This week on ChangeMakers, Katie Goar sits down with Lauren Taylor Dreher, founder and managing partner of Bear Impact Fund, for a powerful conversation about transforming the affordable housing landscape.

Lauren shares how her early days cleaning out foreclosures evolved into a career blending real estate operations, private capital, and nonprofit partnerships. She opens up about her pivot into affordable housing, the flaws in current financing models, and the innovative hybrid approach she’s built to bridge the gap between government-supported housing and market-rate rentals.

From unlocking underutilized single-family homes to creating a path for renters to achieve economic stability, Lauren breaks down a scalable model with long-term impact.

If you care about housing or bold solutions to complex problems, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.