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 programs we talked about:

• NJHOMES: https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/njhomes.shtml
• Section 8 Homeownership Program: https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/section8ho.shtml
• Family Self Sufficiency: https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/fss.shtml
• Affordable Housing Trust Fund: https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/ahtf.shtml