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ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

By: Katie Goar
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 Affordable housing is the backbone of better opportunities for all. ChangeMakers with Katie Goar analyzes the issues and challenges being faced in affordable housing today. In each episode, Katie speaks with finance experts, thought leaders, and change-makers to explore innovative solutions that provide more affordable housing options across the country. Whether you want to learn more about economic development, government funding, why affordable housing makes good economic policy, and why the total community benefits from affordable housing, this is the podcast for you.Copyright Forbes Books Economics
Episodes
  • Episode 139: Tiffany G. Dickerson, “The Housing Highlighter”, Interest Platforms

    Episode 139: Tiffany G. Dickerson, “The Housing Highlighter”, Interest Platforms
    Jan 20 2026
    Tiffany G. Dickerson, known across the industry as the Housing Highlighter, joins ChangeMakers with Katie Goar for a conversation about why public housing authorities must take control of their own story.Tiffany shares her unconventional path into affordable housing, moving from probation and parole work into resident services and eventually into communications strategy. Along the way, she saw a major gap. Housing authorities were doing meaningful work, but no one outside their walls knew about it.You hear why consistent communication matters, how silence allows others to define your narrative, and why positive stories help balance inevitable challenges. Tiffany breaks down real examples of resident services programs, from financial literacy and driver education to youth initiatives, scholarships, and community partnerships. She explains how these efforts build trust, improve engagement, and change how media and stakeholders respond.The conversation also tackles common mistakes housing authorities make online, including deleting comments, overusing flyers on social media, ignoring accessibility, and centering messaging too heavily on leadership instead of residents. Tiffany offers practical guidance on handling criticism, responding professionally to complaints, and using feedback as a system check rather than a threat.This episode is essential listening for housing authority leaders, communications teams, and community partners who want to strengthen trust, improve engagement, and make sure the full story of affordable housing gets heard.
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    46 mins
  • Episode 138: Amy Ginger, National Leased Housing Association & Fairfax County Government

    Episode 138: Amy Ginger, National Leased Housing Association & Fairfax County Government
    Jan 6 2026
    Amy Ginger joins ChangeMakers with Katie Goar for a grounded conversation on what works in affordable housing and what slows progress.

    Drawing on more than 25 years across HUD, local government, and national leadership, Amy explains why Housing Choice Vouchers matter, why utilization dropped after the pandemic, and what housing authorities do every day to keep people housed. Amy shares practical lessons from Fairfax County, including longer search times, market aligned payment standards, and geography based strategies.

    She also breaks down how Moving to Work flexibility fuels housing production, employer partnerships, and faster development. The discussion covers funding stability, regulatory friction, and why housing policy drives economic stability for entire communities.

    As President of the National Leased Housing Association, Amy offers a clear view of national priorities, bipartisan reform efforts, and the future of voucher and subsidy programs.

    The episode closes with direct myth busting around housing authorities and voucher participants, grounded in data and lived experience.
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    33 mins
  • Episode 137: Dennis C. Shea, Executive Vice President, J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy

    Episode 137: Dennis C. Shea, Executive Vice President, J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy
    Dec 2 2025
    Affordable housing is no longer a coastal issue or a niche policy topic. It touches every community, every income bracket, and every generation. In this episode of ChangeMakers, Katie Goar speaks with Dennis Shea, Executive Director of the J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy, about why housing affordability has shifted from a “silent crisis” to a national priority. Dennis shares how growing up in a modest New York City home shaped his understanding of place, stability, and opportunity. He breaks down the data connecting housing to health, academic success, labor mobility, and economic growth. He also explains why bipartisan momentum is finally emerging, from federal legislation like the Road to Housing Act, to state-level zoning reforms, to employers stepping in to support their workforce. Katie and Dennis dig into the most promising ideas on the table, including supply expansion, preservation of existing homes, voucher improvements, zoning updates, and targeted deregulation. They also talk about what real collaboration looks like at the local level and how communities can build common ground when resistance to new housing arises. If you care about the future of affordable housing, workforce mobility, or community development, this conversation gives you a clear and hopeful view of where progress is happening now.
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    33 mins
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