Our Homes: Ending the Housing Crisis

Latest Episodes:

Our Homes - Ending the Housing Crisis: Khrushchyovka: Soviet Mass Housing in the Postwar Era Aug 03, 2022

Show notes

The Soviet Mass Housing project began in the late 1950s after Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin’s death. The Soviet Union was in need of mass housing due to a severe housing shortage so they developed a quick low cost way of building apartments. These apartments resolved the housing shortage and provided housing for those in need.

Professor Philipp Meuser, an architect and publisher, planned and designed construction projects all over the word with a particular emphasis on Eastern Europe and Muslim countries. He is an expert in Soviet Mass Housing, completing a PhD for his research on it from Berlin Technical University. He is also the acting managing director of Meuser Architekten GmbH and head of DOM publishers. Meuser discusses how Soviet Mass Housing became the most successful home building program of the 20th century. This episode of Our Homes is hosted by Senator Stanley Chang.

Our Homes - Ending the Housing Crisis: Housing as a Human Right in the European Union Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Kim van Sparrentak and her colleagues in the European Union(EU) produced a report that gave recommendations on increasing accessibility to affordable housing. Housing is a human right and investors should not be able to take houses from local residents who need them. Sparrentak emphasizes that social cohesion and a greater supply of affordable housing is what is needed to combat the housing crisis around the world. She believes that homelessness in the EU could end by 2030 if the EU pursues housing as a human right.

Kim van Sparrentak, a member of the European Parliament, from the Netherlands, is a leader in European efforts to provide access to decent and affordable housing for all within the European Union. She discusses the EU’s recent approach to affordable housing. This episode of Our Homes is hosted by Senator Stanley Chang.

Our Homes - Ending the Housing Crisis: The Housing Shortage’s Impact on Native Hawaiians Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Tyler Gomes, the Deputy Chair of the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL), discusses how housing issues impact Native Hawaiians in Hawaii. Residential land in Hawaii is land available for Native Hawaiians to lease at low costs. There is not enough land available to meet all residential lease applications. The waitlist will take around 182 years to meet the demand at the current rate and many Native Hawaiians have passed while on the waiting list. There are many DHHL initiatives underway such as fee-simple down payment assistance, rent with option to purchase, developing condominium rentals, and kuleana land awards to help Native Hawaiians gain access to affordable housing. This episode of Our Homes is hosted by Senator Stanley Chang.

Our Homes - Ending the Housing Crisis: How Houston Houses the Fastest Growing City in America Jan 08, 2021

Show notes

As a professor at Rice University, Stephen Klineberg and his students began conducting an annual survey in 1982, now called the Kinder Institute Houston Area Survey, that tracks the area's demographics and attitudes. Professor Klineburg and Shelton discuss the results of the institute’s survey, Houston's zero zoning model, the affordability of housing in the region, and racial equity in Houston’s housing. Professor Klineberg is a demographics expert and sociologist in Houston, Texas and Kyle Shelton is a postdoctoral fellow at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. This episode of Our Homes is hosted by Senator Stanley Chang.

Our Homes - Ending the Housing Crisis: Hong Kong’s High Density Housing Jan 08, 2021

Show notes

Professor Bo-Sin Tang discusses Hong Kong’s unique housing environment with a high population and limited space, the advantages and disadvantages of Hong Kong’s high density housing model, and the policies that have shaped its housing situation. Professor Tang teaches at the University of Hong Kong in the Department of Urban Planning and Design. He specializes in Land Use Planning, Property Development, and Institutional Analysis in Land and Property. This episode of Our Homes is hosted by Senator Stanley Chang.

Our Homes - Ending the Housing Crisis: The Impacts of California’s “Yes In My Backyard” on Housing Availability Jan 08, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Conor Dougherty discusses the impact of California’s YIMBY–“Yes In My Backyard”–movement on the state’s housing availability, the high regulatory environments of large cities, transport oriented developments, and housing for future generations. Dougherty has covered economics and real estate for a decade at both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and is the author of “Golden Gates,” one of the NYT must-read books of 2020. This episode of Our Homes is hosted by Senator Stanley Chang.

Our Homes - Ending the Housing Crisis: From Copenhagen to Tokyo: Learning from International Housing Delivery Systems Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

Sarah Karlinsky presents her findings from "From Copenhagen to Tokyo: Learning from International Housing Delivery Systems.” Karlinsky discusses the housing context in the Bay Area, while Christian Bevington explains what the US can learn from international housing models. Karlinsky is a Senior Policy Advisor at San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) and Bevington is a Senior Analyst at AECOM’s Cities Team where he has developed strategic master plans for resilient cities. This episode of Our Homes is hosted by Senator Stanley Chang.

Our Homes - Ending the Housing Crisis: How Land Use and Zoning Laws Impact Affordable Housing Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

Professor David Schleicher of Yale University discusses how land use and zoning laws impact affordable housing. Professor Schleicher then gives his take on recent attempts to expand housing availability nationally and in individual states. Professor Schleicher is one of the top authorities on local land use law and is the originator of several innovative ideas to facilitate housing growth. This episode of Our Homes is hosted by Senator Stanley Chang.

Our Homes - Ending the Housing Crisis: Oregon’s Land Use Laws Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Mary Kyle McCurdy discusses Oregon’s land use laws which require local land use planning programs to comply with comprehensive, statewide regulations. McCurdy elaborates on Oregon’s growing housing needs, the state’s efforts to increase affordable housing, and simultaneous conservation of the state’s forests and natural resources. McCurdy is the Deputy Director of 1000 Friends of Oregon, a community organization that advocates affordable land use and conservation through research, advocacy, education, and litigation. This episode of Our Homes is hosted by Senator Stanley Chang.

Our Homes - Ending the Housing Crisis: The Homes Guarantee Campaign Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Tara Raghuveer talks about the problems with our national housing shortage, her campaign for a national homes guarantee, and what a social housing model would look like. Raghuveer is the KC Tenants and People's Action Institute Homes Guarantee Campaign Director. A national homes guarantee is based on the idea that housing is a human right and that housing should be provided as a public good. This episode of Our Homes is hosted by Senator Stanley Chang.