Who Killed the Starter Home?

In this episode I spoke with Casey Anderson who for 8 years chaired the Montgomery County Maryland Planning Board. I came across his recent article "What are planning hearings for?" where he talks about problems he saw that make our public engagement process so dysfunctional.

Casey offers suggestions, but we by no means came up with complete solutions. We hope that this is a start of the conversation. 

In this episode, I spoke with Taizo Yamamoto, principal of Yamamoto Architects. They creating beautiful, sustainable housing in Vancouver. He shares how the flexibility of Vancouver’s zoning allows for innovative and green projects. I loved learning about mass timber structures and other ideas that could help create more sustainable buildings and vibrant neighborhoods.

In this episode, I spoke with Alain Bertaud, urban economist and author of Order Without Design, whose career spans more than half a century planning cities across the globe, from communist systems to market economies. The incredible stories he shares illustrate why we are forced to consume more land and space, where the real hidden costs lie, and why common sense so often disappears in housing policy.

In this episode, I speak with Mike Hathorne, author of the new book The Great Housing Reversal and the New American Dream. We talk about how market signals are clear about the kinds of homes people actually want to live in, yet outdated zoning and rigid development models continue to deliver the opposite. If we want affordable, walkable, human-scale neighborhoods again, we have to start listening to the market instead of silencing it.

This episode is a special one — our first recorded in front of a live audience on November 12th at the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority conference in Madison. I sat down with Elmer Moore, WHEDA’s executive director, to talk about re-imagining starter homes, the power of combining audacity with innovation, and how WHEDA is putting those words into action to make housing happen.    

In this episode, I talk with journalist Benjamin Schneider, author of The Unfinished Metropolis: Igniting the City-Building Revolution.

We explore why cities need room to evolve and innovate, and how that mindset can help bring back starter homes and neighborhood-level creativity. We even dig into the question of where and why one would build an entirely new city and what is an "eco-district."

Every week, 75 to 100 churches close their doors. Some dilapidated buildings will slowly decay; others will become luxury condos with stained-glass windows. Our guest, pastor and property developer Mark Elsdon, isn’t waiting around. He’s building tools to help communities start early and grow something truly unique in God’s backyard — with patience, trust, and purpose.

I had so much fun speaking with Anthony Mattacchione and Raphael Kay.   They apply what they learned from slime mold to architecture and planning. This fascinating single-cell organism sends pulses through its body and can build efficient networks that resemble cities and transportation systems, only more resilient!  

I learned that we need a bit of “individual stupidity” for bottom-up community design to work. And that digital twin-making for cities already exists! What are we going to learn from it?

This episode is a little different. I switch roles and speak with Alex Margulis, a Princeton student and inspiring thinker who is researching and writing about climate, housing, and the power of agency.

We talk about why sustainability shouldn’t be driven by fear, how housing can be one of the most impactful climate solutions, and explore practical ways students can turn their advocacy into real impact.

In this episode, I talk with Ned Resnikoff, former policy director at California YIMBY (a pro-housing nonprofit that stands for Yes in My Backyard). My favorite part of our conversation is Ned’s story of how a casual happy hour grew into a statewide movement that rewrote the rules on housing, zoning, and grassroots organizing.

When architect and entrepreneur Carrie Shores Diller heard her clients tell their aging parents, “Oh, we’ll just put these temporary things up, and when you’re gone, we’ll take them back down,” she knew something had to change... That’s no way to face one’s mortality!

In this episode, Carrie shares how her company, Inspired ADUs, has brought hundreds of new homes to life, and how California’s bold housing laws made it possible for these small, beautifully designed Accessory Dwelling Units to deliver flexibility, affordability, and connection.

Economist Bryan Caplan reminds us that builders aren’t criminals, complainers are the minority, and there’s no way around it: we have to build more homes to meet demand.

If you’ve already read too many boring articles on the subject, Professor Caplan has the solution: a scientific comic book. Turns out, it’s actually fun being a YIMBY!

In this episode, land use attorney Kevin Moore walks us through the nearly impossible process of getting a use variance. It’s easy to tell the owner of a failing strip mall or an abandoned office building: “just get a variance, no need for legislative change". But as Kevin explains, that’s practically impossible and borderline illegal... at least in New Jersey.

Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau was elected to the state legislature at just 21 and went on to become the champion of Maine’s housing reform. He ushered in two major sets of reforms that empowered everyday Mainers to be part of solving the housing crisis. Notably, the second set of reforms passed with a unanimous vote in both the House and Senate.

In this episode, recovering city planner turned developer Seth Zeren explains how our obsession with safety and control has locked down the very process that once created vibrant, livable neighborhoods. He shares his ideas for bringing back a building culture of flexibility, experimentation, and creativity.

In this episode, I talk with Edie Weintraub—founder of Terra Alma, retail strategist, and advocate for vibrant, connected communities. From alleys to roof decks, from feet on streets to butts in seats, Edie is passionate about small, human-scale spaces and their powerful impact on the places we love to call home.

Desmond Dunn is learning, building, and leading. He is working to bring affordable, community-driven development (no subsidies needed) to his own community in Raleigh, North Carolina. In this episode, we explore how prosperity reshaped the starter home and even what role developers play in where you meet your spouse. 

In this episode, economist Salim Furth explains why the housing crisis isn’t just speculation: it’s demand running headfirst into regulation. His research quantifies how much red tape really costs families in this country.

We also talk about how towns fall over themselves to lure big companies while failing the small and mid-size developers who could actually build the housing we need. Along the way, Salim shares inspiring success stories from Texas to Maine and even offers advice for our gubernatorial candidates.

Berkeley Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani shares how she ran and won on a pro-housing platform, and how that has now become the norm. Did you know that Berkeley, the birthplace of single-family zoning, just passed ordinances allowing 8 units per parcel + 8 ADUs as of right? As Rashi says, “It’s so much more fun to say yes to new people in your community.”

Graffiti artists are often the first responders to abandonment. But what happens to their art when development moves in?

In this episode, graffiti artist and muralist Leon Rainbow shares his journey—from tagging walls in California to painting Trenton’s largest mural on the outside of the maximum-security prison. We dive into the role of art as expression, as business, and as community building.

Shaheed Morris takes us inside his personal journey, from nearly losing his grandmother’s home to building a bigger vision for Trenton’s future and for his own. He’s working, studying, and building all at the same time, turning challenge into momentum and vision into action.

In this episode Architect and Developer John Hatch and I explore how walkability, historic charm, and a strong sense of place can be the real luxuries—and why cities like Trenton are full of starter home treasures waiting to be rediscovered. I especially love the story of John and his collaborators literally bringing 18 homes back to life in their own neighborhood—and that’s just the beginning.  

In this episode, Sean Jackson, CEO of Isles, shares his thoughts on what it takes to grow a city that truly works. We talk about Trenton’s housing and community revitalization—and how it all starts with caring enough to make change happen. Isles is a nonprofit organization dedicated to training and educating adults and youth, helping families build wealth through innovative financial services, and promoting healthy living.

This first conversation is with Roland Pott, a real estate broker, developer, and longtime Trenton resident. We talk about what it really takes to turn a “bedroom community” into a real one.

Trenton’s walkability, density, and affordability offer a rare opportunity: a place where first-time buyers and small-scale developers can help shape the city’s future—without waiting for billion-dollar investments or zoning miracles.

Roland shares why this historic city is already built for community—and why now is the time to bring it to life

In this episode, I spoke with Professor Christopher Cowton, an expert in business ethics and co-author of a powerful paper on hypocrisy. Joining us from London, he helps unpack the moral tension at the heart of NIMBYism—when people who support progressive values push back on new housing in their own neighborhoods.

Is it hypocrisy? Fear? Or something deeper? And how can philosophy help us talk about housing more honestly—and more possibly more productively?

In this episode, I spoke with the Honorable Judge Joe Small, retired presiding judge of the Tax Court of New Jersey. Judge Small breaks down how our property tax system, rooted in 1940s constitutional language, affects everything from starter home construction to school funding, and why it’s often lower- and middle-income families who end up footing the bill.

We talk about what's broken, what could be fixed, and why some reforms are harder than they should be.

In this episode, I spoke with Commissioner Jacquelyn Suárez of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA). As one of the state’s largest departments, DCA is on a mission to support residents, local governments, businesses, and community organizations through financial assistance, technical expertise, and smart policy—helping improve quality of life across New Jersey.

