Episodios

  • Episode 144: Morgan Mansa, Director of Housing Affordability, Wake County, NC

    Episode 144: Morgan Mansa, Director of Housing Affordability, Wake County, NC
    Mar 31 2026
    Housing affordability is one of the fastest growing challenges in America.

    In this episode of Changemakers with Katie Goar, Morgan Mansa breaks down what’s really happening behind the housing crisis, and why the solution is more complex than most people think.

    Morgan is the Director of Housing Affordability and Community Revitalization for Wake County, one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S. She has helped drive thousands of housing solutions by focusing on systems that move people from instability to long-term housing.

    In this conversation, she shares:

    Why building more housing alone will not solve affordability
    The importance of where housing is built, not just how much
    How thoughtful placement impacts opportunity, education, and mobility
    A real-world example of a mixed community that blends families, seniors, and artists
    Why the term “affordable housing” might be part of the problem

    This episode challenges the common narrative and offers a more practical look at how communities can create housing that works.
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    23 m
  • Episode 143: Dontrelle Young Foster, President & CEO, Housing Authority of the Birmingham District

    Episode 143: Dontrelle Young Foster, President & CEO, Housing Authority of the Birmingham District
    Mar 17 2026
    In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Dontrelle Young Foster, President and CEO of the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District, to explore what it takes to transform communities from the inside out. Drawing on 25 years of leadership and service, Foster shares how HABD’s 90 year legacy is evolving through bold redevelopment, public private partnerships, and a long term strategy called Thrive 2035 aimed at revitalizing 12 communities and thousands of housing units.

    Foster reflects on her journey from finance analyst to CEO, her early connection with residents, and how housing work moves far beyond bricks and mortar to create pathways for education, workforce mobility, and generational wealth. She addresses the tension between providing support and promoting self sufficiency, highlights the impact of Family Self Sufficiency programs, and explains why affordable housing is a “hand up” that stabilizes families one day away from homelessness.

    Raised in Selma and shaped by its civil rights history, Foster brings faith, humility, and lived experience to her leadership. From expanding daycare access to addressing long waiting lists and funding gaps, she outlines a clear vision for economic mobility and homeownership across Birmingham.

    For housing professionals and emerging leaders, this conversation delivers practical wisdom on resilience, partnership building, and leading with mission at scale.
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    33 m
  • Episode 142: Cathe Dykstra, President & CEO, Family Scholar House

    Episode 142: Cathe Dykstra, President & CEO, Family Scholar House
    Mar 3 2026
    On this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Family Scholar House President and CEO Cathe Dykstra for a bold conversation about what affordable housing should really accomplish.

    Cathe leads one of the nation’s most comprehensive models linking housing, education, and long-term economic mobility. Serving more than 106,000 households across 48 states, Family Scholar House helps single parents and young adults not only secure stable housing but earn college degrees, build careers, and move permanently off government assistance.

    This episode challenges the “bootstrap” myth and reframes affordable housing as a pathway out of poverty, not a lifetime in it. Cathe shares powerful stories of resilience, explains the economic cost of trauma, and reveals how wraparound services, data tracking across 250 household metrics, and cross-sector partnerships are transforming families and influencing policy.

    If you care about housing, workforce development, trauma recovery, or scalable solutions to poverty, this conversation delivers both heart and hard data.
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    32 m
  • Episode 141: Marcia Davis, Executive Director, Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers

    Episode 141: Marcia Davis, Executive Director, Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers
    Feb 17 2026
    In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Marcia Davis, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers, for a powerful conversation about leadership, resilience, and the future of affordable housing in Southwest Florida. Marcia shares how growing up in public housing shaped her career and why she chose to spend more than two decades working inside the system to create stability and opportunity for families. From her early work as a child welfare investigator to leading one of Florida’s most ambitious housing redevelopment efforts, her story shows how lived experience drives policy, planning, and people first leadership The conversation also covers the impact of Hurricane Ian and how disaster recovery funds allowed Fort Myers to preserve and rebuild housing at a scale never before possible. Marcia walks through how more than eighty million dollars in recovery funding now supports new construction, major rehabilitation, and hurricane resistant senior housing designed to protect residents during future storms This episode offers a clear look at what modern housing authority leadership looks like when strategy, community, and compassion align.
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    38 m
  • Episode 140: Evan Holladay, Founder & CEO, Holladay Ventures

    Episode 140: Evan Holladay, Founder & CEO, Holladay Ventures
    Feb 3 2026
    In this episode of ChangeMakers with Katie Goar, Katie sits down with Evan Holladay, founder and CEO of Holladay Ventures, to explore what it truly takes to build affordable housing with lasting community impact Evan shares his path into real estate development, starting with a chance college connection and growing into a career shaped by persistence, curiosity, and service. He explains why affordable housing sits at the intersection of people, design, and opportunity, and why building alone will never solve the housing crisis without stronger systems and partnerships. The conversation dives into Evan’s work mentoring the next generation of developers through Affordable Housing Development Mastery, including why access to knowledge, coaching, and encouragement often determines who enters the field. Katie and Evan also break down real development projects, including Stonebridge Lofts and the Samaritan Recovery Community, showing how mixed-income housing, sustainability, and nonprofit partnerships change lives beyond the buildings themselves. You will hear an honest look at development hurdles, from zoning delays and layered financing to construction volatility, along with clear insight into where policy, local leadership, and pre-development reform could remove barriers and accelerate housing production. This episode speaks to housing leaders, policymakers, nonprofit partners, and anyone who wants a realistic view of how affordable housing moves from vision to impact.
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    41 m
  • 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 m
  • 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 m
  • 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 m