Who Killed the Starter Home?

In this episode, I spoke with Ricardo Flores, Executive Director of the nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC San Diego), where he oversees financing affordable housing and investing in underserved neighborhoods in San Diego CA.

Ricardo brings a rare perspective that combines politics, government policy, and finance — and he shares some uncomfortable truths: many of the barriers that make housing expensive and scarce are not accidents or laws of nature. They were designed that way.

LISC commissioned research exploring which policies could bring prices down enough for people to be able to afford homes again— and what the tax implications of those changes would be. This conversation gets into the real mechanics behind housing affordability, why reform feels so politically difficult, and how to have honest conversations about density with people who are afraid of it.

This week, our guest is Mike Anderson. Mike describes himself as a "proud survivor of the working poor". He shares the traumatic journey of growing up in subsidized housing in Plainfield during the "crack era" and the loss of his father, who was killed when Mike was only five.

Thanks to the efforts and support of Mike’s mom—a union leader who showed him the power of organizing —he was able to navigate the path to a Harvard education, leadership, and the world of high finance. Mike is now utilizing his "Culture times Capital" formula to bridge the gap between activism and finance. He discusses his experience litigating civil rights cases against trillion-dollar corporations and his mission to ensure that your zip code doesn't define your destiny.

Can the tools of high finance be used to liberate the marginalized, or is the system designed to keep them out?

Please note that the views expressed by the candidate are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this podcast. Given the nature of these long-form interviews, we cannot independently fact-check every claim made during the conversation. We encourage listeners to research the candidates and issues further as we approach the primary.

Sujit Singh hopes to bring his 30-year experience in technology consulting to Congress. He outlines a vision for leveraging robotics, AI, and space-based solar energy to reduce the cost of housing and public transit.

Mr. Singh shared his story of running for mayor in our neighboring town of West Windsor and developing his "Space, Lean, Innovation" model. He proposes that technological solutions can help overcome local regulatory hurdles and lower costs by as much as 50%.

Can innovation bypass traditional gridlock, or are some problems too grounded for a digital-first solution?

Most people talk about the American Dream; Mayor Adrian Mapp lived it.

He arrived from Barbados to join his mother, who had first come to the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant to pave the way for her children. In this episode, we discuss his journey from those roots to leading Plainfield through four terms of "transformational change."

We dive into what it actually takes to manage a city and why he believes the 12th District needs an executive who has already done the work on the ground. From housing and economic growth in NJ to immigration and restoring the U.S. reputation on the world stage, Mayor Mapp shares a vision for Washington rooted in his own lived experience.

In this episode, I spoke with Raymond Heck, who brings a blunt, municipal-focused energy to the race for Congress. He believes that Washington is disconnected from the "nuts and bolts" of local government—paving roads and fixing sewers—and that this gap is the source of our affordability crisis and infrastructure failures.

As a law enforcement officer and a small-town mayor, he brings a mix of humanity and compassion, along with a deep pride in representing the U.S. in all parts of life, whether he is in uniform or not. His leadership style prioritizes direct action and a no-nonsense approach and serves him well as a mayor of a small historic town. It even got him head the NJ League of Municipalities. Could this brand of straightforward, practical grit be exactly what is needed to break the gridlock in DC?

https://raymondheckforcongress.com/