and why self-care matters for people doing mission-driven housing work.

If you care about affordable housing, homelessness prevention, community development, or the future of thriving cities, this conversation offers a grounded look at what it takes to move from crisis to solutions.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to ChangeMakers
00:13 Meet Sarah Buchanan
00:50 Connecting Through the Women’s Affordable Housing Network
02:32 Compassion Fatigue and Self-Care in Housing Work
03:06 Sarah’s Path Into Affordable Housing
05:04 The Reality of San Diego’s Housing Market
05:56 Why Residents Need $50 an Hour for a Two-Bedroom Apartment
06:22 San Diego’s 100,000-Unit Housing Gap
07:31 What the San Diego Housing Federation Does
08:29 Training the Affordable Housing Workforce
10:35 Building Coalitions Around Basic Needs
11:06 Housing, Homelessness, Hunger, Healthcare, and Childcare
12:20 Centering Lived Experience in Advocacy
13:05 Signs of Progress in San Diego
14:40 What People Misunderstand About Affordable Housing
16:44 Why Affordable Housing Projects Are So Complex
18:18 Sarah’s Leadership Approach
19:58 The Big Idea: A One-Stop Housing Database
21:43 How Technology Could Improve Housing Access
22:51 What Drives People in Affordable Housing
24:26 Self-Care, Boundaries, and Compassion Fatigue
26:19 Closing Thoughts

Historic buildings can become a powerful part of a community’s future.

In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Marie Cervay Hickle, Vice President at PNC, to explain how historic tax credits and new markets tax credits help bring aging buildings back to life.

Marie has more than 15 years of experience in community development finance. She has helped originate and close more than $450 million in tax credit equity across the country.

The conversation explores how developers can turn vacant mills, overlooked landmarks, former schools, and other underused properties into housing and community spaces. Marie breaks down how historic tax credits work, why experienced financing partners matter, and how new markets tax credits can support projects that bring healthcare, education, jobs, and social services into low-income communities.

Katie and Marie also discuss the renovation of Cleveland’s West Side Market and a 125-year-old South Carolina denim mill that became a 205-unit apartment community with lofts, a fitness center, coworking space, and modern amenities.

You’ll learn:
• How historic tax credits help fill gaps in a development capital stack
• Which buildings can qualify for historic tax credits
• How new markets tax credits support community development
• Why adaptive reuse can strengthen neighborhoods
• How banks evaluate community development projects
• Why redevelopment can create challenges around gentrification
• How developers can begin the tax credit process

Learn more about Katie Goar and Quadel at quadel.com.

Chapters

00:00 How historic buildings can shape the future of communities
01:14 Meet Marie Cervay Hickle of PNC
01:44 Marie’s path from engineering to community development finance
03:52 The Cleveland hotel renovation that shaped Marie’s career
05:00 Why new markets tax credits matter for low-income communities
06:31 Historic tax credits explained
09:53 Do historic tax credits make renovations more attractive?
12:40 Restoring Cleveland’s West Side Market
15:31 How developers can begin the historic tax credit process
19:54 New markets tax credits explained
22:30 Which projects can qualify for new markets tax credits?
24:29 How PNC evaluates community development investments
27:05 Can redevelopment transform an entire neighborhood?
28:38 The difficult balance between revitalization and gentrification
30:55 PNC’s priority markets for community investment
32:15 How a 125-year-old denim mill became 205 apartments
34:15 Final thoughts

California’s housing crisis has pushed families, investors, and homeowners to rethink what housing can look like.

In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie Goar sits down with Whitney Hill, co-founder and CEO of SnapADU, to explore how accessory dwelling units, better known as ADUs, are changing the housing landscape across San Diego and beyond.

Whitney shares how SnapADU launched during the 2020 shutdown, why California’s regulatory changes created a massive opportunity, and how her company has now completed more than 100 detached ADU builds.

The conversation covers:
• The real drivers behind ADU demand
• Why families are embracing multi-generational living
• How homeowners are using ADUs for wealth building
• The biggest bottlenecks slowing housing development
• Why permitting and utility regulations remain a challenge
• The future of affordable housing in California
• What most people misunderstand about ADUs

Whitney also explains why the most successful ADU projects focus on quality of life, thoughtful design, and long-term planning instead of simply maximizing density.

If you’re interested in affordable housing, real estate investing, urban development, entrepreneurship, or the future of housing policy, this episode delivers practical insight into one of the fastest-growing housing trends in America.

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders creating real-world solutions in housing, healthcare, business, and community development.

