Infill: A YIMBY Podcast

On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Law's Executive Director Sonja Trauss speaks with Dr. Adam Ozimek, Chief Economist for the Economic Innovation Group about their idea to get the federal government more involved in housing policy. Pro-housing advocates understand that we need to incentivize local governments to remove barriers to building new homes. The Economic Innovation Group has come up with a new idea called "Density Zones" to empower local governments to facilitate more building by incentivizing them with rewards from the federal government proportional to the number of new homes built. So, how would this work? The first step would be for the federal government to develop standardized zoning and building codes drawn from best practices nationwide. Then, municipalities would have the ability to adopt this code for specific areas within their jurisdiction. These standardized best practices would help streamline building by providing a set of rules that developers can use to operate with. Finally, areas that meet the program's targets would be rewarded with "Density Dividends," which could be used to do things like building infrastructure or new schools to accommodate the new homes. Tune in to learn more about the ideas that the Economic Innovation Group is working on, and how they think "Density Zones" could make it easier for state and local governments to their tackle housing shortages. Learn more about Density Zones: https://agglomerations.substack.com/p/how-the-next-president-can-solveLearn more about the Economic Innovation Group: https://eig.org/Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/

Max Podemski, an insightful author on urban housing, discusses his groundbreaking book on the evolution of American housing. He explores how historical immigrant communities shaped dense, multi-family homes, contrasting them with today's fixation on single-family homes. The conversation navigates through the architectural history of cities like Boston and Los Angeles, critiques modern urban initiatives, and emphasizes the need for adaptable housing policies. Podemski also tackles the impact of zoning and housing finance on social mobility and community dynamics.

Americans are struggling to stay afloat due to high housing prices caused by our nation’s housing shortage. Fortunately, there is a growing number of voices advocating for pro-housing policy solutions. Up For Growth is a national, cross-sector member network committed to solving the housing shortage and affordability crisis. While many advocates focus on solutions to the housing shortage at the local and state levels, Up For Growth supports federal policies that will increase the number of homes throughout the country. On this episode of the Infill podcast, you’ll hear from our Executive Director Laura Foote and Up For Growth’s National Policy Director David Garcia about what the federal government’s current attitude is on pro-housing policies, how we can inspire more bold policy solutions, and why it is critical to have bipartisan support for pro-housing legislation. In particular, one federal bill that Up For Growth and YIMBY Action are supporting is the YIMBY Act. In this episode you will learn more about what the YIMBY Act does to promote pro-housing solutions and housing affordability, as well as why we need to tell our congress members to act NOW to bring the YIMBY Act to a vote before the year ends. You can email your congress members to support the YIMBY Act using our online tool below! Email Your Congress Members About the YIMBY Act: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-representative-bring-the-yimby-act-to-a-voteLearn More about YIMBY Action: https://new.yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on X: https://x.com/yimbyactionFollow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyactionLearn more about Up For Growth: https://upforgrowth.org/

Courtney Porcella, Business Membership Manager at YIMBY Action, joins Hannah Gable from Ivory Innovations, a nonprofit dedicated to housing affordability. They dive into the latest trends in pro-housing legislation across the U.S. Discover innovative initiatives like the Ivory Prize and a new database tracking successful housing policies. They discuss the importance of community support, accountability in legislation, and the role of grassroots efforts in shaping housing outcomes. Tune in for insights on replicating these successes nationwide!

In 2020, U.S. census data analysis revealed that, for the first time, Native Hawai'ians living in the continental U.S. outnumbered those living in Hawaii. Redfin reports that the median home list price is currently $825,000.  High cost of living and a lack of affordable homes have continued to be huge challenges for natives and transplants living in Hawai'i. Listen to this episode of Infill to hear what advocates are doing to make homes more affordable.This year in honor of AAPI Heritage  Month, we wanted to highlight all of the amazing work that our Hawai’i YIMBY chapter is doing and how it is impacting native Hawai'ians on the islands.Listen in to hear our conversation with Hawai’i YIMBY volunteer leaders Damien Waikaloa and Matt Popovich. We spoke about how they got started in the YIMBY movement, the missing middle housing policies they’re organizing around now, and why they think YIMBYism is so important to uplift Hawai'ians. Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/Learn more about Hawai’i YIMBY: https://hawaiiyimby.com/Follow Hawai’i YIMBY on Twitter: https://x.com/hiyimby/Follow Hawai’i YIMBY on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hawaiiyimby/

