Podcast
Beyond Four Walls: Conversations on Affordable Housing
Hosted by National Housing Conference · EN
Beyond Four Walls: Conversations on Affordable Housing" is brought to you by the National Housing Conference (NHC), the nation's oldest and broadest coalition of affordable housing leaders in America. During our podcast, we will delve deep into America's pressing housing issues and get to know some of the people that have devoted their lives to seeking tangible, impactful, and achievable solutions. To learn more about NHC and become a member visit nhc.org. Be sure to like this podcast so you don't miss new episodes!
11episodes
Episodes
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SAHF's Theresa Dumais on resident services, preservation, and affordable housing
4d ago00:55:53Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, we're joined by Theresa Finney Dumais, President and CEO of Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF), a national collaborative of nonprofit affordable housing providers that owns and operates more than 160,000 affordable rental homes across the country. Throughout her career spanning affordable housing development, Capitol Hill, housing finance, and nonprofit leadership, Dumais brings a unique perspective on the policies and partnerships needed to expand housing opportunity across the country. Dumais sits down with NHC President and CEO David Dworkin to discuss why preserving affordable housing is just as important as building new supply and how resident services strengthen both communities and property performance. They also explore the findings from SAHF's groundbreaking research on resident services, the implementation of the newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, and the critical role policymakers, housing providers, and investors must play in expanding housing opportunity and ensuring the long-term resilience of the nation's affordable housing stock.
Transcribe →At the center of change: Debra Still's four decades shaping mortgage finance
4w ago00:42:34Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, we welcome Debra Still, retired CEO and Vice Chair of Pulte Financial Services and a recipient of NHC's 2026 Housing Visionary Award, which will be presented at NHC's Annual Gala on June 24 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. For more than four decades, Debra has been a leading voice in mortgage finance, helping guide the industry through periods of growth, disruption, and transformation. She joins NHC President and CEO David Dworkin for a conversation on leadership, housing affordability, the future of homeownership, and the growing role of AI in housing finance. Drawing on her experience leading through events such as 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Still reflects on the lessons she learned navigating change, breaking barriers, and helping shape housing policy and finance over the course of her distinguished career.
Transcribe →Communicating Before, During, and After a Natural Disaster
Jun 100:48:29Tap to summarizeOn April 8, the National Housing Conference hosted its Solutions for Housing Communications convening at the National Press Club. The event brought together policymakers and affordable housing stakeholders to discuss tangible, impactful, and achievable actions to address the nation's most critical housing policy challenges. In today's episode, we revisit the panel, "Communicating Before, During, and After a Natural Disaster," featuring a discussion on how to communicate clearly and credibly before, during, and after a disaster. Panelists share practical messaging strategies, discuss common communication pitfalls, and offer guidance on reaching residents, policymakers, and the media at each stage of a disaster. Panelists included Marion McFadden, Vice President of Disaster Recovery at IEM; Michael Newman, General Counsel at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety; Angie Garling, Senior Vice President, National ECE at LIIF; and Jessie Handforth Kome, Director at CohnReznick.
Transcribe →Three Decades of Change: Rocket's Bill Emerson on Leadership, Innovation, and the Future of Mortgage Lending
May 1101:03:25Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, we welcome Bill Emerson, Board Member of Rocket Companies and a recipient of this year's Housing Visionary Award, which will be presented at NHC's annual Gala on June 24 at The Anthem in Washington, DC. After more than three decades in the mortgage industry, Emerson joins NHC President and CEO David Dworkin to discuss the lessons he's learned leading through periods of rapid growth, market disruption, and economic uncertainty. Drawing on experience from nearly every level of the business, Emerson shares insights on leadership, organizational culture, risk management, and the evolving future of housing finance.
Transcribe →How Mary K. Simkhovitch shaped the affordable housing movement
Apr 2700:57:43Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, we're joined by acclaimed historian and author Betty Boyd Caroli, a Fulbright scholar whose career has spanned topics from immigration to the lives of America's First Ladies. Her latest book, "A Slumless America: Mary K. Simkhovitch and the Dream of Affordable Housing," shines a light on a visionary reformer whose name isn't widely known—Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch. Founder of the National Housing Conference, Simkhovitch was a pioneering force in the fight for safe, decent, and affordable housing. At a time when American cities were facing rapid growth and stark inequality, she worked tirelessly to build stronger communities and push for lasting change—impact that still resonates today. Caroli joins NHC's President and CEO David Dworkin to discuss the life and legacy of Mary K. Simkhovitch and what her work can teach us about today's housing challenges.
