2025 Webinar Series: Building the Middle

December - Spotlight on Townhomes and Cottage Courts

This webinar highlighted real projects from across the country showing how townhomes and cottage courts provide much-needed housing at a variety of sizes and price points—bridging the gap between single-family homes and larger multifamily buildings. Our expert panel included nonprofits, realtors and community developers who are bringing these models to life, including Taryn Bell of Liberty Bell Group and the Cottages of Carey Park, Rhett Fussell from the Raleigh Area Land Trust, and Eli Spevak of OrangeSplot LLC. They’ll share what they’ve learned, their “secret sauce” strategies, and what it really takes to get these community-focused homes built.

October - Starter Homes, Stronger Communities

Casita Coalition goes in search of the elusive Starter Home—once a staple in our communities, now increasingly rare due to rising construction costs and other challenges. Check out the recording to learn who’s building starter homes and what they look like, and discover financing options and programs for homebuyers.
Our panel includes Charles Gardner, Eric Wolverton, and Jesse Ibarra sharing innovative solutions in design, materials, and financing. 

September - Selecting and Working with ADU Professionals

Considering building an ADU? Join Casita Coalition’s Katherine Peoples, Timothy Pawlak and Jonathan Pacheco Bell to learn about how to find ADU professionals to get your ADU project completed. Our subject matter experts cover the planning phase, comparing bids, basics of contracts, and red flags to be aware of. More great info in the slide deck as well.

June - The Build the Middle Playbook in Action

On June 3, we teamed up with Zillow to host the Build the Middle Playbook in Action webinar. We were joined by an incredible panel of leaders from three different states who have been instrumental in driving middle housing reforms on the ground.

It was powerful to hear them share how they’ve put the principles from our Build the Middle Playbook into action — learning from challenges, refining strategies, and getting real results. They opened up about how they navigated opposition, customized messaging to resonate with local values, and what they’re focused on next.

The energy, insights, and real-world lessons made it clear: the movement for middle housing is growing, and the playbook is making an impact across the country.

—Eleni Angelides, Legislative Director for the Office of Governor Jared Polis

—Awais Azhar, Executive Director of HousingWorks Austin

—Nathan Dugan, Co-Founder and President of Shelter Whitefish (Shelter WF)