ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

What happens when a soldier comes home from war and can’t get through his own front door? November is National Veterans and Military Families Month, and this special episode of ChangeMakers, Katie Goar talks with Steven Johnson, Executive Director of Purple Heart Homes and a 27-year U.S. Army veteran. Purple Heart Homes was founded by Dale Beatty and John Gallina after their vehicle hit an anti-ta...

On this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, host Katie sits down with Christianne Brunini, Chief Growth Officer at 30|90 Marketing and founding leader of the Magnolia chapter of the Women in Affordable Housing Network. Christianne's career path wound through PR for luxury brands, culinary school, and employee wellness before landing in affordable housing — and she explains how every stop alon...

Cariño Maldonado has spent 25 years in construction and over a decade in affordable housing. Today she's Chief of Staff and EOS Integrator at Icon Builders, founder and president of the Arizona chapter of the Women's Affordable Housing Network (AZ WAN), and a board member of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). In this episode of Changemakers with Katie Goar, Cariño shares ho...

Austin has become one of the country’s fastest-growing cities, creating new opportunities and intense pressure on housing affordability. In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie speaks with Mike Gerber, CEO of the Austin Housing Authority, about the difficult work of expanding affordable housing while protecting residents, preserving community history, and rebuilding public trust. Mi...

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 kn...

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 J...

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 communit...

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 proce...

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 $5...

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 clos...

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 shu...

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...

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 $2...

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...

Most solutions to homelessness focus on policy. Beth Silverman is taking a different approach. On this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie Goar sits down with Beth Silverman, co-founder and executive director of the Lotus Campaign, to break down how private sector partnerships are creating real housing solutions. Beth explains how her model connects landlords, developers, and social services to reduce...

Housing affordability is one of the fastest growing challenges in America.  In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Morgan Mansa breaks down what’s really happening behind the housing crisis, and why the solution is more complex than most people think.  Morgan is the Director of Housing Affordability and Community Revitalization for Wake County, one of the fastest growing regions in the U...

In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Dontrelle Young Foster, President and CEO of the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District, to explore what it takes to transform communities from the inside out. Drawing on 25 years of leadership and service, Foster shares how HABD’s 90 year legacy is evolving through bold redevelopment, public private partnerships, and a lo...

On this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Family Scholar House President and CEO Cathe Dykstra for a bold conversation about what affordable housing should really accomplish.  Cathe leads one of the nation’s most comprehensive models linking housing, education, and long-term economic mobility. Serving more than 106,000 households across 48 states, Family Scholar House h...

In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Marcia Davis, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers, for a powerful conversation about leadership, resilience, and the future of affordable housing in Southwest Florida. Marcia shares how growing up in public housing shaped her career and why she chose to spend more than two decades working inside...

In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Evan Holladay, founder and CEO of Holladay Ventures, to explore what it truly takes to build affordable housing with lasting community impact Evan shares his path into real estate development, starting with a chance college connection and growing into a career shaped by persistence, curiosity, and service. He explains why afford...

Tiffany G. Dickerson, known across the industry as the Housing Highlighter, joins ChangeMakers with Katie Goar for a conversation about why public housing authorities must take control of their own story. Tiffany shares her unconventional path into affordable housing, moving from probation and parole work into resident services and eventually into communications strategy. Along the way, she saw a...

Amy Ginger joins ChangeMakers with Katie Goar for a grounded conversation on what works in affordable housing and what slows progress. Drawing on more than 25 years across HUD, local government, and national leadership, Amy explains why Housing Choice Vouchers matter, why utilization dropped after the pandemic, and what housing authorities do every day to keep people housed. Amy shares practical l...

Affordable housing is no longer a coastal issue or a niche policy topic. It touches every community, every income bracket, and every generation. In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie Goar speaks with Dennis Shea, Executive Director of the J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy, about why housing affordability has shifted from a “silent crisis” to a national priority. Dennis shares how gr...

Episode 136: Laura Archuleta, President and CEO, Jamboree Housing Corporation On this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, we meet Laura Archuleta, President and CEO of Jamboree Housing Corporation, one of California’s leading nonprofit affordable housing developers serving more than 20,000 residents statewide. Laura shares how her mother’s experience growing up in public housing and her own f...

In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, we meet Neil Brickfield, Executive Director of the Pinellas County Housing Authority in Florida.  Neil shares how his journey from running the Police Athletic League to leading one of the state’s largest housing authorities shaped his mission to serve families and seniors with dignity and stability. He and Katie discuss the challenges of building af...