What happens when personal loss becomes the beginning of a mission to change lives?

In this episode of The Housing Dept Podcast, I sit down with Shakieta Maloye, founder of Another Chance House of Refuge, Inc., a nonprofit based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

After losing her mother to congestive heart failure, Shakieta turned her pain into purpose. Since starting her nonprofit in 2019, she has been helping justice-impacted individuals and others facing difficult circumstances through transitional housing, wraparound services, workforce development, and community support. But as Shakieta explains, housing alone isn’t always enough. Supporting people means understanding their needs, providing resources, and helping them build stability.

In this conversation, we discuss:

- How Shakieta turned personal loss into purpose

- Why wraparound services matter beyond providing housing

- What makes a good housing partner- How to start offering wraparound services- Building systems with simple tools and automation

- Revenue opportunities for nonprofits beyond grants

- Workforce development and corporate partnerships

- Why listening, accountability, and compliance matter

- Shakieta’s vision for Charlotte’s first family emergency shelter

Timestamps

01:04 — How Shakieta turned personal loss into purpose

03:17 — Why wraparound services matter beyond housing

09:06 — What makes a good housing partner

14:20 — How to start offering wraparound services

15:50 — Building systems with Google Workspace, templates, and automation

18:51 — Revenue-generating opportunities beyond grants

21:21 — How corporate partnerships can support workforce development

23:59 — Managing people in shared housing

25:39 — Why listening, accountability, and compliance matter

27:47 — The reward of seeing someone’s life change

31:06 — Shakieta’s vision for Charlotte’s first family emergency shelter

Connect with Shakieta Maloye

Another Chance House of Refuge, Inc.

Website: https://anotherchanceclt.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnotherChanceCLT/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anotherchanceclt

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shakieta-maloye-3855ab1b8/

Phone/Text: 704-562-7500

Pure Wisdom Inc.

Website: https://purewisdominc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purewisdom08

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If this episode inspired you, share it with someone who wants to make a difference through housing and community impact.

What would you do if you lost over $1 million in investments? Would you walk away, or would you figure out a different way to build wealth?

In this episode of The Housing Dept. Podcast, I’m sitting down with Russ Morgan, co-founder of Wealth Without Wall Street, to talk about his journey from losing seven figures to building multiple streams of passive income.

Russ shares how he and his business partner approach financial freedom, why entrepreneurs can sometimes make poor investment decisions, and how to stop chasing every deal that comes your way.

We also break down the Freedom Score—a simple way to measure how close you are to financial freedom by comparing your passive income with your monthly expenses.

If you're building a business, investing in real estate, or trying to create more freedom for yourself and your family, this conversation will challenge how you think about money.

CONNECT WITH RUSS MORGAN & WEALTH WITHOUT WALL STREET

Website & free resource mentioned in the episode:

https://go.wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/thehousingdept

Podcast: https://www.wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/podcast

Free community: Search Wealth Without Wall Street in the App Store.

Book: https://go.wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/newbook

CONNECT WITH TERENCE & THE HOUSING DEPT.

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How do you build four independent living homes across two states while living in one of them?

On this episode of The Housing Dept. Podcast, I sit down with Marsha, who shares how she built four independent living homes across Georgia and New York while living in New York.

She opens up about how she got started, why she chose Georgia for her first homes, and the challenges of finding properties out of state. We also talk about building a waitlist, dealing with landlord rejections, and how she manages her Georgia homes with the help of her brother.

If you're looking to start or grow your own housing business, this conversation is a reminder to believe in yourself, get the right guidance, and keep moving even when you hear “no.”

A big thank you to today's sponsor, PadSplit! 🙌

🏠 Interested in a more hands-off approach to shared housing? Check out PadSplit: https://www.padsplit.com/thd

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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@afemesam

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EnilrunHousingHub/

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How do developers secure millions of dollars to build affordable housing? 🏡In this episode of The Housing Dept. Podcast, I sit down with Jon Toppen, President and Co-Founder of Tapestry Development Group, who has been in the affordable housing space for over 23 years.Jon breaks down how affordable housing projects get funded through tax credits, investors, grants, and other funding sources.One thing I found especially interesting was how a historic school in Thomasville, Georgia, is being transformed into 52 units of senior housing.We also talk about finding the right properties, working with local governments, why development projects take years, and how smaller housing operators can partner with experienced developers.A big thank you to today's sponsor, PadSplit! 🙌If you own a property and want to explore shared housing without managing everything yourself, PadSplit helps with property marketing, resident screening, move-ins, and rent collection.According to PadSplit, hosts can earn up to 2.5 times more than a traditional long-term rental.👉 Learn more about PadSplit:https://padsplit.com/thdConnect with Jon and Tapestry Development Group:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tapestry-development/Website: https://tapestrydevelopment.org🏡 Join The Housing Dept. Community:https://www.skool.com/thd📱 Follow me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamterencegarciaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamterencegarciaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamterencegarcia/

What happens when a $40,000 house becomes a $160,000 exit—and the same passion for real estate leads to building independent living homes?

In this episode of The Housing Dept. Podcast, Terence sits down with Leslie, a real estate investor and independent living operator who has been investing in real estate for more than 20 years.

Leslie shares how she bought a house for $40,000 at a time when she didn’t even have a job, put the purchase on credit cards, invested about $10,000 into the rehab, and eventually sold the property for around $160,000. But her story goes beyond real estate.

