YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

Seila Mosquera-Bruno on LinkedIn

Today’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 Fairfield counties under her leadership. Seila holds a Master’s degree in Urban Studies from Southern Connecticut State University, a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Charter Oak College, and she completed the Community Development fellowship program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She has also served on the National NeighborWorks Association board and is co-chair of their National Real Estate Development Advisory Council. In this episode, Seila shares her mission to increase access to quality housing opportunities in the State of Connecticut, the important role that education plays, and how individual communities can address housing inequalities by being proactive. We also touch on Seila’s advice for creating more diverse and equitable communities and the value of collaborative efforts between the state, organizations, and individual communities using the resources available. Tune in today to learn more!

Key Points From This Episode:

Seila introduces herself and her mission to increase access to quality housing opportunities.
The historic and current systemic issues behind the lack of affordable housing in CT and what Seila’s department is doing to remedy them.
She highlights the holistic approach required to address housing supply and demand issues.
The importance of educating the state and communities about affordable housing.
Learn more about the CDOH Affordable Housing Plan and Process Guidebook.
How the CDOH is supporting Black and Latinx households facing eviction in CT with legal aid.
How households in need can access the UniteCT emergency rental assistance program.
Why Seila views House Bill 6430 as a means to increase production of affordable housing.
What individual communities can do to address CT housing inequalities; be proactive.
Tips to create more diverse and equitable communities: embrace change, be more tolerant, and be willing to learn from one another.
The power of working together with the resources available to accomplish shared goals.
The critical interplay between education systems, communities, homes, and the state.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Connecticut State Department of Housing

Connecticut Housing Finance Authority

Affordable Housing Plan and Process Guidebook

UniteCT

Episode 12: The Tiny House Solution: Challenging the Status Quo To Advance Health, Employment, and the Eradication of Homelessness

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

01/16/23 • 38 min

Michele A. Williams on LinkedIn

Bringing 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 bike adventure that involved helping communities fix their homes further catalyzed Michele to become involved in housing and public policy. Since then, she has made it her mission to transform public housing and address the systemic inefficiencies that are putting countless people in a position where they face homelessness or risk making dire compromises. She is the chief visionary behind COBA US, a non-profit organization that seeks to establish policy development, with a focus on tiny house communities and affordable rentals. Michele is also the Executive Director of The Fuller Center of Housing in Delaware. In our conversation today, Michele delves into the many elements of her work, including the extensive policy work she’s done over the past few years, the benefits and drawbacks of tiny homes, and how to listen to the needs of the communities you work with before taking action. To learn more about Michele and how these organizations are challenging the status quo, be sure to tune in to this inspiring conversation!

Key Points From This Episode:

Michele’s varied career in the military, entrepreneurship, and real estate.
How Michele earned her Ph.D. in public policy and her interest in health and housing.
The non-profit, COBA US, and how it was founded as a result of a bike adventure.
Michele’s connection to Habitat for Humanity.
Some of the problems that can arise from partnering with government entities.
COBA US’s relationship with government officials and why they don’t do any lobbying.
How COBA US engages with their communities and corporations.
The extensive policy work that Michele has been occupied with over the past three years.
The current reach of COBA US and how they are looking to expand.
An overview of the tiny house movement.
The drawbacks and benefits of owning a tiny home.
Michele’s book recommendations for anyone interested in Tiny Homes, a history of housing in America, and more.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dirt to Keys website - Soon to launch

Michele A. Williams Email

The Tiny House Alliance USA

COBA US Info Sheet

The Habitat for Humanity

YIMBY Delaware

The Impact of Access: How Connecticut Is Helping Neighborhoods Thrive Through Investing In Innovation, Gender Parity, Family Services, and Small and Minority-Owned Businesses

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

10/02/24 • 45 min

LT Governor Susan Bysiewicz

Connecticut 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 women to see themselves becoming whoever they want to be, so after explaining how she motivates young women to pursue leadership positions in all fields, Susan walks us through the great work being done by Connecticut’s Governor’s Council on Women and Girls. We learn about the economic development opportunities in CT, what the State is doing for housing and affordability, how it approaches DEI, how it plans to improve healthcare, and what it has lined up for the fight against climate change. To end, Susan details an important and impressive notch in her legacy as a governor as we learn about the brilliance of Connecticut Paid Leave.

