Shows
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Pete Harrison From the Regional Plan Association - Connecticut Housing Policy, the Issues We Face and How We Overcome ThemSend us a textHousing is more than just shelter—it's a reflection of our values, policies, and priorities. In this episode, we dive into the intersection of racial justice, climate change, and housing equity. From discriminatory housing practices to the growing threat of climate displacement, we unpack how systemic challenges are shaping where and how people live today. In today's episode, we're excited to have guest Pete Harrison from the Regional Plan Association.Pete Harrison joined Regional Plan Association in February 2022 as the DesegregateCT Director, leading a statewide program to enact equitable and sustainable la...2025-05-201h 07
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)The Impact of Access: How Connecticut Is Helping Neighborhoods Thrive Through Investing In Innovation, Gender Parity, Family Services, and Small and Minority-Owned BusinessesSend us a textConnecticut is fast becoming the modern template for long-term growth and sustainability, particularly for its approach to gender, equality, diversity, and inclusion, and for how it plans to build the State by investing in innovation at all levels (not just big corporations and entities). Today, we are honored to welcome Connecticut's 109th Lieutenant Governor, Susan Bysiewicz. Susan developed a distinct work ethic while growing up on a farm, and she explains how this, her parents, and other life experiences shaped her passion for public service. She is passionate about helping young girls and...2024-10-0245 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Putting the Power Back Into The People: Community Empowerment Through Food SecuritySend us a textIt is often said that where you find food insecurity, you will also find housing insecurity. Today’s conversation focuses on enhancing our communities' quality of life by examining the role housing plays in food security. We are joined by Khaatim Sherrer El, whose work is vital to today’s topic. He is the Executive Director of Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA), a non-profit community development corporation dedicated to revitalizing Newark’s Clinton Hill neighborhood. With over 20 years of experience leading place-based initiatives, managing strategic partnerships, and building organizational capacity, Khaatim brings a wealth...2024-07-1644 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Season 2 Episode 2: Breaking the Cycle: How The Fight for Housing Stability Can Change the Course of Health OutcomesSend us a textHow access to quality housing intersects with quality of life such as better health results. Joining us to explore this topic is Gillian Pressman, Managing Director at YIMBY Action. To kick off our conversation, Gillian shares how YIMBY Action is working to legalize housing and remove barriers to affordable housing. We discuss the far-reaching impact of quality housing which touches on education, youth empowerment, and health. Through the lens of her own experience, Gillian illustrates the importance of building housing in opportunity-rich areas so that young professionals don’t need to lower their st...2024-05-1449 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Season 2 Episode 1: ‘Unequal Ground’: The Impact of Unjust Policies on Access to Educational Opportunities, Upward Mobility, and Better Quality of LifeSend us a textThe housing and communities that people live in can influence nearly every aspect of their lives; from where they work to how they get there, the quality of the schools in their area, and even their longevity. Today, we take a deep dive into how zoning, land use policies, and efforts like NIMBYism affect affordability, equality in education, and economic mobility in our communities. Joining us to discuss this topic is Yonah Freemark, a Principal Research Associate at the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute. Yonah is the Research...2024-02-2949 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 12: The Tiny House Solution: Challenging the Status Quo To Advance Health, Employment, and the Eradication of HomelessnessSend us a textBringing about positive public policy change requires knowledge, insight, and above all, commitment. Our guest today, Michele "Dr. Tiny" Williams, has had a varied career that spans the military, real estate, and public policy. While conducting research for her recent Ph.D. in Public Policy, she examined the relationship between health and housing, the results of which had a huge impact on the latter half of her career. After realizing the substantial role that geography played in health outcomes, Michele recognized that your zip code shouldn’t determine your lifespan. Her experience during a b...2023-01-1638 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 11: Part II: Repairing the Breach with Valerie White: Disrupting Systemic Inequities Through Economic Development & Community AdvocacySend us a textMost of us assume that the case for reparations to address the inhumane legacy of slavery is primarily about financial compensation. But that’s not necessarily the case. In part two of our conversation with Valerie White, we take a closer look at systemic inequities in the US and the potential for reparations to begin to repair them. We discuss the role that slavery and segregation played in creating the massive racial wealth gap and how it continues to define modern America. Next, Valerie unpacks what reparations might look like beyond financial compensation, an...2022-12-2221 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 10: Part I: Repairing the Breach with Valerie White: Disrupting Systemic Inequities Through Economic Development & Community AdvocacySend us a textFounded in 1979, The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is a non-profit organization that has played a pivotal role in growing community development initiatives across the country for over three decades. Joining us today to discuss LISC’s work, community advocacy, systemic inequities, and more, is Senior Executive Director at LISC NY Valerie White. We kick off Part I of our conversation with Valerie by talking about her upbringing and how her parents inspired her to become involved with advocacy work and public service. She goes on to describe her time at New York Ho...2022-12-0930 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 9: Part II: America in Crisis with Dr. Fred McKinney: Rising Rent, Unfit Housing, Growing Poverty & Racial InequalitySend us a