Leslie also shares how independent living has allowed her to make a real difference in people’s lives—from helping a woman transition into her own apartment to supporting a resident with schizophrenia who had previously experienced abuse in other group homes.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- How Leslie got started in real estate

- How she found a way to purchase a $40K property without a traditional job

- How she approached flipping and rehabbing properties- What led her to independent living

- Why independent living is about more than filling beds- How housing can create real change in someone’s life

- Why due diligence and learning from experienced people matter

- How Leslie uses AI to continue learning and growing her business

- Her plans to expand her housing business

Sponsored by PadSplit

If you own a home and like the idea of shared housing but don't necessarily want to operate the housing business yourself, PadSplit may be worth checking out.

PadSplit helps property owners rent individual rooms instead of renting an entire home to one tenant. The platform helps with marketing the property, screening residents, facilitating move-ins, and managing rent collection.

According to PadSplit, hosts can earn up to 2.5x more than a traditional long-term rental.

Learn more: padsplit.com/thd

Join The Housing Dept. Community:https://www.skool.com/thd

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What happens when a lawyer sees a housing problem and decides to do something about it?

In this episode of The Housing Dept. Podcast, Terence sits down with Felicia Edelman, a longtime housing operator who got her start in 2010 after working in landlord-tenant law and partnering with Uncle Dave.

What started with one property eventually became years of experience operating shared housing, working with community organizations, navigating landlords and code enforcement, securing grants, and helping people find a safe and affordable place to live.

Felicia shares how she and Uncle Dave found their first property, how they marketed their homes before social media was a major part of the process, and why building relationships with local organizations became one of their most important sources of referrals.

At one point, they housed up to 50 people at one property.

And the lessons didn't come without challenges.

They dealt with maintenance issues, bedbugs, code enforcement, difficult landlords, and the realities of running a hands-on housing operation. Felicia explains how those experiences shaped the way she approaches shared housing today.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Felicia and Uncle Dave got started in shared housing

• How they found and leased their first property

• How they marketed their homes through local organizations

• Why in-person relationships became important referral sources

• How they built partnerships with agencies serving people in need of housing

• What they learned from housing up to 50 people at one property

• How they handled code enforcement and property challenges

• Why location matters when choosing a shared housing property

• How grants became part of their housing strategy

• Why Felicia wishes she had hired a coach or mentor sooner

• How she eventually moved from a hands-on operation toward more passive systems

• What she would tell someone starting shared housing today

One of Felicia's biggest lessons is simple:

If you have a vacant bed, it's your job to make sure the community knows about you.

She also explains why shared housing is ultimately about more than the property—it is about community and connection.

If you're thinking about starting a shared housing business—or you're already operating one and struggling with referrals, property issues, or filling beds—this conversation offers lessons from more than a decade in the industry.

🔗Connect With Felicia:

https://SOShousing.org

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What if the people who fill your homes aren't the people you're trying to reach directly?They might actually be the people serving the people who need housing.That's the strategy Cassie used to build her referral network.Cassie currently operates 6 independent living homes across metro Atlanta, and she says one of the biggest challenges of scaling was making sure she had consistent referrals.Her solution?She started showing up at job fairs, resource fairs, and other events—not simply looking for people who needed housing, but connecting with the vendors who were already interacting with her target population.She would ask what they did, learn about their services, exchange contact information, and look for ways she could send people their way.Those relationships eventually became referral sources.And here's the interesting part:Cassie said she spent March, April, and May heavily attending events. Even after she stopped attending in June and July, her phone continued to ring.She had already done the groundwork.In this episode, you'll learn:• How Cassie networks at job and resource fairs• What she says when meeting other vendors• Why she focuses on relationships instead of simply asking for referrals• Why getting direct contact information matters• How she builds partnerships with service providers• How she found her first rental property• Why she says, “Start out renting, stack your money, and then buy”• How she transitioned from Airbnb into independent living• What she learned from expanding into behavioral health• Why maintaining relationships is critical to long-term referrals• Why independent living is not a “run yourself” businessCassie also shares an important reminder for anyone considering this business:“If it's all about the money, don't do it.”If you're building an independent living home and wondering how to create a steady referral pipeline, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can put into action.🔗Follow Cassie:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chynamae_cassieFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/chynamaeceo👉 Follow Terence:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamterencegarciaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamterencegarcia👉 Join The Housing Dept. Community:https://www.skool.com/thd

👉👉 Join The Housing Dept. Community: https://www.skool.com/thd

What if you could generate cash flow from real estate without managing tenants, fixing properties, or handling maintenance?

In this episode of The Housing Dept. Podcast, Terence sits down with Sierra, an asset manager who has been investing in real estate notes since 2017.

Sierra breaks down an often-overlooked side of real estate investing: buying mortgage notes and becoming the person who receives the borrower’s payments and interest.

She explains how mortgage notes work, why lenders sell them, how investors can buy them at a discount, and how the numbers can create potential returns.

You'll also hear about her first note deal, which she purchased for $22,000 and later resold the property for $75,000 after the borrower stopped paying.

In this episode, you'll learn:

•What a real estate note actually is

•How mortgage notes can be bought and sold

•Why someone would sell their note instead of waiting years for payments

•How Sierra buys notes at a discount

•How investors make money from the interest

•What happens when a borrower stops paying

•How the property acts as collateral

•Why third-party loan servicers are important

•Where beginners can find notes for sale

•How becoming a note broker can be an entry point without purchasing the note yourself

•Sierra's creative finance experience and her favorite win

Sierra also shares why she chose notes over traditional real estate strategies: she wanted a way to participate in real estate without spending all of her time dealing with properties, tenants, and maintenance.

If you've been looking for a different way to approach real estate investing and want to understand how real estate notes and seller financing work, this conversation is a great place to start.

🔗 Connect With Sierra

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sierradavisofficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierradavisofficial/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sierra.davis.803463

🎓 Join Sierra's 3-Day Challenge

https://www.wealthwithnotes.com/

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