Key Points From This Episode:

How LT Governor Susan Bysiewicz’s life experiences shaped her zeal for public service.
Why she deems it vital to motivate young women to pursue leadership positions in all fields.
Understanding the work of the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls.
Economic development opportunities in CT, specifically for housing, affordability, and DEI.
Programs, grants, and other resources that aim to improve the lives of Connecticuters.
How Susan and her team plan to improve healthcare and student life in CT.
What the State is doing for the environment and sustainability.
Susan describes a standout achievement in her legacy as a governor: CT Paid Leave.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

LT Governor Susan Bysiewicz on LinkedIn

LT Governor Susan Bysiewicz X

LT Governor Susan Bysiewicz on Instagram

Ella: A Biography of Ella Grasso

Governor’s Council on Women and Girls

Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development

Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund

Ignite: A WBDC Grant Program

The Women’s Business Development Council

Connecticut Paid Leave

Connecticut Student Loan Repayment Program

Vincencia Adusei on X

YIMBY

Season 2 Episode 1: ‘Unequal Ground’: The Impact of Unjust Policies on Access to Educational Opportunities, Upward Mobility, and Better Quality of Life

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

02/29/24 • 49 min

Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center

The 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 Director of the Land Use Lab at Urban where his research focuses on the intersection of land use, affordable housing, transportation, and governance. Tuning in, you’ll learn how the Urban Institute works toward using public policy to create a brighter future for all, what it looks like to close the Black-white wealth gap in America, the need to shift our focus from policy to the needs of the individual, the importance of allowing people access to the communities they want to live in and redirecting investments into the communities that need them most, and much more! You won’t want to miss this thought-provoking conversation.

Key Points From This Episode:

How Yonah became interested in #policy, #housing, transportation, land use and the way people live.
Public policy for a better future: insight into the work that the #Urban Institute does.
The impact of the Great Recession on closing the Black-White #wealth gap in the US.
Ways to address racial #inequality as a result of exclusionary #landuse policies.
What it means to improve #equity for people across race and gender boundaries.
NIMBYism and the role of the federal government in leveling the playing field for affordable housing development in local communities.
The impact that county governments with a regional outlook can have on land use policy.
Correlations between zoning policies and access to opportunity.
A look at the Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing (MTO) initiative in Chicago, the story of the impact of #YIMBY activism in New Haven’s West Rock community, and other impactful initiatives.
Perspectives on solving unjust public policies and why there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
The power of individual actions and citizen initiatives.
Key takeaways from this discussion and actionable advice for anyone listening.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Yonah Freemark

Urban Institute

Land Use Lab at Urban (LULU)

Yonah Freemark on X

Yonah Freemark on LinkedIn

Season 2 Episode 2: Breaking the Cycle: How The Fight for Housing Stability Can Change the Course of Health Outcomes

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

05/13/24 • 49 min

Gillian Pressman on LinkedIn

How 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 standards in order to live close to work. Gillian offers actionable advice for those seeking to advocate for affordable housing, focusing on creating options in high-income areas. Join us as we explore fundraising, the relationship between health and housing, zoning, and more. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

Introducing Gillian Pressman, Managing Director at YIMBY Action.
Her career history leading up to her current leadership role.
What YIMBY Action is and how it empowers those who want to advocate for housing.
How education and youth empowerment are connected to quality housing.
Gillian’s personal experience with poor housing conditions.
The importance of building housing in opportunity-rich areas.
Her recommendations for fighting for affordable housing in high-income areas.
How YIMBY’s chapter model plugs into local opportunities.
Why fundraising opportunities might be much more abundant than you think.
The evolving relationship between housing and health.
Social determinants of health in relation to housing.
Racial and housing disparities and the historical legislation that led to this problem.
How YIMBY deals with zoning.
Why Gillian supports affordable housing and market-rate housing.
The best way to get involved with the YIMBY movement.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Gillian Pressman on X

