Utah Affordable Housing with Jenny Chamberlain

Finance and Alternative Solutions in Affordable Housing with Brad Stucki

Brad Stucki of Bank of Utah shares some of his experience in the affordable housing space from the development standpoint as well as from his perspective as a board member of Sun Country Homes Solutions. 

Self Help Homes with Julie Lindquist, and Adell & Josh Kirkman

Julie Lindquist shares how the Self Help Homes program works, and then Adell and Josh Kirkman share their experience with using the program and building their affordable home. Several such programs run in the state of Utah, and they have a very big impact on affordable housing. 

A Builder’s Perspective on Affordable Housing with Jeff Madsen

Jeff Madsen came to building from an accounting background, and that thinking informs his attitudes toward making housing more affordable. Check out our conversation on affordable housing topics from casitas to countertops. Thank you for listening to this podcast.
 
 
 

Deeply Affordable Housing with Mike Barben of the St. George Housing Authority

In this interview I talked to Mike Barben, executive director of the St. George Utah Housing Authority. He shares about how he came to be in his current role and some of the specifics about what the organization does to help individuals find deeply affordable housing. They are in a challenging situation with very limited resources, but the housing authority makes a  huge difference for the people it serves. Find out more about what the authority does by listening to our discussion.

Deon Spilker & David Damschen and the Utah Housing Corporation on Affordable Housing

Deon Spilker is the vice president of mortgage banking at Utah Housing Corporation, and David Damschen is the president of the organization. In this episode we have a conversation about what the organization does, who some of the key stakeholders are in affordable housing in Utah, and what are some of the complications attendant to solving the problem of unaffordable housing on the state level. This interview was a great pleasure for me. I loved to hear insights from two of the most knowledgeable people in our state on affordable housing.
Here are a couple of highlight quotes from our discussion. 
"It takes all of us together to do the building, and the lending, and to do the tax credits and to have the knowledge."  - Deon Spilker
Spilker also pointed out that she frequently hears the phrase "We couldn't have without you" in the context of getting into a home.
A couple more quotes I liked: "You need all hands on deck for problems of this complexity and magnitude." - David Damschen
"Smart government, working hand-in-hand with the private sector can be very constructive and very helpful, but you want to have a light touch." - David Damschen
We also talked about Low Income Housing Tax Credits, which I have wanted to understand better for a long time, and I loved hearing Mr. Damschen's insightful explanation of how they work.
It was such a pleasure for me to talk to people who are truly making a difference for Utah families who need affordable housing every day. I hope you enjoy listening to this interview as much as I enjoyed having it.
 
 

Planning commission and Defining NIMBYism with Michelle Cloud

Michelle Cloud is in her second term as a planning commissioner for Hurricane City. She recently sent me an article about the Ivins City open house about affordable housing, and in this episode we discuss that article as well as what NIMBYism is and what her role is as a planning commissioner for the city of Hurricane.
 
 
 

Short-term Rentals with Stephen Nelson, Hurricane City Planning Director

In this episode I talk to Hurricane City Planning Director Stephen Nelson. We talk about short-term and vacation rental policy and its recent history in the City of Hurricane as well as what the city is doing for affordable housing.
 

Housing and Short-Term Rentals with Hurricane Mayor Nanette Billings

In this episode I talk with Mayor Nanette Billings about what the current housing situation is, her views on density and attainable housing, and what the short-term rental policy is in the city of Hurricane. I'm grateful for her squeezing some time from her busy schedule for this conversation.

Housing Chat with Former Mayor John Bramall

This episode is the first in a series of three about Hurricane City. Former Mayor John Bramall shares some of his experience and history with affordable housing and short term rental policy in the city. The next two episodes will be with current Mayor Nanette Billings and City Planner Stephen Nelson regarding these same topics.
Photo courtesy of Mayor Bramall and his wife Connie.

Attainable Housing with Toni Foran: perspective of a City Planner

In this episode, Toni and I discuss her experiences as a city planner with Hurricane, Utah. She served for over 20 years in various roles supporting cities, and she has insights on accessory dwelling units, transit-oriented development, and a variety of other aspects of affordable and attainable housing.
One of my favorite quotes from this interview was when we were talking about accessory dwelling units and how they have recently been pulled out of the affordable market by high demand for vacation short-term rentals. Toni said, "Short-term may be more lucrative, but man, I would rather have the people that are renting from me wash their own sheets." I think there is definitely some wisdom there to consider.