I’ve personally benefited from DCA’s technical services, so it was especially exciting to hear about the innovative and ongoing programs that are saving taxpayers money and expanding access to homeownership in our state.

Here are the links to the...

In this episode, I spoke with Skip Schenker, who’s helping people turn fixer-uppers into dream homes by creating tools that simplify financing based on after-renovation value.

Financing problems are a huge part of why starter homes are so rare—and Skip and his collaborators at Ready4Remodel.com and Renofi are working to change that.

In this episode, I spoke with someone who’s actually seen starter homes for sale—Kol Peterson, an author, educator, and housing advocate based in Portland, Oregon.

Thanks to Kol’s efforts, and the work of many other incredible advocates, Portland is seeing real change and real results. It’s a true success story we can all admire—and learn from.

Lots of people have asked us: Why is it so expensive to build starter homes?

In the final episode of our mini-series featuring conversations with brilliant millennials, I spoke with Shane Phillips, author of The Affordable City: Strategies for Putting Housing Within Reach (and Keeping it There).

We dug into what’s broken in the housing ladder—and what kinds of housing policy could help fix it.

I continued speaking with inspiring and brilliant millennials in this week’s episode.
Natali Fani-Gonzalez is a first-term council member in Montgomery County, Maryland. With her love of numbers and community-centered leadership, she has already passed a well-balanced (yet controversial) rent control bill and an office-to-residential conversion law. She’s faced plenty of setbacks along the way, but that has not stopped her: a missing middle housing bill is next in the works.   We would like to hear what you think about this conversation or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the b...

In this episode, I spoke with Daryl Fairweather. Dr. Fairweather is the chief economist at Redfin as well as a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Academic Advisory Council. She explained the idea of Land Value Tax and how taxing land differently can help us incentivize denser and more sustainable development. 

Continuing my conversations with brilliant millennials, I sat down with Joseph Hendershot, Principal Analyst for Middlesex County, New Jersey.

In his work with demographic and economic data, Joseph has uncovered some fascinating trends:
Why is family size increasing even as the number of children declines?
Why are we building things that will be obsolete in just two decades?

We also discussed his personal hopes and dreams as a young professional navigating the housing landscape.

In this episode, I spoke with Christian Calderon. Unlike our other guests, he isn’t working to build starter homes—he’s trying to buy one. Christian shares a powerful immigrant story and an unwavering belief in the American Dream. We were also joined by Chris Costa from Stevens & Lee, who helped shed light on the technical challenges Christian faced in the process of purchasing his home.

In this episode, I spoke with Matthew Kaplan, Cofounder and CEO of ReVireo, an energy efficiency and green building services company based in New Jersey. Matt and his team live and breathe sustainability as it relates to buildings. As a leader in the field, he shed light on how sustainable projects are approved and delivered—what’s not working, and what could be improved.   We would like to hear what you think about this conversation or if you have any ideas for how to bring the starter homes back from the brink of extinction, send us a note at starterhomepodcast@gmail.

This is one of the most inspiring conversations I have had.    In this episode, I spoke with Burhan Azeem. He is the youngest city councilor in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Burhan worked tirelessly to remove costly parking minimums and expand zoning for 100% affordable housing projects. He is laser focused on legalizing multifamily housing up to six stories throughout the city, ensuring that Cambridge remains an affordable and accessible place to live for all its residents.    For those who are familiar with the work or Abundant Housing Massachusents or Ezra Klein's and Derek Thompson book, Abundance, Burhan's work is the real life implementation.    We would...

I’m thrilled to continue the conversations with brilliant millennials about housing and homeownership.   In this episode, I spoke with Iziah Thompson, a Senior Policy Analyst at the Community Service Society of New York, where he researches and advocates for housing policies aimed at improving the lives of low-income New Yorkers and strengthening urban communities. We discussed Community Land Trusts, and I learned about Land Acquisition Revolving Funds. We also didn’t shy away from addressing the uncomfortable topic of gentrification.   We would like to hear what you think about this conversation or if you have any ideas for how to bri...

