The Housing Advocate
This is a conversational podcast about everything and anything to do with the housing industry. From home building and interior design to the legislation and economics behind the housing industry, Southern Utah Home Builders Association (SUHBA) and its association members are the experts in it all. SUHBA is a nonprofit legal entity for public and social benefit — NOT an entity that operates as a business aiming to generate a profit for its owners. SUHBA is #29 in the nation and the largest Home Builders Association in the state of Utah making it a thought leader in the housing industry.
Episodes
In this episode of The Housing Advocate’s new “Member Voices" series, Host Stacy Young sits down with Josh McCourt, the driving force behind IGOTPOOP.COM and an active member of the Southern Utah Home Builders Association (SUHBA). At just 20 years old Josh started a Southern Utah branch of his dad’s waste disposal company, and he's here to share his journey – complete with challenges, triumphs, and invaluable lessons learn...
Today's episode of The Housing Advocate covers a very exciting annual event for SUHBA, the 2025 St. George Area Parade of Homes. Erik Sorenson sits down with Stacy Young on today's episode to preview this year's event and give some background on its theme, "Home Sweet...WOW". He also highlights the economic development aspect of the Parade, its impact on the local community and how purchasing a ticket to the Parade helps local prog...
Shaun Sullivan, the President of SUHBA, joins Stacy Young on today's episode of The Housing Advocate. Shaun reminisces about his early days in home-building, such as the first home he ever built and dealing with the Housing Crisis in the late 2000s. He also discusses his 2025 term as SUHBA's president and some of the issues he's focusing on this year.
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Today's episode of The Housing Advocate features a keynote presentation from the Utah Building Industry Conference this past October. Amy Haas, the Executive Director of the Colorado River Authority of Utah, steps to the podium to give an overview of the Colorado River and its importance to Utah and the other states with access to its basins. She outlines the historical legislation that has governed the use of the river and future ...
Join Stacy on today's episode as he sits down with Ross Ford, executive director of the Utah Home Builders Association, to explore exciting advancements in the homebuilding industry. From a cutting-edge VR training program piloted at a Cedar City high school to the promising role of AI in streamlining building plan approvals, Ross shares how technology is transforming construction training and processes across Utah. He also highlig...
Darren Prince, the Executive Director of Economic Development for Washington County, joins Stacy Young on today's episode of The Housing Advocate. Darren discusses the relationship between economic development and housing and how his organization is factoring housing into their plans going forward. Their conversation also touches on housing affordability and how that factors into Darren's goals and economic development as a whole.
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Jonah Joines, a student at BYU and a SUHBA scholarship recipient, joins Stacy on today's episode to talk about his family's connection to SUHBA, the construction industry, and the business that he and his friend co-founded. Jonah also discusses his studies at BYU and his goal to enter into the school's entrepreneurship program. He then talks about how he found out about the SUHBA scholarship program, its impact on his education and...
In this episode of The Housing Advocate, host Stacy Young talks with Dave Gardner, Director of Career and Technical Education at the Washington County School District. They discuss the district's career and technical education advancements, focusing on the new Career Tech High School. Dave highlights the school's innovative programs, industry partnerships, and students’ success in internships and job placements. The episode also co...
In addition to being SUHBA's legal counsel, Nathan Fisher also serves as a planning commissioner for St. George, UT. Nathan joins Stacy on today's episode of The Housing Advocate to talk about his role and give a brief overview of what a planning commission does for its city. Later in the episode, they give out some great insights on the planning process and advice for applicants and developers looking to work with St. George.
Follo...
In this episode, Stacy shares a panel discussion with several leaders in the Utah housing industry. They discuss the current challenges in the industry, such as the decreased housing supply, labor shortages, and the difficulty of advancing higher-density developments in communities hesitant about growth.
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In this episode, Utah Governor Spencer Cox discusses the challenge of housing affordability in Utah. Governor Cox stresses the need to increase the housing supply rather than curb demand through interest rates to solve the housing affordability crisis. He highlights the importance of homeownership for community strength and social mobility, noting the scarcity of affordable starter homes. Cox outlines legislative efforts to fund st...
Ross Ford, the Executive Officer of the Utah State Home Builders Association, joins Stacy on today’s episode to discuss some new bills covering topics affecting Utah builders, such as stormwater inspection and third-party building inspectors. Tune in for insights and a comprehensive rundown on these bills and the discussions in the planning process.
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In late 2023, Utah Governor Spencer Cox appointed Steve Waldrip as the Senior Advisor for Housing Strategy and Innovation. On today’s episode of The Housing Advocate, Steve sits down with Stacy to discuss some of the issues he’s looking at involving housing in Utah, including the need for starter homes. Tune in for insights into the housing landscape of Utah and some of the housing-related projects that Steve is working on.
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Today’s episode of The Housing Advocate is all about the Parade of Homes happening in Washington County later this month. Skyler Stephens and Erik Sorenson join Stacy Young to talk about the parade, what they’re looking forward to seeing at this event and the Parade of Homes's economic impact on our community. They also talk about the showcase aspect of a Parade home and how these same contractors build less expensive attainable ho...
In this episode of the Housing Advocate Podcast, Skyler Stephens, Construction Manager at SunRiver Construction and President of SUHBA, joins host Stacy Young to discuss the complexities of the home construction process. He emphasizes the importance of water conservation in their projects and shares the impact of community infrastructure developments. Skyler and Stacy also explore the impact of these challenges on housing affordabi...
Emily Merkley, the CEO of the Washington County Board of Realtors, is our guest on today’s episode of The Housing Advocate! Emily details her background in the housing industry and how she got into real estate in Utah. The discussion also explores different housing market trends, such as affordable housing, new construction and accessory dwelling units. Tune in for tons of insights into the housing market as well as a look into the...
In this episode of The Housing Advocate, Kyle Pasley, managing director of real estate at SITLA, joins host Stacy Young to discuss trust lands in Utah. Kyle talks about the history of trust lands in the United States and dispels some common myths surrounding these assets. Stacy and Kyle also discuss how Washington County has used trust land and how SITLA has helped facilitate this use over the past several decades.
Mayor Chris Hart from Ivins, UT joins Stacy on today's episode to discuss his history with homebuilder's associations in Utah and Idaho. The conversation shifts to Ivins' general land use plan and how Mayor Hart utilized his residents when updating the strategy. Mayor Hart and Stacy also touch on some trends in the housing industry that might be impactful in the future.
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The H...
On today's episode of The Housing Advocate, Stacy sits down with Zach Renstrom the general manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District. Tune in to learn about the history of the Colorado River Basin and how water has been divided throughout the Western United States. Zach goes in-depth on Washington County's plan to have a safe, reliable source of drinking water for the next 20 years.
In this pilot episode of The Housing Advocate, host Stacy Young and special guest Mari Krashowetz, Executive Officer of the Southern Utah Home Builders Association (SUHBA), discuss the mission and goals of SUHBA. They highlight that SUHBA is not only a representative of its members but also a resource for residents in the community. Learn about the various programs and committees SUHBA offers including education, monthly luncheons,...
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