Ep. 32 - As an international studies major, Jane Katz came to Washington, D.C. with high ideals about the future and working globally. Yet like many who have had a non-linear career path, she found herself working in the housing arena, spending time at HUD and Fannie Mae.
Top Takeaways:
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- The importance of furthering education to gain expertise from something targeted.
- The importance of technological development in the housing sector to lower the cost of housing.
- Understanding that the perfect time to do it is now
- Pursuing your dreams no matter the obstacles
Learn how to challenge governments to advocate on behalf of their citizens for better living conditions and housing opportunities
"I do think that challenges still exist in the U.S. and internationally on the financing of housing and the cost of housing and bringing it down for more people." - Jane Katz
CAREER IN GLOBAL VIEW POLICY
She is currently the Director of International Affairs and Programs in Habitat for Humanity International's Washington D.C. Office of Government Relations and Advocacy where she advances the organization's agenda in the areas of global housing policies, advocacy issues, including HFHI's "Solid Ground" land campaign and manages the Global Housing Indicators initiative.
Before coming to Habitat, Jane spent 14 years at Fannie Mae in various management positions and 15 years in the U.S. public sector in mortgage finance, regulatory oversight and housing policy at the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress.
She describes her views on current housing debates and where sound policies can make the difference. She shares how she gained expertise after returning to graduate school and moving on to work for major nonprofit organizations.
Listen in to learn the importance of technology in the housing sector to lower the cost of housing.
Key Moments:
Jane explains how she joined the housing sector and the organizations she worked for [2:47]
She shares stories from when she worked at HUD [6:19]
What is regulation Q? Jane can provide the answer here [7:27]
She describes how her passion for international work led her to work for Habitat for Humanity [8:15]
She talks about the executive loan program that was offered by Fannie Mae that enabled people to work for nonprofit organizations [10:05]
Why doing something targeted to gain expertise will open opportunities for you as a woman [10:56]
How she has traveled across the globe making programs and developing campaigns for the housing sector that are aimed at affordable housing [11:54]
Why some things in housing do not change, and some other things are simply neglected [16:08]
She talks about some of her major contributions to education and training for banks, and her legacy in the international sector [17:35]
The changes she would like to see brought forth at Fannie Mae [19:02]
What are some of the major challenges she faces in her work on the international housing scene [19:46]
Why technological development in the housing sector will bring about lower housing costs [21:11]
The challenge of incorporating 3D printing machines in the housing sector [22:31]
The importance of pursuing your dreams even when you hit roadblocks [23:42]
She describes where she sees herself in the next five years [24:28]
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