As we continue in our series of conversations with brilliant Millennials, I spoke with Matt Mleczko. Dr. Mleczko received his Ph.D. in Population Studies and Social Policy from Princeton University where he conducted research as part of the The Eviction Lab. Matt also practices what he preaches - he can be found educating people about housing policy, attending public hearings supporting local projects and helping build coalitions. Check out his organization PrincetonGrows.com

Do let us know what you think about this conversation, what other topics you would like to hear or if you have any...

This episode kicks off a series of conversations with millennials about housing and homeownership.   I spoke with Katie Brennan, a graduate of Rutgers University’s Master of Urban Planning program. She has worked for both nonprofit and governmental organizations—for example, she served as the Chief of Staff at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. She is also running for public office. I was interested in hearing both the personal stories and professional perspectives of these talented and dedicated young people.   We would like to hear what you think about this conversation or if you have any ideas for ho...

As we rethink the future of starter homes, we explore what truly matters to young buyers in their home searches—and what they’re willing to sacrifice. Spoiler alert: They might give up the car, but not the dog!

In this episode, I spoke with Peter Dennehy, Senior Vice President at John Burns Research and Consulting. With over 20 years of personal experience and access to the extensive research conducted by his firm, Peter provides us with a data-driven perspective on the housing market. John Burns Research offers the most comprehensive analysis of the residential for-sale market, covering both...

Did your parents help you buy a starter home? Are you planning to help your child buy a starter home? In this episode I spoke with Joshua Wilton, broker and owner of Queenston Realty. He is planning to help his 3 kids and we talked about why. 

In the interest of full transparency, Josh and I are partners in Princeton Home Connections, a company that designs and builds Accessory Dwelling Units.

In this episode I spoke with Richard Kahlenberg. The New York Times called Richard, The Liberal Maverick Fighting Race-Based Affirmative Action. Dr. Kahlenberg works on helping improve educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged people of all races. He is the author or editor of 18 books, testified in front of the US congress and was an expert witness at the US supreme court. We talked about why his book Excluded is about housing.   Do let us know what you think about this conversation, what other topics you would like to hear or if you have any ideas for how to bring the st...

In this episode, I spoke with Jacob Anbinder. His upcoming book, NIMBY Nation: The War on Growth That Created Our Housing Crisis and Remade American Politics, caught my attention. As a historian of American politics, Jacob has researched the root causes of NIMBYism—an essential topic for those of us working to create housing while facing NIMBY opposition every day. Jacob's research offers a wealth of useful information, but be careful—you'll discover that NIMBYs aren't lying or wrong all the time.   Do let us know what you think, what other topics you would like to hear or if you have...

In this episode, I spoke with Randy Shaw, the executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, a nonprofit organization in San Francisco that provides free legal services and housing for the homeless. Randy is also the editor of Beyond Chron and the author of six books.

The book that caught my attention is Generation Priced Out: Who Gets to Live in the New Urban America—a must-read. Randy was one of the first to highlight that the worst housing shortages are in our progressive blue cities. For example, do you know where the first "neighborhood preservation ordinance" or...

In this episode I spoke with Edward Erfurt, the Director of Community Action at Strong Towns. Strong Towns is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping cities and towns of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. Their incremental development advocacy is both practical and inspiring. Edward told me that to find the answer to who killed the starter home, we need to look back about 80 years. The two following episodes will also be looking at the motives and consequences of this old crime.    We would like to hear what you think about this conversation or if you have any ide...

In this episode I spoke with Deb Tantleff, the founding principal at https://www.tantumre.com. As a practitioner, Deb has developed over $2 billion dollars in construction of over 7,000 residential units throughout the state of NJ. She is also a housing advocate and chair of the NJ Builders Association.    Deb and I spoke about the barriers developers have to overcome trying to build new homes. I also asked Deb to explain why so few condos are created for the entry level market. It is a depressing story of good intentions leading to terrible consequences.    I hope you find this conversation educ...

Aaron Lubeck wears many hats in the world of housing and urban development. He is a builder, planner, writer, policy advocate and educator. Check out his work at aaronlubeck.substack.com and southernurbanism.org.   We talked about strategies to help towns create buildings and communities that are unique and require no subsidy to be affordable. You should also hear Aaron's great explanation of the threshold of abuse for small local developers and how that is different from the large corporate development groups.   Let us know what you think, what other topics you would like to hear or if you have any...