Economic Architecture The Podcast

Millions of American homes are still connected to the water main through lead or lead-tainted pipes — a problem the federal government has finally put real money behind fixing, but only for a few years before the funding window closes. The traditional way this work gets delivered, through large engineering firms’ billing time and materials, is structurally built to take longer and cost more, not less.

In this week’s conversation, host Stuart Yasgur sits down with Shawn Kerachsky of Community Infrastructure Partners (CIP), to explore a performance-based alternative: fixed-cost, fixed-timeline contracts that put the financial risk on CIP instead of on cash-strapped municipalities and contractors.

Shawn and Stuart dig into what it takes to earn a homeowner’s trust to even get through the front door and the market-based solutions for tackling a public health crisis.