YIMBY Action

Peer Health Exchange

Generation Citizen

Episode 7: Beating the Odds of Small Business Ownership & How Housing Programs Can Help (with Sadie's Pro Cleaning)

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

04/05/22 • 33 min

Sadie’s Pro Cleaning on Facebook

Being 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 grown from strength to strength. Join us today to hear how Sadie has flourished in a male-dominated industry, turning herself from an unemployed single mom into a successful business owner who is getting ready to buy her own house!

Key Points From This Episode:

Sadie and Vincencia’s first meeting, and the special relationship they have had since.
Statistics that highlight how difficult it is to succeed as a small business.
What Sadie's Pro Cleaning started as, and how it has changed since the pandemic.
Two pivotal moments in Sadie's life that have led her to where she is today.
How Sadie funded her business initially, and the funding sources she turned to when she pivoted during the pandemic.
Why Sadie recommends every business owner hires a CPA.
Dirty Rotten Cleaners; the new T.V. show that Sadie’s Pro Cleaners is featured on.
The pushback that Sadie received about her logo, and why she decided to stick with it.
How Sadie’s life has changed since she became a successful entrepreneur.
Advice from Sadie for any other entrepreneurs starting a business.
Sadie’s goals for the year.
The biggest challenge that Sadie has experienced on her journey as an entrepreneur.
Sadie's commitment to diversity and challenges she's experienced.
Sadie also discusses how the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program helped her realize her dreams.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sadie’s Pro Cleaning Business Line — 183377SADIE

Sadie’s Pro Cleaning Business Line — 2033509464

Sadie’s Pro Cleaning

Sadie’s Pro Cleaning on Instagram

Sadie Marshall on Instagram

Dirty Rotten Cleaners

Dirty Rotten Cleaners Episode 3

Dirty Rotten Cleaners Episode 7

Episode 9: Part II: America in Crisis with Dr. Fred McKinney: Rising Rent, Unfit Housing, Growing Poverty & Racial Inequality

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

09/02/22 • 20 min

Dr. Fred McKinney on LinkedIn

We 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 why the poverty crisis cannot be separated from the problem of race and gender. Hear why Dr. Fred’s advice to listeners is that history, government, and activism are all important. He reminds listeners that nobody is going to save you, so you have to band together and get organized. Join the conversation today!

Key Points From This Episode:

Absolute poverty versus relative poverty and how this pertains to life in America today.
What happened when there were no housing codes in 1890.
The landlords in New Haven who were taken to criminal housing court for the conditions of their rental properties.
The danger of laissez faire economics.
Why Dr. Fred believes there will always be relative poor living among us.
His belief that we should therefore focus on eradicating the presence of absolute poverty.
The importance of government in creating infrastructures to support this.
How the last six years have revealed that the country is in crisis.
Why the poverty crisis cannot be separated from the problem of race and gender.
How the Roe v Wade ruling resembles 19th Century America.
Threats Dr. Fred has been receiving in response to his column on the Connecticut Post.
Redlining and how history plays a role in helping us understand where we are today.
Dr. Fred’s parting message: history is important, government is important, and activism is important.
His reminder that nobody is going to save you, so you have to band together and get organized!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Fred McKinney on Twitter

Dr. Fred McKinney on Email
BJM Solutions

Episode 8: Part I: America in Crisis with Dr. Fred McKinney: Rising Rent, Unfit Housing, Growing Poverty & Racial Inequality

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

08/19/22 • 36 min

Dr. Fred McKinney on LinkedIn

America 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 health and homelessness, and short and long term solutions to the homelessness and ill-housing problem. We touch on the gap between the myth of success and the reality of what it takes to get there, and how business participation in development can help create generational wealth. Dr. Fred shares what he has uncovered through surveying supplier diversity professionals, and reveals the pernicious effect of corporations masquerading as supporting minority-owned businesses. Join us today to hear his thoughts about policing this problem, increasing responsibility, prioritizing fairness and whistleblowing, and much more!

