Chapter Leads

Paige Kahle

Location in TC:

I live with my two teenagers, their father, and a Shihtzu named Stella in St. Paul. We have happily been renting our home for 6 years. I work primarily in the Twin Cities region.

Bio:

Home has always been important to me - thinking about it, longing for it, and helping individuals and families build it. Before I was eighteen years old, I had lived in a dozen+ homes in various cities throughout the US. I learned first-hand how disruptive moving often is on a child, even when it’s within the same city, but especially when it’s cross-country.

During my formative years, I lived in Mississippi with my mom where I witnessed blatant racial discrimination - from attending a mostly segregated parochial school to hearing stories from my mom about her childhood growing up in rural Mississippi to seeing Ku Klux Klan members "marketing" on street corners. As a child, I was horrified and confused by all of it. It's a feeling that has stayed with me decades later.

My educational background is architecture and urban planning. While studying urban planning, I became interested in patterns of neighborhood segregation and how to create more integrated, inclusive neighborhoods. It is absolutely possible to create opportunities for more inclusive and racially diverse neighborhoods. There needs to be more education and outreach to the general public about why it’s important to create more affordable housing in ALL areas. And, to offer opportunities for grassroots involvement.

I have been a Realtor for almost 20 years, and believe everyone in my industry should be vocal enthusiasts for the creation of more housing, especially the missing middle housing. In most instances, the real estate industry continues to advocate for private property rights, at the expense of real people’s lives. This is why Nichole, Meghan, and myself joined together to create a TC YIMBY chapter early in 2023.

Why is housing important?

Home matters. It matters just like healthcare matters. It matters like clean water matters. It matters like healthy food. Housing is a basic human need that is critically necessary in creating successful outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.

Why I support YIMBY:

Housing is where everything begins for all of us. I want to live in a community where everyone has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing regardless of their income level. We are in a housing tragedy and I believe the solution is for all of us to advocate for more housing, especially in the lower price points, and in all areas and neighborhoods.

Nichole Hayden

Location in the Twin Cities:
- I live in Andover, my office is in Blaine, and I work all across the metro!
Bio:
- I'm a Twin Cities native who loves calling Minnesota home. I grew up in Plymouth and Richfield, spent my twenties in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and bought my first home in Columbia Heights. I now own my dream property in Andover that allows me to garden, grow apples, and support a robust pollinator population.
- From a young age, my single mother instilled the importance of giving back to people in our community. The value of each person and their right to be housed, fed, and clothed. Because simply, they are people and it's a human right. While attending college in Iowa, I engaged in grassroots organizing for a political campaign. I learned first hand the power of people uniting for a cause. I spent a summer in Baltimore living in an intentional community focused on nuclear weapon disarmament. I'm passionate about working with others to improve the greater good of the people in our communities.
- I worked in advising, coaching, and product operations for an education company downtown for 8 years. I loved the people I worked with and the students we served, but when the pandemic hit it was a turning point, a time to refocus my time and energy.
- I developed an interest in housing through my post college AmeriCorps service; a program that equipped high school youth with skills in home renovation while supporting community rehabilitation. This grew into a passion for guiding others through the home ownership process and teaching folx how to leverage generational wealth building through real estate. After getting licensed in 2020, I discovered the network professionals in this industry who are also passionate about housing affordability, housing as a human right, and ensuring accessibility to the stability of home ownership.
- When I'm not assisting clients or volunteering for community causes, you can find me walking a bear sized dog or enjoying live music at a local venue with my husband. I enjoy hiking, biking, birding and gardening. I also like to sponsor events or volunteer with organizations close to my heart. I believe we each have the power to weave the fabric of strong, interconnected communities that thrive, collectively.
Why is housing important?
- I believe housing is a basic human right. It is the foundation for stability for all human beings. It is the safe space we sleep in, grow families, and learn how to be ourselves. Without access to housing, or affordable housing, all other parts of a person's well being are at jeopardy.
Why I support YIMBY
- I support YIMBY because I know the solution to making housing affordable, within our capitalist society, is to create more supply. When individuals can't create more housing on their property, we restrict the affordable option to co-habitat with family. When cities can't create new housing or transition empty buildings to housing, we allow humans to be homeless. I say "Yes" to more neighbors because abundant and affordable homes means safety and security for all people.

Meghan Howard

Location in TC:
- I live in St. Paul but work in and around all the surrounding Cities!
Bio:
- I have always loved “home”. Even as a child - I remember realizing how grateful I was to have a comfortable place to live. Whether that was the childhood homes my family lived in throughout Sioux Falls, SD. To the houses I rented with friends in 2000 when we moved to the Twin Cities for college at the University of Minnesota. To the refurbished old army barracks in Brighton, England I stayed at while studying abroad. To the dorm room in Portland, Maine where I finished my final semester of college. To the rented room of a house in Seattle, WA where I lived while working for an environmental non-profit. To the futon I slept on in my sister's living room when I first moved back to Minneapolis to start my life of non-profit work throughout my 20’s/early 30’s. To the top floor duplex my friend and I rented while I worked to support and promote handmade items from artisans around the world. To the apartment overlooking Loring Park…the snowy winter days were the best! To the first "fixer-upper" home my husband and I purchased in St. Paul in 2009. And finally, to our second, current home we now live in with our two children. Each "home" has a special place in my heart. Each "place" very different but all of them equally cherished. I am grateful for the housing I have stayed in throughout my life. I want to help others find the same comfort, peace, and Joy in the spaces they choose to call home.
Why is housing important?
- I believe housing is a basic human right. As a Realtor, I have seen many houses and many types of homes. I believes Housing is Healthcare and I want to do my part to help All people find a safe place to live and call Home.
Why I support YIMBY:
- I support YIMBY because I do say Yes to People! I say "Yes" to more neighbors, to climate action, to integration, to walkable communities, to short commutes and to abundant, affordable, and sustainable homes for Everyone throughout all the different stages of life.
- Twin Cities YIMBY is a wonderful non-profit I am proud to be a part of. I'm honored to volunteer with an organization that advocates for abundant, affordable housing for All.

Sarah Rostance

Location in TC:
- I am a born and bred Minnesotan, who lived in Minneapolis proper until 2019.
Bio:
- I consider myself lucky, as my mom worked very hard to keep the same home my entire childhood. I then started my own family in the same house and continued to instill the meaning of home in my children. Like many kids right out of college, I got roommates and lived in several different apartments around town but my amazing mom kept the same home for me to always come back to. Having that safe place was vital to my success as I navigate adulthood and I hope to bring some of that feeling into my work in real estate.
Why is housing important?
- I got into the real estate business like many people, looking for freedom in my schedule and money. Neither of those is why I stay. I learned quickly that there is a massive housing shortage, there is a housing gap when it comes to POC in homeownership, I learned that the real estate industry is historically racist. But I also learned that with the right knowledge and guidance, homeownership for all is possible. My focus became external rather than internal. Who can I help get into their own home? And how much can I learn on how to do that? The YIMBY movement is so important in educating those on how more housing isn't a bad thing. Knowledge is power, let's spread it far and wide!
Why I support YIMBY:
- I'm very proud to be a part of this small but mighty Minnesota chapter. Not only are we doing good work, but it's with three smart, amazing women in the industry that I'm happy to also call my friends.