Affordable Housing Podcast

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.

Transit Based Development with James Corless, Senior Planner with the Metropolitan Transit Commission

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.

Government Funding with California State Assembly Member Alberto Torrico

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.

Green Building with Eden Housing Senior Project Developer Katie Lamont

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.

S.F. Bay Area Housing Crisis Phase 1

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.

Changes to the Tax Credit Program with Ronne Thielen, President of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition

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.

Bridging the Digital Divide with Sunne McPeak, President of CETF

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.

Funding Models with Carol Galante, President of Bridge Housing

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.