The Rent Roll with Jay Parsons EP#53 Bobby Fijan | The Case For Family-Friendly Class A Apartments
Oct 2, 2025
Bobby Fijan, founder of American Housing Corporation and a data-focused researcher, dives into the need for family-friendly Class A apartments. He reveals findings from a groundbreaking study on how these designs can boost family living and birth rates. Bobby discusses why most apartments today overlook families and opposes the trend towards smaller units. He also shares practical features that make apartments more kid-friendly, like playrooms and entry zones, advocating for policy changes to promote family-oriented designs.
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Personal Roots Of The Family Housing Mission
- Bobby met his wife in the city, joined a downtown church, and loved raising children in urban life.
- That personal experience motivated his drive to design family-friendly urban housing.
Small Floorplan Changes Drive Big Preferences
- Bobby and Lyman designed a rigorous, actionable study testing simple floorplan changes in common unit sizes.
- They focused on slight layout tweaks (extra room vs. closet) to see if families would prefer and pay more.
Housing Influences Fertility Decisions
- The study links family-friendly apartments to higher likelihood of having children among young Americans.
- Bobby argues that seeing babies and nearby families makes childbearing decisions contagious in cities.
