In this full episode of Open Door, I sit down with Jonathan Smoke and Valerie M. Sargent to unpack why the housing shortage is so stubborn—and why it’s not just a “build more units” problem. We get into the real-world friction points that slow affordable and attainable housing: zoning constraints, the complexity of financing, and how policy tools can help (or bottleneck) projects depending on how they’re structured and implemented. What I want you to take away is how interconnected all of this is. Zoning shapes what can be built, financing determines what can actually move forward, and programs like low-income housing tax credits can be the difference between a deal penciling out or dying on the vine. From my telecom smart living lens, the stakes go beyond roofs and rent—multifamily communities need to be connected, secure, and future-ready, and that requires planning and investment that aligns with how buildings are funded and approved. If you’re in multifamily, housing policy, or development, this episode gives you a grounded look at the forces turning “dollars” into actual “doors.”