The Regenerative Real Estate Podcast
Purpose-Driven Sustainable Housing and Education with Emily Niehaus
Emily Niehaus is a former mayor and a leader in both affordable housing and education. She is the founder of Community Rebuilds, a nonprofit that constructs affordable straw bale homes, and more recently, she’s also the founder of Heron School, a micro-school for gifted neurodiverse students. In between those ventures, she found the time to be the mayor of Moab, Utah, where she was able to advocate for housing policy with a larger platform. Throughout her impressive, varied career, she has been driven by purpose and a “doer” attitude, she says “if I see something that needs fixing, I just try to fix it."
Emily and show host Neal explore Emily's journey from Ohio to her “forever home” in Utah, where she started off as a park ranger at Bryce Canyon before settling down in Moab. She followed her passions, working at a community theater and as a social worker, before she became a loan officer as a pathway to getting into creating affordable housing. They talk about her innovative nonprofit, Community Rebuilds, which she founded as a way to replace outdated trailer homes with sustainable straw bale homes for families in need. They also dive into her term as the mayor of Moab, where she promoted affordable housing and learned valuable lessons about political will and community engagement. Finally, they discuss her most recent venture, Heron School, which was inspired by Emily’s son, a gifted learner on the autism spectrum. The school operates on a profit-for-purpose model, with the support of the neighboring Sunflower Hill Inn, which Emily also owns. For more information about Emily and her work, visit heronschool.com and communityrebuilds.org.
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At Latitude, we're more than a real estate firm; we're your partner in the transformation of homes, communities, and habitats towards healthy, resilient, and thriving communities.
By combining specialized real estate consulting services with a creative agency model, we work with property stewards and developers on capital and fundraising strategies, team formation, branding, marketing, and sales.
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Are you a professional wanting to create transformational outcomes with your work? Join the Regenerative Real Estate Community to get access to workshops, regenerative real estate investment opportunities, and connect to other leaders and culture creators within the greater real estate industry to create the impact you seek in your work.
Emily Niehaus is a former mayor and a leader in both affordable housing and education. She is the founder of Community Rebuilds, a nonprofit that constructs affordable straw bale homes, and more recently, she’s also the founder of Heron School, a micro-school for gifted neurodiverse students. In between those ventures, she found the time to be the mayor of Moab, Utah, where she was able to advocate for housing policy with a larger platform. Throughout her impressive, varied career, she has been driven by purpose and a “doer” attitude, she says “if I see something that needs fixing, I just try to fix it."
Emily and show host Neal explore Emily's journey from Ohio to her “forever home” in Utah, where she started off as a park ranger at Bryce Canyon before settling down in Moab. She followed her passions, working at a community theater and as a social worker, before she became a loan officer as a pathway to getting into creating affordable housing. They talk about her innovative nonprofit, Community Rebuilds, which she founded as a way to replace outdated trailer homes with sustainable straw bale homes for families in need. They also dive into her term as the mayor of Moab, where she promoted affordable housing and learned valuable lessons about political will and community engagement. Finally, they discuss her most recent venture, Heron School, which was inspired by Emily’s son, a gifted learner on the autism spectrum. The school operates on a profit-for-purpose model, with the support of the neighboring Sunflower Hill Inn, which Emily also owns. For more information about Emily and her work, visit heronschool.com and communityrebuilds.org.
———————-
At Latitude, we're more than a real estate firm; we're your partner in the transformation of homes, communities, and habitats towards healthy, resilient, and thriving communities.
By combining specialized real estate consulting services with a creative agency model, we work with property stewards and developers on capital and fundraising strategies, team formation, branding, marketing, and sales.
---------
Are you a professional wanting to create transformational outcomes with your work? Join the Regenerative Real Estate Community to get access to workshops, regenerative real estate investment opportunities, and connect to other leaders and culture creators within the greater real estate industry to create the impact you seek in your work.