Infill

On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Action's Mariah Redfern talks directly with the 2025 Ivory Prize winners. These three trailblazing leaders are tackling the housing crisis through innovation in design, finance, and policy. Reframe Systems is revolutionizing construction with AI-powered microfactories that drastically cut costs and build time, helping scale sustainable housing faster. Grounded Solutions Network is creating a new path to homeownership with its Homes for the Future fund, making shared equity models more accessible to low-income families. Florida Housing Coalition, the force behind Florida’s Live Local Act, shows how bold state-level zoning reforms and strategic implementation can unlock thousands of homes. You'll hear our guests discuss their unique approach to affordability and scalability, the biggest barriers they face in their work, and how YIMBYs and regular people can support their efforts. Learn more about Reframe Systems: https://www.reframe.systems/ Learn more about Grounded Solutions N

Innovation and YIMBYism are a combination that could help our communities become more affordable, climate resilient, and equitable in the years to come. On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Action's Courtney Porcella sits down with Abby Ivory, Managing Director at Ivory Innovations, to discuss a competition that puts innovation at the forefront of the effort to solve our housing affordability crisis.Tune in to learn about Ivory Innovation's Ivory Prize and its 2025 winners. Courtney and Abby discuss the three game-changing organizations advancing housing affordability through policy, finance, and construction. These bold leaders are finding their own unique ways to increase opportunity for Americans to live in homes that they can afford. You won't only hear about the 2025 winners in this episode, but you'll also get insights into how past winners are scaling solutions and influencing change. Abby also gives insights into how different levers of change can create a ripple effect in our housing system, and why coll

On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Action's Marketing Manager Mariah Redfern sits down with artist, activist, and educator Mark Harris to explore the history of redevelopment in San Francisco’s Fillmore District and how systemic displacement continues to impact Black communities today. Mark shares his personal journey from corporate life to art and activism, and how his work with the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project uncovered the erasure of what was once the “Harlem of the West.” Together, they unpack the legacy of urban renewal, zoning as a tool of modern segregation, and the need to diversify the pro-housing movement. Tune in to hear a deep dive into how history shapes the present—and why building a future of abundant housing requires as many voices, especially different kinds of voices, as possible. Check out Mark's work with the AEMP: https://antievictionmap.com/dislocationblack-exodusFind more of Mark's work: https://www.artofmarkharris.com/Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/join/Follow YI

On this episode of Infill, Sonja Trauss is joined by renowned author Richard Rothstein and his daughter Leah Rothstein, co-authors of the book Just Action, also known as the sequel to Richard's groundbreaking work The Color of Law. Together, they explore how housing laws perpetuate segregation and what local communities can do to fight back and build more integrated, equitable neighborhoods.In this discussion, Trauss and the Rothsteins tackle the hard questions: Why don't race-neutral policies go far enough? How do local efforts build momentum when national politics seem stalled? And what can everyday people do to push for change in their own backyards?Tune in to hear more about Richard’s and Leah’s journey into writing Just Action, why race-conscious remedies are necessary to address the legacy of government-sanctioned segregation, and get actionable ideas for how your community can organize to make a difference. Read Just Action: https://www.rjjulia.com/book/9781324093244Read The Color of Law: https://www.r

On this episode of Infill, Gillian Pressman talks with two powerhouse voices: Sonja Trauss, founder of the YIMBY movement and Executive Director of YIMBY Law, and Misha Chellam, founder of the Abundance Network. Together, they unpack the transformative idea of “abundance,” sparked by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s new book. They explore what resources it takes to build abundance and how we can build the political power to make a future of abundance our reality. You'll hear thoughts on how YIMBY and Abundance movement leaders are creating systems that empower local advocates to get involved in politics, how different kinds of people in your movement can help you win, and the benefits of various approaches to building power. Whether you're new to the YIMBY movement or deep in the policy trenches, this episode will inspire you to think bigger, act bolder, and advocate harder for a future of abundance for all of us. Read the Your Role in Abundance Substack article: https://modernpower.substack.com/p/your-role-in

In this episode of Infill, YIMBY Action Board member Sonja Trauss speaks with Zellnor Myrie, New York State Senator, and mayoral candidate, to discuss why New York housing policies matter far beyond city limits. They discuss how the NYC housing shortage impacts the national economy, what plans Myrie has to enact bold YIMBY policies across the state, and why voters across the country should care about the outcome of this pivotal race. Zellnor shares his housing platform and unpacks his thoughts on everything from rent stabilization to affordable housing supply to mixed-income public housing and the future of short-term rentals. Tune in to hear his ambitious vision to make New York more affordable, equitable, and opportunity-rich for everyone. If you want to hear more about what kinds of actions leaders in large cities can and should be thinking about to tackle our national housing shortage, give this episode a listen! Learn more about Zellnor's campaign: https://www.zellnor.nyc/Learn more about YIMBY Action: h

In this episode of Infill, YIMBY Law's Executive Director, Sonja Trauss, sits down with Sara Bronin—architect, attorney, professor, and author—for a deep dive into the rules that shape where and how we live. They discuss findings from the National Zoning Atlas, the power of local zoning codes, and how land use policy affects everything from housing affordability and environmental sustainability to food systems and even nightlife. Tune in to hear how zoning has been used to block housing, how it's tied to segregation and climate change, and how rethinking it at all levels of government could unlock more equitable and livable communities. Sonja and Sara also discuss what it's like to build a nationwide zoning map, why seemingly small rules like minimum unit sizes matter, and how advocates everywhere can put zoning data to work to create more abundant housing for all of us! Tune in to hear the discussion. Read Key to the City:  https://wwnorton.com/books/key-to-the-cityLearn more about the National Zoning Atlas:

In January 2025, wildfires in Los Angeles killed at least 29 people, destroyed thousands of homes, and displaced thousands more. After the fires, Angelenos and their elected officials began figuring out what came next. On this episode of the Infill Podcast, our California Organizing Director, Leora Tanjuatco Ross, speaks with Azeen Khanmalek, Executive Director of the pro-housing advocacy group Abundant Housing LA, and Jordan Grimes, a Resilience Manager at the climate-focused Bay Area organization Greenbelt Alliance. In this episode, you'll get insights into some of the short and long-term implications of housing availability and affordability for people in LA after the fires. As we continue to see the effects of climate change in California and other areas, our guests dive into why dense housing is so critical to ensure that homes can be as resilient as possible and to mitigate the consequences of climate-related displacement. You'll also hear about different policies and lessons that elected officials can

Everyone knows that the cost of living, especially housing, has reached a high that feels unsustainable for most Americans to maintain. So, what can we do to solve this problem? In 2024, the Chamber of Progress released its Democratic Cost of Living Agenda. The Agenda is a low-cost policy framework with actionable recommendations for legislators to help lower costs in several sectors for families. On this episode of the Infill podcast, YIMBY Action's Mariah Redfern speaks with the author of the Cost of Living Agenda, Dr. Gary Winslett. They discuss the policies that the Chamber of Progress suggests as solutions for high housing prices, why we must take new approaches to our housing policy, and how people can get involved. Read the Democratic Cost of Living Agenda: https://bringcostsdown.org/Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on X: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: http

On this episode of the Infill podcast, our Executive Director Laura Foote speaks with Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawai'i. They discuss why housing is a priority issue for Senator Schatz, how folks are thinking about the housing shortage at all levels of government and the unique opportunity that Democrats and Republicans have to work together on this issue for Americans. Our nation's housing shortage is pushing residents out of their neighborhoods, exacerbating homelessness, and contributing to unequal outcomes in health, finances, and more. In this episode, Senator Schatz and Laura Foote discuss how we got here and what methods it will take to make community members and elected officials understand the importance of building more homes. Learn more about Senator Brian Schatz: https://www.schatz.senate.gov/Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow Y

On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Law's Executive Director Sonja Trauss speaks with Dr. Adam Ozimek, Chief Economist for the Economic Innovation Group about their idea to get the federal government more involved in housing policy. Pro-housing advocates understand that we need to incentivize local governments to remove barriers to building new homes. The Economic Innovation Group has come up with a new idea called "Density Zones" to empower local governments to facilitate more building by incentivizing them with rewards from the federal government proportional to the number of new homes built. So, how would this work? The first step would be for the federal government to develop standardized zoning and building codes drawn from best practices nationwide. Then, municipalities would have the ability to adopt this code for specific areas within their jurisdiction. These standardized best practices would help streamline building by providing a set of rules that developers can use to operate with. Finally, areas tha

In this episode of the Infill Podcast, YIMBY Law's Executive Director Sonja Trauss speaks with author Max Podemski about his new book "A Paradise of Small Houses: The Evolution, Devolution, and Potential Rebirth of Urban Housing." In his book, Podemski discusses the history of housing in the United States and the factors that drove housing production in our country's early days. Although today Americans typically view single-family detached homes as our American dream, Podemski tells the story of immigrants and working class communities whose dreams of dense, multi-family homes served as expressions of American ingenuity and social mobility. By looking at the history of cities like Boston and its triple deckers, or Los Angeles and its bungalow courts, we can see how the kinds of homes that cities are known for are tied to the the motivating factors for what types of housing was prioritized and why.  These lessons are particularly valuable today as our nation faces as shortage of homes, and Americans are seeki

Americans are struggling to stay afloat due to high housing prices caused by our nation’s housing shortage. Fortunately, there is a growing number of voices advocating for pro-housing policy solutions. Up For Growth is a national, cross-sector member network committed to solving the housing shortage and affordability crisis. While many advocates focus on solutions to the housing shortage at the local and state levels, Up For Growth supports federal policies that will increase the number of homes throughout the country. On this episode of the Infill podcast, you’ll hear from our Executive Director Laura Foote and Up For Growth’s National Policy Director David Garcia about what the federal government’s current attitude is on pro-housing policies, how we can inspire more bold policy solutions, and why it is critical to have bipartisan support for pro-housing legislation. In particular, one federal bill that Up For Growth and YIMBY Action are supporting is the YIMBY Act. In this episode you will learn more about

On this episode of the Infill Podcast, YIMBY Action's Business Membership Manager, Courtney Porcella, speaks to Ivory Innovation's Hannah Gable about trends in pro-housing policy, what legislation is being passed in different regions of the country, and what advocates can do to replicate pro-housing wins in more communities.Ivory Innovations is a nonprofit working to advance innovation around housing affordability in the United States. This Summer, Ivory Innovations launched their Housing Policies & Initiatives Database. The free, online database contains information on emerging, pro-housing policy innovations including federal, state, and local bills across four major, trending policy areas: "Yes in God's Backyard", office-to-residential conversions, social housing, and transit-oriented development.Tune in to hear insights from Hannah Gable on what kinds of pro-housing legislation she's seeing pick up traction, and what barriers and levers to passing legislation elected officials are thinking about. Be s

In 2020, U.S. census data analysis revealed that, for the first time, Native Hawai'ians living in the continental U.S. outnumbered those living in Hawaii. Redfin reports that the median home list price is currently $825,000.  High cost of living and a lack of affordable homes have continued to be huge challenges for natives and transplants living in Hawai'i. Listen to this episode of Infill to hear what advocates are doing to make homes more affordable.This year in honor of AAPI Heritage  Month, we wanted to highlight all of the amazing work that our Hawai’i YIMBY chapter is doing and how it is impacting native Hawai'ians on the islands.Listen in to hear our conversation with Hawai’i YIMBY volunteer leaders Damien Waikaloa and Matt Popovich. We spoke about how they got started in the YIMBY movement, the missing middle housing policies they’re organizing around now, and why they think YIMBYism is so important to uplift Hawai'ians. Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on Tw

Virginia is short 105,000 homes while rents have gone up 13% in the last 5 years. Despite housing costs rising astronomically, local governments are largely not stepping up to help facilitate or build more homes. That’s why our local YIMBY chapters are taking matters into their own hands, and demanding action from State Officials. Tune in to this episode of Infill to hear from volunteer leaders from our chapters YIMBYs of NoVA, YIMBY Hampton Roads, and RVA YIMBY. They break down the four state-wide YIMBY bills they are advocating for, share insights on how they are learning to successfully work with state legislators and local coalition partners, and explain why grassroots organizing is critical to get elected officials to take action on housing. YIMBY volunteers in Virginia are not only bringing their state one step closer to a future of abundant, affordable, inclusive housing. They are also paving the way for YIMBYs in other states to learn strategies to build power in their communities and connect with new

Single stair reform is a powerful tool to make it easier and faster to build more homes. Cities like Seattle and New York are changing the way that they build multi-family housing to fill their neighborhoods with denser housing options. Now, advocates can help their own communities do the same. Single stair reform in housing advances more affordable and diverse housing options by allowing fewer staircases in apartment buildings while maintaining safety standards. YIMBY Action was joined by East Bay for Everyone and the Livable Communities Initiative for an in-depth discussion about organizing for local single stair reform. Listen to a panel of experts and organizers to learn more about how single stair reform works and what you can do to promote it in your community!Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.co

On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Law’s Executive Director Sonja Trauss speaks with Richard Kahlenberg, author of Excluded: How Snob Zoning, Nimbyism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don't See. The pair discuss how U.S. housing policy segregates our neighborhoods by creating barriers to allowing folks of all incomes to live in high-resource communities through exclusionary zoning.According to Kahlenberg, class segregation has doubled since the 1970s. Although there are laws that prohibit explicit racial discrimination, many communities avoid legal repercussions by instead excluding potential neighbors based on income–  disproportionately impacting Black and Brown people.How does Kahlenberg believe we can correct this class-based exclusion in housing? One idea of his is a National Economic Fair Housing Act to give people the ability to sue communities that exclude them based on income. Tune in to hear more thoughts from Kahlenberg on what kinds of policies he believes will integrate our neighborhoods, lower t

The United States' efforts to provide accessible and affordable homes for all individuals have fallen short. The Kelsey, a disability rights advocacy group, is pioneering disability-forward housing solutions that are accessible and inclusive.In this episode, Laura Foote, executive director of YIMBY Action sits down with Allie and Hunter from the Kelsey to discuss the VITAL Act, a piece of federal pro-housing legislation. The passage of this act provides a powerful solution to increasing access to secure, affordable, and inclusive housing for individuals with disabilities and senior citizens.Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/Learn more about the Kelsey: https://thekelsey.org/Follow The Kelsey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheKelseyMoreFollow The Kelsey on Instagram: https://www.instagr

Affordable housing is absolutely essential, but there are so many obstacles that prevent it from being funded and built. In this episode, YIMBY Action Executive Director sits down with Congressman Maxwell Frost to talk about how he’s working to remove those obstacles at the federal level. Congressman Frost is the first Gen Z candidate to get elected to Congress! Before being elected, he helped lead our Orlando Chapter, Orlando YIMBY. Both YIMBY Action and Orlando YIMBY endorsed him in 2022, and we’re excited to have another YIMBY in Congress! If you're ready to get involved in the pro-housing movement, join YIMBY Action as a Member! Members get access to a vibrant online community with thousands of advocates and experts. Members also get access to exclusive events, trainings, and other perks! Plus, if you join in August 2023, you get a free shirt