textWe are a country in crisis. Poverty, homelessness, and unfit housing continues to plague our society, along with issues of race and gender in America. During today’s conversation, leading economist Dr. Fred McKinney weighs in on the distinction between absolute and relative poverty; his belief is that while there will always be relative poor living among us, our focus should be on eradicating the presence of absolute poverty. Tune in to hear about the importance of government support, how the last six years have revealed that the country is in crisis, and wh...2022-09-0220 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 8: Part I: America in Crisis with Dr. Fred McKinney: Rising Rent, Unfit Housing, Growing Poverty & Racial InequalitySend us a textAmerica is in a housing crisis. Following the pandemic, inflation is on the rise leading to widespread housing issues. With rising rental prices and a plummeting home ownership market, homelessness and substandard housing are also on the rise. Today’s guest, Dr. Fred McKinney, is a leading economist working in higher education and consulting in business development, with a focus on corporate social responsibility and diversity training. During today’s conversation, Dr. Fred shares his insights on the critical role of affordable housing in supporting low and moderate-income citizens, the relationship between mental healt...2022-08-1936 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 7: Beating the Odds of Small Business Ownership & How Housing Programs Can Help (with Sadie's Pro Cleaning)Send us a textBeing an entrepreneur is challenging, but if you enter the journey with a willingness to stick through the tough times, you can go further than you ever thought possible. This is the story of today’s guest, Sadie Marshall, who founded Sadie’s Pro Cleaning at the end of 2018. When the pandemic hit and she lost all of her clients, but instead of giving up on her dreams, she pivoted from a commercial and residential cleaning business to a crime scene and hazard cleaning business. Over the past few years, Sadie's Pro Cleaning has...2022-04-0533 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 6: Reforming Housing, Investing in People & Identifying Contracting Opportunities with Gregory Russ, Chair/CEO, NYC Housing AuthoritySend us a textToday, we are joined by Gregory Russ to talk about how NYCHA is reforming its approach to public housing in New York. Gregory was appointed Chair and CEO of the NYC Housing Authority in 2019. He is a seasoned housing professional with decades of management experience, who has helped to rebuild and strengthen public housing authorities across the country. Gregory begins by laying out the context of the issues New York is facing, where he describes a dysfunctional institutional structure combined with severely undercapitalized housing stock. He touches on the history of NYCHA’s rec...2022-02-1533 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 5: Activism and ACORN: The Global Fight for Affordable and Livable Housing with Wade RathkeSend us a textWelcome back to YIMBY Nation! Joining us in conversation today is Wade Rathke, from ACORN International, which fights for the basic rights of people – better security, health, housing, education, and employment conditions, and more responsive, truly representative government. You’ll hear about Wade’s long and groundbreaking history with the organization, starting with working to bring laws into policy to be able to enact change in the fight for affordable and livable housing worldwide. The hosts of YIMBY Nation and Wade delve into the current state of our world with stark realism, and a hopef...2021-12-2247 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 4: Community Development, The COVID-19 Impact & The Tribal Response with Bruce “Two Dogs” BozsumSend us a textOn today’s show, we are pleased to welcome Bruce “Two Dogs” Bozum, President of Eight Paws NDN, a Native Gaming Consulting firm. Bruce was first elected to the Mohegan Tribal Council in 2004, where served for eight years as Chairman and helped to secure refinancing for Mohegan Sun. He was involved in the expansion of the Mohegan Sun brand into Pennsylvania, Atlantic City, Washington State, Massachusetts, and New York. In this episode, Bruce describes community development in the sovereign state of the Mohegan Tribe, including how its community is housed on the reservation, whethe...2021-09-2130 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 3: The State Response to the Housing Crisis with Seila Mosquera-BrunoSend us a textToday’s guest on YIMBY Nation is Seila Mosquera-Bruno, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Housing (CDOH) and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA). Appointed by Governor Ned Lamont, Seila brings a wealth of knowledge to the Department of Housing. Prior to her appointment, she was the President and Chief Executive Officer of NeighborWorks New Horizons (NWNH), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing opportunities to help build strong communities and revitalize neighborhoods, which expanded its operations beyond New Haven County to New London and Fa...2021-08-3135 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 2: The COVID Eviction Crisis with Karen DuBois-WaltonSend us a textWelcome to the first episode of Your In My Back Yard Nation, the podcast that looks at housing from a macro level to understand the aspects of life it impacts. In this episode, we invite Dr. Karen DuBois-Walton to help us address the COVID eviction crisis which disproportionately affects Black and Latinx renters in Connecticut. Dr. DuBois-Walton is the President of Elm City Communities, the largest public housing authority in the state of Connecticut. Before taking the helm of the ECC she served New Haven as Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff...2021-08-1326 min
YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)Episode 1: Housing Uncut: Introducing YIMBY NationSend us a textToday we are excited to introduce you to the YIMBY Nation podcast where we will be exploring US housing policies and pathways to building more equitable neighborhoods. YIMBY Nation will focus on the nuts and bolts of affordable housing development and the socio-economic issues related to it, such as poverty, eviction, employment, supportive services, education, and healthcare. In this first episode, we meet our hosts Jimmy Miller, Peter Wood, and Vincencia Adusei, or “Vee”. We hear about their backgrounds, their careers, and their passion for housing development. We discuss the concept of ‘NIMBY’ or ‘NIMB...2021-07-2725 min