Defining Affordable: A Housing Solutions Podcast

Affordable housing creates stability. But what should come next? We've spent a lot of time discussing why homeownership has become increasingly difficult to achieve and what that means for wealth inequality in America. But if fewer people are able to build wealth through traditional homeownership, how do we create new opportunities for renters? This episode explores innovative ideas that challenge...

HUD recently released its 2026 Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), signaling a major shift in federal homelessness policy. In this special episode of Defining Affordable , Jaime and Robin examine the proposed changes, the evidence behind them, and what they could mean for communities across the country. HUD argues that Housing First has failed and proposes a renewed empha...

In our last episode, Work vs. Wealth: Why Homeownership Keeps Moving Out of Reach , we explored the widening gap between wealth and work, making homeownership increasingly difficult to attain. In this follow-up conversation, Robin and Jaime zoom out to examine the broader economic forces behind that trend. If inflation is under control, why do groceries, insurance, and housing feel so much more ex...

For decades, homeownership was one of the primary ways Americans built wealth. Today, even people with good jobs and steady incomes are finding it increasingly difficult to buy a home. In this episode, Robin and Jaime explore how we got here. They unpack the housing boom and crash of 2008, the rise of mortgage-backed securities, and the role investors played in reshaping the housing market. Along...

What if everything you thought you knew about homelessness was wrong? Jaime and Robin tackle some of the most common — and most harmful — myths surrounding homelessness, using data and policy history to separate fact from fear-driven narratives. From the misconception that homelessness is caused by “bad choices” or drug use, to the belief that people “just don’t want help,” this conversation digs...

California’s housing shortage and affordability problems are front and center in the 2026 governor’s race. In this episode of Defining Affordable , Jaime and Robin break down where the top candidates stand on housing affordability, homelessness, zoning reform, accountability, and development policy. From deregulation and transit-oriented development to tenant protections and first-time homeownersh...

Homelessness Starts With Housing In this episode of Defining Affordable , Jaime and Robin explore why the cost of housing is the single strongest predictor of homelessness — and how policy decisions helped create today’s crisis. Through the history of housing policy in the United States — from the New Deal and deinstitutionalization to the loss of SRO housing and major federal funding cuts — they...

In this episode of Defining Affordable , Jaime and Robin unpack LIHTC—the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program—and explain why it is the main way affordable housing gets built in the U.S. today. Using simple analogies, they break down how tax credits incentivize investors, why developers need them to make affordable housing projects financially viable, and how AMI, or Area Median Income, determin...

This episode of Defining Affordable traces the shift in U.S. housing policy from the 1950s through the 1990s, as urban renewal and highway projects displaced low-income communities and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 sought to address discrimination. Robin and Jaime examine how the federal government moved away from public housing—citing its visible decline while overlooking chronic underfunding and...

This episode of Defining Affordable traces the timeline of how today’s housing crisis was built—from New Deal–era policies that expanded access to homeownership and affordable rentals for some, while deliberately excluding others. Robin and Jaime connect those inequitable policy decisions to the affordability challenges we see today. Covering the period through the 1960s, this episode sets the sta...

In this foundational episode of Defining Affordable , Robin and Jaime step back to unpack how California’s housing crisis became the norm—and why it shouldn’t be. They explore rising rents, stagnant wages, and the growing gap between incomes and housing costs, grounding the conversation in real numbers and everyday experiences. From rent burden to housing scarcity, this episode separates symptoms...

What does “affordable housing” actually mean—and why does it feel so out of reach? Hosted by Jaime and Robin—affordable housing industry professionals—Defining Affordable takes a clear, practical look at one of today’s most urgent challenges. This podcast goes beyond headlines to unpack the real forces shaping housing, from rent and development to homelessness, zoning, and the policies that determ...