As Texas continues to experience record economic growth and population expansion, one challenge is becoming increasingly urgent: workforce housing.

In this episode of Texas Talks, Jeramy Kitchen, President and CEO of the Texas Business Leadership Council (TBLC), joins the program to discuss why housing affordability has become one of the most pressing economic issues facing the state. Kitchen explains how rising housing costs are making it harder for teachers, first responders, and young professionals to live in the communities where they work—creating ripple effects across Texas’ economy.

The conversation explores how workforce housing connects directly to economic development, job creation, and business investment, and why business leaders across the state are pushing policymakers to prioritize housing solutions. Kitchen also discusses how zoning, regulatory barriers, and local policy decisions influence the availability of housing supply.

The discussion also covers:

The role of the Texas Business Leadership Council in shaping state policy
Why housing shortages can threaten long-term economic competitiveness
The connection between housing affordability and workforce development
How Texas can maintain its pro-growth economic model while expanding housing supply
Why collaboration between business leaders, policymakers, and communities is essential

As Texas continues to attract companies and workers from across the country, Kitchen argues that ensuring affordable workforce housing will be critical to sustaining the state’s economic momentum.

00:00 — Introduction and Jeramy Kitchen joins the podcast
01:09 — Jeramy Kitchen’s background and the Texas Business Leadership Council
03:12 — What the TBLC does and its role in state policy
05:02 — Texas’ rapid growth and the housing challenge
06:47 — What workforce housing actually means
09:11 — How housing shortages affect teachers, first responders, and young workers
12:03 — Housing supply, zoning, and regulatory barriers
15:28 — Why housing affordability matters for economic competitiveness
18:46 — Business leaders advocating for housing solutions
22:11 — Policy ideas to increase housing supply in Texas
26:35 — How housing connects to workforce development
30:02 — The future of Texas’ economic growth

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks

Why Workforce Housing Is the Key to Texas’ Economic Future w/Jeramy Kitchen

Texas Talks