The Stoop

This episode of The Stoop dives into how housing advocates work with — and sometimes around — the governor’s office to pass pro‑housing policy in Colorado, Arizona, and Connecticut. Matt Frommer describes advancing major supply‑side reforms under a strongly pro‑YIMBY Colorado governor, even as vetoes on tenant protections complicate progressive support. Gaelle Esposito explains how Arizona’s cauti...

In this episode of The Stoop, Montana Representative Katie Zolnikov and former Representative Danny Tenenbaum explain how a cross-partisan coalition of mostly younger lawmakers and advocates passed the so-called “Montana miracle” — a suite of statewide pro-housing reforms in 2023 that legalized ADUs, allowed duplexes in single-family zones, expanded mixed-use development, and created the Montana L...

Anna Fahey and Daniel Herriges discuss the importance of parking reform in housing advocacy. The conversation covers a three-step messaging framework: defining the problem, illustrating solutions, and outlining actionable steps. They encourage advocates to use tangible, local examples and to avoid ideological framing to build broad support for parking reform.

Recap some of the highlights from Season 1 — including clips from episodes with Graham Downey from Anchorage, Carlie Boos from Columbus, Susan Bean from Asheville, Jake Hinman from Arizona, and Dan Reed from greater Washington — and some preview of what's to come in Season 2.

In this episode of "The Stoop," Cutter González hosts a discussion with Grace Murray, Nick Taylor, and Matt Mooshian about recent housing policy wins in New Hampshire. They discuss the passage of House Bill 631, which allows for mixed-use districts and expanded accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and parking reforms. The conversation highlights the importance of a broad coalition, including young peo...

Catie Gould and Kate Brunette Kreuzer discuss recent housing reforms in Washington State. They highlight significant achievements, including the passage of a major parking reform bill, transit-oriented development legislation, lot splits, and more. These reforms aim to increase housing proximity, reduce barriers to new housing production, and create affordability. They also address the challenges...

Karen DuBois Walton, Ph. D., from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Pete Harrison from DesegregateCT discuss the near-win of this year's Work-Live-Ride bill in the Connecticut Legislature. They also talk about local policy progress and the fast-approaching YIMBYtown, the national pro-housing convening, which they are co-hosting in New Haven this September.

Burhan Azeem and Jesse Kanson-Benanav tell the story of Cambridge's significant zoning reforms, including eliminating single-family zoning and allowing six-story buildings citywide. These reforms, which could increase housing capacity in Cambridge by almost as much as the rest of Massachusetts combined, were made possible with electoral support and advocacy efforts spanning over a decade. Further,...

Susan Bean, from Mountain True, discusses her transition from community engagement to housing and transportation policy advocacy, driven by the need for immediate community benefits. She details Asheville's recent changes to its Unified Development Ordinances, including eliminating parking requirements, increasing building heights, and streamlining approvals for larger housing projects. These chan...

Carlie Boos discusses her journey from ballet to law school and her transition to housing advocacy during the 2007 housing crisis. Carlie, now leading the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio (AHACO), highlights their mission to address housing gaps through research, data, and community education. AHACO's successes include passing $250 million in affordable housing bonds, zoning reform, and...

Mary Kyle McCurdy and Sam Diaz discuss housing policies and legislative efforts in Oregon. Mary Kyle highlights Oregon's urban growth boundaries and the need for diverse housing types. She recounts the passage of the 2019 Middle Housing Bill, which allowed duplexes, triplexes, and four-plexes on single-family lots, leading to over 1,400 new homes in Portland. Sam shares his family's immigration st...

Annemarie Gray discusses recently getting the "City of Yes" initiative across the finish line in New York City — the city's first major reform on housing in recent history. Gray, who has a background in architecture and planning policy, highlights the importance of zoning reform as part of a broad package that must include other measures to build abundant, affordable homes. City of Yes, which pass...

Sterling Higa discusses a recent legislative campaign that resulted in substantial state-level wins that will help alleviate the housing crisis in Hawaii. Despite opposition, these reforms passed due to a fierce legislative champion and a diverse coalition, spanning a wide ideological range and covering many areas of technical expertise. Higa encourages activists to be bold in their proposals and...

Graham Downey discusses his journey into housing advocacy, starting with a law school class on land use and leading to his work in Anchorage. He highlighted the success of eliminating mandatory parking minimums in Anchorage, Alaska — which can increase housing supply and reduce costs. This reform, supported by a diverse coalition under the Anchorage Housing Club banner, passed unanimously. Graham...

Kirin Goff and Jake Hinman discuss the Arizona Neighborhood Project's efforts to advocate for pro-housing policies in a deep purple state with a divided government. They share stories of big wins and hard-fought challenges — including from opponents to their bills among local administrators and other officials. They emphasize the importance of removing policy barriers to give residents the freedom...

In this episode, Felicity Maxwell, an advocate, planning commissioner, and community leader in Austin, talks about the city's efforts to transform its housing and transit policies. Felicity discusses her journey from Brooklyn to Austin, highlighting the challenges of affordable housing and the need for density and transit. She details how advocates achieved their recent policy wins in Austin, incl...

Dan Reed, the first guest on "The Stoop," discusses their journey into housing advocacy, beginning with their childhood experiences with housing insecurity and through their recent, successful housing policy campaigns. As the regional policy director for Greater Greater Washington, they focus on housing and land use policy in Maryland and Northern Virginia. Their insights into relationship buildin...

Cutter González (they/them) introduces "The Stoop" podcast, a project of the Welcoming Neighbors Network. On the show, you'll hear the stories of activists, policymakers, and thought leaders working to create abundant and affordable housing through policy campaigns across the U.S. Each episode will feature hour-long interviews, blending policy and advocacy discussions with personal stories.