Key Points From This Episode:

An introduction to today’s guest, Dr. Fred McKinney, with BJM Solutions.
How pandemic-related inflation has further impacted the housing market.
The federal reserve’s increase in interest rates which has affected home ownership markets.
The critical role of affordable housing in supporting low and moderate income citizens.
How homelessness and substandard housing creates stress on households and children.
The relationship between mental health and homelessness.
Short term solutions of offering support to the symptoms of homelessness.
Long term solutions which lead to questions about how to support the poor in the long term.
The gap between the myth of success and the reality of what it takes to succeed.
Creating businesses and generational wealth through business participation in development.
What Dr. Fred found when he surveyed supplier diversity professionals in large corporations.
The pernicious effect of corporations that front as building minority-owned businesses.
Why pass-through’s don’t generate community wealth, but end up in large firms instead.
Policing these transactions in private and public contracts through whistleblowing.
How to increase these policing structures through increased responsibility, minorities alerting the authorities, and creating public pressure.
An invitation to join us for part two of this conversation on September 2.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Fred McKinney on Twitter
BJM Solutions

Episode 1: Housing Uncut: Introducing YIMBY Nation

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

07/26/21 • 25 min

Today 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 ‘NIMBYism’, meaning ‘Not In My Back Yard’, as a negative reaction by many people across the country towards efforts to create affordable housing and mixed-income communities in suburban areas. We then explain how the title of this podcast ‘YIMBY Nation’ is turning this concept on its head, with ‘YIMBY’ standing for ‘Yes, In My Back Yard’. Tune in today to hear personal stories of neighborhoods that have been transformed from an attitude of ‘NIMBY’ to that of ‘YIMBY’. Find out what to expect from future episodes and be inspired by true stories of the change that is possible!

Key Points From This Episode:

An introduction to the YIMBY Nation podcast and its mission to help build more equitable neighborhoods.
An introduction to Jimmy Miller and what inspired him to get into housing development.
An introduction to Peter Wood and what sparked his passion for social justice and housing development.
Vincencia Adusei’s background in Ghana, her career, and what led her to help create this podcast.
An explanation of the title ‘YIMBY’ as a reaction to ‘NIMBY’.
How zoning laws have enforced the NIMBY effect.
Jimmy and Peter reflect on a development where they came up against NIMBYism and a fence that separated communities.
Peter talks about another experience and the positive response from residents when they overturned a zoning denial.
How Vee is hoping that the podcast will help people have an open mind and be receptive to change.
Upcoming guests you can expect in future episodes.
Peter’s hopes that the podcast will inspire young people to get involved in housing development.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Episode 5: Activism and ACORN: The Global Fight for Affordable and Livable Housing with Wade Rathke

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

12/22/21 • 47 min

Acorn International
Wade Rathke on Twitter
Wade Rathke on LinkedIn
Wade's Website
Wade Rathke on Email

Welcome 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 hopeful gaze at the future, as well as revealing how ACORN’s work differs in the US, Canada, Peru, Africa, India, and beyond. We hope you join us to hear all of this and more today.

Key Points From This Episode:

An introduction to today’s guest, Wade Rathke.
Wade’s history with ACORN International, working in 15 countries across the world. It has local offices in Argentina, Peru, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Canada, India, and Kenya and partnerships in Indonesia, Korea, and the Philippines.
The current state of marginalized communities.
Why the show hosts and Wade have been so involved in empowering communities facing social issues like economic development and fair housing.
How fighting for housing rights differs in the US and other countries.
The importance of ACORN being a membership organization and not an NGO.
The backwards movement in US welfare.
What Wade finds hopeful about the global approach to welfare and housing.
A reflection with Wade and the hosts on if they believe they have changed the world in the way they intended through advocacy.
How the commitment to equitable housing has shifted over time.
How resources and obstacles change across the globe although people want the same things.
What ACORN does to ensure the same approach across different affiliates in different countries.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: