The Impact Real Estate Podcast: The Summer Series with Heather Hood

Beyond the Resume

On this episode of the Impact Real Estate Podcast, we continue our Summer Series by revisiting our conversation with Heather Hood, the Vice President and Market Leader for Northern California at Enterprise Community Partners. We discuss affordable housing, the work of Enterprise Community Partners, and the challenges of developing affordable housing in the Bay Area.

Heather shares her background and how she got into this field. We also talk about the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority and the barriers to affordable housing development in the region. We discuss the background in urban planning and how it has influenced his work in affordable housing. He emphasizes the importance of networking and the value of connections. Heather also shares her advice for those starting their careers in the field, highlighting the need for executive functioning skills, the ability to work with diverse groups of people, and a willingness to continually learn. She discusses the current state of affordable housing and the impact her work has on improving housing security for individuals and families.

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3I3nkG9

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/35ZJGLT

Web: https://www.jacksonlucas.com/podcast/summer-heather-hood

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Interview with Heather Hood

03:00 Enterprise Community Partners: Making Home and Community Places of Pride

06:28 Providing Resources for Affordable Housing Development

12:58 The Role of Financing in Affordable Housing

18:57 The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority: Addressing the Lack of Affordable Housing

26:18 The Challenges of Developing Affordable Housing in the Bay Area

28:47 The Value of Networking and Education

31:05 The Challenge of Hiring from the Same Program

33:12 Essential Skills for Success

34:06 The Current State of Affordable Housing

38:20 Personal Background and Motivation

50:23 The Impact of Affordable Housing Work

52:47 Favorite Interview Question

Takeaways

Enterprise Community Partners is a nonprofit organization that works to make home and community places of pride, power, and belonging.

They provide resources for affordable housing developers to build and preserve affordable homes, primarily through tax credits and philanthropic funding.

The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority was created to address the lack of affordable housing in the region and provide financing for affordable housing projects.

Developing affordable housing in the Bay Area is challenging due to high land and construction costs, NIMBYism, and lengthy approval processes.

There is a need for regional solutions and collaboration to address the affordable housing crisis. Networking and connections made through education are valuable resources in the field of affordable housing.

Executive functioning skills, the ability to work with diverse groups, and a willingness to learn are important for success in the industry.

The current state of affordable housing is a crisis, with millions of people paying over half of their income for housing and a growing number of homeless individuals.

Working in affordable housing has a direct impact on improving housing security and providing stability for individuals and families.