Transcribe →Housing affordability challenges and solutions with Habitat's Jonathan Reckford
Apr 1300:44:39Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, we're joined by Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity, the global housing nonprofit that has helped more than 62 million people build, rehabilitate, or preserve their homes. Under Reckford's leadership, the organization has grown dramatically expanding from serving about 125,000 people each year to reaching more than 3 million annually. Reckford sits down with NHC President and CEO David Dworkin to reflect on Habitat's 50-year impact and how it's addressing today's housing affordability crisis. They discuss key policy priorities, bipartisan legislation, and the proposed Homeownership Supply Accelerator, exploring what it will take to boost starter home supply, expand access to homeownership, and drive meaningful change through advocacy.
Transcribe →How CONVERGENCE is expanding homeownership in Central Ohio and nationwide
Mar 1600:50:47Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, NHC President and CEO David Dworkin talks with Wendy Penn, Vice President of Affordable Housing Initiatives at the Mortgage Bankers Association, and Anna Teye-Kasongo, Assistant Executive Director at the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, about CONVERGENCE—MBA's initiative to expand homeownership by leveraging the collective strength of community partners. Penn shares how the initiative is advancing collaboration and solutions at the national level, while Teye-Kasongo discusses how those efforts are playing out locally in Central Ohio. CONVERGENCE brings together lenders, industry leaders, and government partners to drive collective action and develop new solutions to the nation's rental and housing affordability challenges. By taking a unified approach, the initiative works to promote more sustainable and affordable housing options for both homeownership and rental, with a particular focus on supporting underserved people and communities.
Transcribe →The state of the rental housing market with Bob Pinnegar, President and CEO, NAA
Mar 200:42:02Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, we welcome Robert Pinnegar, President and CEO of the National Apartment Association, the leading voice for the rental housing industry committed to serving 139 state and local affiliates, nearly 113,000 members representing more than 13.5 million apartment homes. Pinnegar sits down with NHC's President and CEO David Dworkin to discuss the state of today's rental housing market, long-term impact of underinvesting in housing supply for renters, and why expanding multifamily housing is one of the fastest ways to ease the shortage. They also discuss the policy solutions, including efforts to address the growing housing insurance crisis, that could unlock new construction.
Transcribe →Exploring gentrification and homeownership with CFA's Sharon Cornelissen
Feb 1700:56:57Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, NHC President and CEO David Dworkin sits down with Sharon Cornelissen, Director of Housing at the Consumer Federation of America, and author of Last House on the Block: Black Homeowners, White Homesteaders, and Failed Gentrification in Detroit Cornelissen joins NHC President and CEO David Dworkin to discuss her new book, which explores what happens when White newcomers move into predominantly Black neighborhoods, challenges assumptions about whether gentrification is inevitable, and focuses on the lived experiences of long-term Black homeowners navigating neighborhood change.
Transcribe →Ending Homelessness: Successful Strategies for Sustainable Results
Feb 200:43:42Tap to summarizeOn December 3, the National Housing Conference hosted its Solutions for Affordable Housing convening at the National Press Club. The event brought together policymakers and affordable housing stakeholders to discuss tangible, impactful, and achievable actions to address the nation's most critical housing policy challenges. In today's episode, we revisit the panel, "Ending Homelessness: Successful Strategies for Sustainable Results," featuring a discussion on the evolving dialogue on homelessness. Panelists share insights on what's working, where gaps remain, and how stronger alignment across systems can lead to more effective, sustainable support for individuals and families facing homelessness. Panelists included Kathryn Monet, CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans; Tramecia Garner, Executive Director of Swords to Plowshares; Neal Rackleff, Executive VP and COO of the Houston Housing Authority; and Julia Lightfoot, Executive Director for Clean and Sober Streets.
Transcribe →