Topics Covered / What You’ll Learn

• What an ADU actually is
• Why California changed ADU laws
• How Snap ADU grew during COVID
• The economics behind ADU investing
• Why multi-generational housing is growing
• The biggest construction and permitting bottlenecks
• How homeowners use ADUs to offset mortgage costs
• The future of housing density in California
• Why San Diego became a hotspot for ADUs
• How thoughtful housing design improves quality of life
• The hidden complexity behind “simple” ADU builds
• How Whitney Hill built a niche construction company

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:12 Meet Whitney Hill of Snap ADU
01:00 How California’s ADU law changes created opportunity
02:40 The story behind the name Snap ADU
03:30 Why San Diego became an ADU hotspot
05:10 Who is building ADUs today?
06:30 Community concerns around density and parking
08:25 Housing demand and city capacity
09:45 Why California has embraced ADUs
11:00 ADUs as a wealth-building tool
12:15 Multi-generational living success stories
14:20 The realities of running an ADU construction company
16:20 The biggest bottlenecks slowing housing growth
17:45 ADU design trends and creative layouts
19:15 Whitney Hill on leadership and entrepreneurship
21:00 Yale, NYU, and finding her professional niche
22:40 Snap ADU’s future growth strategy
24:30 Can ADUs help affordable housing?
26:20 Closing thoughts

Affordable housing is one of the biggest challenges facing communities today. But how does it actually get funded?

In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie Goar sits down with Jason Blain, Senior Commercial Banker at Independent Bank*, to break down how banks, developers, and public programs work together to create affordable housing.

Jason shares a behind-the-scenes look at the real financial tools driving housing development, including tax credits, rate buydowns, and community partnerships. He also explains why homeownership still plays a critical role in building long-term wealth and stability.

This conversation goes beyond theory. You’ll hear how affordable housing projects come together, what slows them down, and what needs to change to scale solutions.

*Independent Bank is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.

The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with qualified financial or legal professionals. Banking products, terms, rates, and regulations may vary and are subject to change. Please consult your financial institution or a licensed advisor before making any financial decisions.

🎯 What You’ll Learn:

• How banks fund affordable housing projects
• The role of low-income housing tax credits
• Why affordable housing takes years to develop
• How rate buydown programs reduce costs
• The difference between rental housing and homeownership
• Why small housing projects still create life-changing impact
• What needs to change to increase housing supply

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Intro: The affordable housing challenge
01:10 – Jason Blain’s background and early influence
03:14 – What a regional bank actually does
06:24 – When banks enter housing projects
08:25 – Federal Home Loan Bank explained
10:22 – Rate buydown programs (in simple terms)
13:53 – Why tax credits matter
17:47 – Policy changes that could unlock more housing
19:15 – The Ability Way project (real-world impact)
23:28 – Why some housing projects feel “risky”
25:41 – Homeownership vs rental housing
29:47 – Recognition and community impact
35:51 – Why small housing projects matter

What happens when housing authorities stop pushing paper and start moving people into homes faster?

In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Shaina Fite, Public Housing Manager at Yardi, breaks down how outdated systems are slowing down affordable housing and how technology is starting to change that. Shaina shares her journey from growing up in public housing to helping distribute over $200 million in rental assistance, offering a perspective shaped by both lived experience and industry expertise.

The conversation explores why paper-based systems create delays and risk, how automation speeds up housing placement, and what artificial intelligence will change in the next 12 to 24 months. You will also hear how transparency improves trust for residents and agencies, and why the demand for affordable housing continues to rise.

This episode moves beyond policy and gets into the real systems behind housing access and what needs to change to serve people faster and more effectively.

⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 Intro
00:13 Meet Shaina Fite
01:25 How she got into affordable housing
03:31 Growing up in public housing
06:01 How lived experience shapes leadership
10:49 What Yardi does and why it matters
12:29 Why paper systems slow everything down
14:49 How automation speeds up housing
16:36 Transparency for residents and agencies
19:13 Real-time data and decision making
19:57 The role of AI in housing
22:45 How AI frees up human work
24:30 Why agencies resist technology
26:10 The “bootcamp” of software implementation
27:39 Getting teams to adopt new systems
30:22 Why “we’ve always done it this way” is dangerous
32:28 The real cost of outdated systems
34:00 What Yardi does better
36:17 The future of AI in housing
37:41 Will AI replace jobs?
39:31 The growing need for affordable housing
42:18 Final thoughts

America doesn’t have a housing construction problem. It has a rules problem.

In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Jared Jones, co-founder of Middle Housing Partners, breaks down how microfill housing, ADUs, duplexes, and small multi-unit developments are reshaping affordability.

Jared explains why millions of homes are missing from the market, how outdated zoning laws slowed growth for decades, and how new legislation is opening the door for everyday developers to build again.

You’ll hear why nurses, teachers, and working families are priced out of their own communities, and how small-scale housing projects are bringing them back.

If you care about housing, policy, or the future of your community, this conversation lays out a clear path forward.

00:00 Intro
00:13 Meet Jared Jones and Middle Housing Partners
01:10 From mortgage industry to housing developer
02:32 What is microfill housing?
03:51 How new laws changed development
06:36 Why zoning reform matters
09:30 How neighborhoods react to new housing
12:25 The real scale of the housing shortage
14:18 Why building takes too long
16:12 Why Wall Street dominates housing
18:40 SB9 and new housing laws explained
21:44 Why current solutions aren’t enough
23:07 The “starter home” solution
25:40 Workforce housing crisis explained
26:38 Why nurses can’t afford homes
31:02 Real community impact of housing shortages
34:50 The Middle Housing Revolution book
37:10 Fixing the broken system
41:21 What’s next: scaling the solution