Virginia is short 105,000 homes while rents have gone up 13% in the last 5 years. Despite housing costs rising astronomically, local governments are largely not stepping up to help facilitate or build more homes. That’s why our local YIMBY chapters are taking matters into their own hands, and demanding action from State Officials. Tune in to this episode of Infill to hear from volunteer leaders from our chapters YIMBYs of NoVA, YIMBY Hampton Roads, and RVA YIMBY. They break down the four state-wide YIMBY bills they are advocating for, share insights on how they are learning to successfully work with state legislators and local coalition partners, and explain why grassroots organizing is critical to get elected officials to take action on housing. YIMBY volunteers in Virginia are not only bringing their state one step closer to a future of abundant, affordable, inclusive housing. They are also paving the way for YIMBYs in other states to learn strategies to build power in their communities and connect with new folks who share our vision for a better future. Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/Learn more about YIMBYs of NoVA: https://www.yimbysofnova.org/Learn more about RVA YIMBYs: https://rvayimby.org/Learn more about YIMBY Hampton Roads: https://yimbyhamptonroads.org/

Single stair reform is a powerful tool to make it easier and faster to build more homes. Cities like Seattle and New York are changing the way that they build multi-family housing to fill their neighborhoods with denser housing options. Now, advocates can help their own communities do the same. Single stair reform in housing advances more affordable and diverse housing options by allowing fewer staircases in apartment buildings while maintaining safety standards. YIMBY Action was joined by East Bay for Everyone and the Livable Communities Initiative for an in-depth discussion about organizing for local single stair reform. Listen to a panel of experts and organizers to learn more about how single stair reform works and what you can do to promote it in your community!Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/Learn more about East Bay for Everyone: https://eastbayforeveryone.org/Learn more about the Livable Communities Initiative: https://www.livablecommunitiesinitiative.com/

Richard Kahlenberg, author of Excluded: How Snob Zoning, Nimbyism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don't See, discusses how US housing policy segregates neighborhoods based on economic class, disproportionately impacting Black and Brown people. He proposes a National Economic Fair Housing Act to combat class-based exclusion. The podcast also explores the connection between school and neighborhood integration, the original vision of charter schools, changes in cell phone tower regulations, concerns about fair housing legislation, and the power of organizing against racism.

The United States' efforts to provide accessible and affordable homes for all individuals have fallen short. The Kelsey, a disability rights advocacy group, is pioneering disability-forward housing solutions that are accessible and inclusive.In this episode, Laura Foote, executive director of YIMBY Action sits down with Allie and Hunter from the Kelsey to discuss the VITAL Act, a piece of federal pro-housing legislation. The passage of this act provides a powerful solution to increasing access to secure, affordable, and inclusive housing for individuals with disabilities and senior citizens.Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/Learn more about the Kelsey: https://thekelsey.org/Follow The Kelsey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheKelseyMoreFollow The Kelsey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekelseymoreFollow The Kelsey on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekelseymore

Affordable housing is absolutely essential, but there are so many obstacles that prevent it from being funded and built. In this episode, YIMBY Action Executive Director sits down with Congressman Maxwell Frost to talk about how he’s working to remove those obstacles at the federal level. Congressman Frost is the first Gen Z candidate to get elected to Congress! Before being elected, he helped lead our Orlando Chapter, Orlando YIMBY. Both YIMBY Action and Orlando YIMBY endorsed him in 2022, and we’re excited to have another YIMBY in Congress! If you're ready to get involved in the pro-housing movement, join YIMBY Action as a Member! Members get access to a vibrant online community with thousands of advocates and experts. Members also get access to exclusive events, trainings, and other perks! Plus, if you join in August 2023, you get a free shirt 🙌 Become a Member by volunteering or donating $35 or more: https://bit.ly/yimbymembership2023 Links:Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on X (formerly known as Twitter): https://x.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yimbyactionFollow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://facebook.com/yimbyaction/ Follow Rep. Maxwell Frost on X: https://x.com/RepMaxwellFrostFollow Rep. Maxwell Frost on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@repmaxwellfrostFollow Rep. Maxwell Frost on Instagram: https://instagram.com/repmaxwellfrost