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Real Conversations, Real Estate

During a time of great uncertainty and rapid change, connection and information is a more important resource than ever before. Today's issues could be amplified or altered in a matter of days or hours, so it is vital that organizations and thought leaders frequently share knowledge, dispel rumors, and offer insight.

Hosted by Professor and Lusk Center Director Richard K. Green, Lusk Perspectives offers timely analysis and shares accurate data vetted by leading experts on the latest developments and observations concerning policy, real estate, urban economics and more.

Once interviews are conducted, resources and videos will be made available here and on podcast channels as soon as possible.

Latest Perspectives

Measuring the Shortfall: Benchmarking LA’s Housing Crisis Watch Now

Measuring the Shortfall: Benchmarking LA’s Housing Crisis
Jorge De la Roca Associate Professor

What do supply numbers tell us about LA County’s housing crisis, and how can research guide next steps?

Jorge De la Roca (USC Price) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to discuss the findings of the 2025 State of Los Angeles County Housing (SOLACHAN) Report.

At the center of their conversation is the modern city dilemma: while cities drive economic vitality, they also create steep costs of living. In LA County, permitting delays, demographic shifts, and a mismatch between incomes and supply add up to a housing market that’s falling short.

Highlights include:

  • Why building a multifamily project in LA takes nearly twice as long as the national average.
  • Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are driving new supply, but may not translate to housing.
  • The widening income split between renters.
  • Demographic shifts show fewer families and declining Black residents in LA.
  • Why the favored model of filtering can’t take hold at current levels of housing production.

 

Explore the SOLACHAN Report

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Building Through Cycles: It’s All Related in California Housing Watch Now

Building Through Cycles: It’s All Related in California Housing
William A. Witte CEO
Gino A. Canori President

What shaped Related California’s approach to housing, and how has it adapted across market shifts?

William A. Witte and Gino A. Canori (Related California) join Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to reflect on more than three decades of development, from pioneering uses of tax-exempt bonds to navigating today’s capital markets.

The conversation begins with policy and finance, including tax credits, bond cap programs, and the long-term value of rehab versus new construction, before moving to operations, the shifting geography of multifamily demand, and today’s market reset.

Highlights include:

  • How Related carved out a niche by combining market-rate housing with affordable units under the 80/20 program.
  • Post-COVID shifts in multifamily demand from urban cores to suburban, amenity-rich destinations.
  • Underwriting is still absorbing the spike in insurance and labor costs while the new normal continues to emerge.
  • Signs of recovery in San Francisco leasing and investment.
  • The economics and operational tactics of managing mixed-income buildings.

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From Risk to Resilience: Practical Sustainability For Communities Watch Now

From Risk to Resilience: Practical Sustainability For Communities
Chris Boone Dean, C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Chair

How can cities adapt to rising climate risks and shifting infrastructure needs?

Christopher Boone (USC Price School of Public Policy) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to discuss how sustainability and resilience are reshaping housing, cities, and policy. From rebuilding after California wildfires to lessons from London’s limited social housing, the wide-ranging conversation highlights the tradeoffs between affordability, risk, and durability facing communities across the US.

Highlights include:

  • Why mentors are crucial to career development.
  • The gap between data and difficult decisions to achieve sustainability goals.
  • Fostering resilient communities by addressing jobs and health.
  • Baltimore’s unique reversal on neighborhoods exposed to toxic releases.
  • How communities relocate and rebuild after natural disasters and the implications for the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
  • Eminent domain and the importance of community engagement.
  • Lessons in sustainability from abroad for US policy.

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