Host Atticus LeBlanc continues his conversation with Beth Silverman of Lotus Campaign about policy, trends, and the future of homelessness solutions. Beth argues the U.S. over-focuses on emergency responses and long-run permanent housing while neglecting interim “next step” options, and says homelessness tools haven’t kept pace with structural drivers like housing supply and demand. She highlights progress where communities modernize zoning and codes and where public, nonprofit, and private sectors align. Looking to 2026, Lotus plans to expand impact in Charlotte and Raleigh, grow into a third market, refine programs using technology and data, and scale while maintaining high-touch local execution.

00:00 Welcome Back and Setup

00:23 Incentives and Missing Middle

02:26 Weaponized Subsidies Explained

04:41 Nonprofit Tools and Roadblocks

06:23 Zoning Fixes and Best Practices

08:38 Turf Wars and Community Courage

13:02 Housing as a Human Right

15:38 Supply Shortage and Economics

20:02 Lotus Vision for 2026

21:36 Scaling the Lotus Model

22:44 Rapid Fire Habits and Bad Bunny

25:41 Misconceptions and Closing

One Room at a Time podcast: https://padsplit.com/podcast

Connect with Atticus LeBlanc on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atticus-leblanc-3960466/

Connect with Beth Silverman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-silverman-7218a524/

References:

• Lotus Campaign: https://www.lotuscampaign.org
• Dr. Gregg Colburn, University of Washington: https://re.be.uw.edu/people/gregg-colburn/
• Dr. Margot Kushel: https://medicine.ucsf.edu/people/margot-kushel
• Community Solutions: https://community.solutions/
• Cabrini: https://www.angel.com/movies/cabrini
• The Poetry Remedy by William Sieghart: https://a.co/d/0j7m4LXV
• Lost & Found: A Memoir by Kathryn Schulz: https://a.co/d/04JG7iQk
• Bad Bunny: https://www.youtube.com/@BadBunnyPR