The Power of NAHRO

“We live by each other and for each other. Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

NAHRO family,

I left last week’s National Conference and Exhibition in Denver, Colorado with a full heart, a renewed sense of purpose, and rekindled hope. Our challenges are big, but our determination — and ability — to build coalitions and create solutions are even bigger.  Above all, we must remember that we’re not alone in this work. While we may not see eye to eye on everything, we can agree on two things: that housing matters, and that everyone deserves a safe, decent, affordable home.

More than 1,800 of us came together united by these common beliefs, and by the shared determination to become better housers. With three plenaries, nearly 50 concurrent sessions on everything from AI to young adult homelessness, full-day trainings for Commissioners, Executive Directors and emerging leaders, and an exhibit hall with nearly 90 current and potential business partners, there was no better place to learn, connect, and share our stories.

Storytelling is a vital part of NAHRO’s power, and we made sure that it was front and center throughout. We proudly shared the stories of NAHRO’s innovators and champions:

• The agencies whose programs garnered them 187 Awards of Merit and 19 Awards of Excellence;
• Tommy Sheehan (Housing Authority of Newport), our Commissioner of the Year;
• Kennard Randolph (Selma Housing Authority), our Emerging Leader Award winner;
• The 2026 NAHRO Fellows: Sheila Barnett (Goodland Housing Authority), Shaunté Evans (Spartanburg Housing) and Diane Larson (Itasca County Housing and Redevelopment Authority);
• And our three Outstanding Professionals of the Year: Ben Bentley (Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation), Bobby Collins (Housing Authority of Shreveport) and Preston Prince (Santa Clara County Housing Authority).

We also celebrated the stories of NAHRO’s future:

• The young artists who’ve won the 2026-27 “What Home Means to Me” poster contest;
• This year’s NAHRO-LDG Scholars;
• The graduates of the Fall 2026 NAHRO LEAD Program and the professionals entering the Spring 2027 cohort; and
• The dedicated long-time NAHRO members Mike Gerber of the Austin Housing Authority and Bobby Collins of the Housing Authority of the City of Shreveport, who are running for the positions of NAHRO President and Senior Vice President, respectively.

Not all the stories were ours. Musician Mandy Harvey, who re-taught herself to sing and play the guitar after losing her hearing, shared her personal story of overcoming her fear of failure and of the importance of tethering yourself to the people who will challenge you, support you, and share your moral compass. Colorado mayors — Mayor Mike Johnston, City of Denver; Mayor Emily Francis, City of Fort Collins; Mayor Wendi Strom, City of Lakewood; and Mayor Dana Greene, City of Leadville — discussed how they try to build coalitions around housing in their cities. NPHM’s Tiff Beatty and Maiker Housing’s Peter LiFari shared poems about housing, history and shared humanity. To close out the conference, filmmaker and mental health advocate Kay Lipp told her story of struggle, recovery, her ongoing search for home — and the vital role that a single box of crayons played in her journey. These stories all shared one vital thing in common: the role that a community plays in ensuring that people are sheltered, healed and helped. And that’s something all of us housers do.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, shared your stories and brought home ideas and solutions. I hope to see you all — and some new faces — in DC next April.

Happy Halloween!