NLIHC’s Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have released the second episode in their five-part podcast series. The new episode, “Designing for Culturally Adequate Housing – Community Design Approaches in Housing,” explores culturally mindful housing that prioritizes residents’ needs and aspirations. Listen to the episode.
Hosted by Julie Walker, the episode features architects Alex Salazar and Joseph Kunkel discussing housing projects and community design processes that have successfully integrated the principles of culturally adequate housing, demonstrating that when housing is designed with people in mind, it becomes a catalyst for social change. “Culturally adequate housing,” included as one of the seven elements in the United Nations’ definition of adequate housing, is housing that respects and takes into account a person’s cultural identity and ways of life. The guests discuss affordable housing projects in Oregon and New Mexico that are both culturally adequate for residents and community-led in the design process. They also recommend ways that advocates can incorporate these concepts into affordable housing policy solutions.
About the Series
Developed in collaboration with AIA’s Right-to-Housing Working Group, the new podcast series highlights the multi-sector impacts of affordable housing. Hosted by OSAH’s Chantelle Wilkinson and Julie Walker, the series features architects discussing human-centered design, federal policies addressing housing inequities, and innovative approaches to equity and sustainability. The series emphasizes the critical role of architects in advancing housing advocacy for a just and equitable future. New episodes will be released weekly on Soundcloud, Apple, and Spotify.
Learn more about the series here.