Opportunity Starts at Home

Guests Christine Kim (My Dog is My Home), Shari Myers (The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies), and Meghan Mertyris (NLIHC's Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition) discuss the current federal landscape for pet-inclusive disaster housing response and recovery. While short-term protections exist, long-term protections and resources for disaster survivors with pets are limited. Expertise fro...

This episode is an audio recording of an Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) Campaign Roundtable event held in Washington, D.C. on December 2, 2025. The event brought together campaign partners to reflect on campaign achievements, mobilize around priority bills, and discuss new strategies to further multi-sector collaboration for housing affordability. The episode features Renee M. Willis, NLIHC Pre...

Our guest, Professor Victoria Kiechel, discusses the impact of housing on heat morbidity and climate change resilience. We explore the ways building design and historical inequities drive disparities in heat risk across the country, and discuss solutions for climate resilience.

Guest Dr. Heather Peske discusses the recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality, “Priced Out: The Growing Challenge of Teacher Pay and Housing Costs”. We dive into the report’s findings, the impact of unaffordable housing on teachers and ultimately students, and potential solutions, including examples of what some districts are trying. Read the report here: https://www.nctq.org/re...

Guests Eddy Conroy and Nick Graetz discuss their recent issue brief, “Ousted from Opportunity: Eviction’s Adverse Impact on Parenting College Students,” which examines the unique challenges faced by students caring for children while enrolled in college, and the results of their analysis revealing the consequences that the threat of eviction has, impacting not only the likelihood of completing a d...

In this episode, we examine the role of architects in public housing and their impact on driving positive social change. Learn how architectural innovation in public housing can address social challenges, foster community engagement, and create environments that support social equity and climate justice. Guests: Roberta Feldman, Ph. D, Professor University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Archite...

In this episode we delve into the crucial role architects play in preservation of housing affordability with an exploration of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH). This episode shares insight on how architects can act as scope and grant writers, helping to secure funding and develop plans for the preservation and improvement of affordable housing. Hear from professionals who have success...

Our guest architects explore the intricate connections between design, health, and the environment. Architects will discuss how holistic design approaches can create healthier living environments that also benefit the whole community. From improving indoor air quality to integrating green spaces and promoting sustainable living practices, discover how innovative design can enhance both human well-...

In this episode, we explore culturally mindful housing that prioritizes residents' needs and aspirations. Our guests discuss housing projects and community design processes that have successfully integrated these principles, demonstrating that when housing is designed with people in mind, it becomes a powerful catalyst for social change. Guests: Alex Patricio Salazar, Founding Principal of Salazar...

Our guest architects Karen Kubey and Casius Pealer share their experiences and insights on how thoughtful design can address both immediate needs and long-term community benefits. Discover how innovative architectural approaches can create sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant neighborhoods and support residents’ human rights. Guests: Karen Kubey, Convener, American Institute of Architects Right to...

In this episode, Julie Walker, Campaign Coordinator for Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH), moderates an insightful panel exploring the powerful partnerships at the heart of the OSAH campaign. Joining her are leaders from key areas including domestic violence prevention, early childhood development, food security, and education: Dfox from the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), Patri...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Sabrina Johnson, Senior Housing Policy Advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Dr. Johnson discusses the work of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the history of the environmental justice movement, the intersection of environmental justice and housing justice, the impact of environmental racism on communities of color, the impact of climate change,...

In this episode, we talk with Victoria Palacio, Deputy Director of State Strategy at the Legal Action Center. Mrs. Palacio discusses the work of the Legal Action Center, its participation in the OSAH campaign’s Roundtable, the latest findings from a survey conducted by the Black Harm Reduction Network, the impact of housing on harm reduction efforts and justice-involved populations, the importance...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Justin Steil, a professor of Law and Urban Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Steil joins us to discuss the origins of his interdisciplinary approach to housing policy, the historical context of the Fair Housing Act, decades of failed implementation related to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) mandate, the progress made under...

In this episode we talk with Dr. Lance Freeman, the Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor of City and Regional Planning & Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Freeman joins us to discuss how growing up in New York City spurred his interest in housing policy, the historical context of segregated living patterns in US cities, how the government contributed to those patterns, the emergence...

In this episode, we talk to Thea Sebastian, Director of Policy at Civil Rights Corps, and Sam Washington, Policy Associate at Civil Rights Corps. Sebastian and Washington explore the deep connections between affordable housing and safety for individuals and families and discuss why Civil Rights Corps joined the OSAH campaign’s Roundtable and participated in the campaign’s recent sign-on letter sup...

In this episode we talk with Dr. Eva Rosen, an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, Dr. Philip Garboden, the HCRC Professor in Affordable Housing Economics, Policy, and Planning at the University of Hawaii Manoa, Dr. Jennifer Cossyleon, a Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager at Community Change Action. Dr. Rosen, Dr. Garboden, and Dr. Cossyleon join us to d...

Leaders from the health, faith, and food security sectors join us for a discussion on advancing racial equity through their participation on the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign. In the past two years, the campaign has formed a Racial Equity Working Group to advance racial equity within the campaign. In this episode, members of the Racial Equity Working Group explore how their organizations are...

In this episode we talk with Dr. Alexander von Hoffman, an American urban planner and historian at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and Joint Center for Housing Studies. Dr. von Hoffman joins us to discuss his recent book chapter "The Origins of the Fair Housing Act of 1968” in Furthering Fair Housing: Prospects for Racial Justice in America's Neighborhoods, a volume that explores...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Lincoln Quillian, a Professor of Sociology and Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University. Dr. Quillian joins us to discuss a recent article published in the journal Race and Social Problems (2020), "Racial Discrimination in the U.S. Housing and Mortgage Lending Markets: A Quantitative Review of Trends, 1976–2016." The conversat...

The episode explores the work of the campaign’s state-based affiliates in North Carolina and features Adam Sotak, community engagement director at NCChild. Throughout the episode, Mr. Sotak discusses their unqiue partnership with the North Carolina Housing Coalition, the opportunities and challenges of building multi-sector partnerships, best practices for organizations looking to build a multi-se...

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Stefan Lallinger and Sam Adams about why education advocates must concern themselves with matters of housing policy. Dr. Lallinger is a Fellow at the Century Foundation and Director of the Bridges Collaborative, focused on issues of racial and socioeconomic integration, equity, school governance, and district-charter relationships. Sam Adams is the education prog...

The campaign continues its three-part webinar series entitled “Building Multi-Sector Partnerships to Advance Housing Policy,” with the second webinar on August 24. This webinar series explores the opportunities, challenges, and best practices of building multi-sector coalitions to advance policy, featuring speakers from leading national and state organizations from many fields of work. The second...

The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign hosted the first of a three-part webinar series, entitled “Building Multi-Sector Partnerships to Advance Housing Policy,” on May 18. The webinar featured leaders in the climate, health, and education sector discussing their participation in the campaign, the benefits and challenges of building cross-sector partnerships and engaging other advocates in their f...

This episode explores a recent report published by Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS) featuring Rasheedah Phillips, managing attorney of housing policy at CLS. Throughout the episode, Ms. Phillips discusses the report’s key findings, equitable solutions beyond the pandemic, research methods that center people with lived experience, guidance for organizations seeking to strengthen racia...