NAHRO Nationwide

Over the past month, it has been my privilege to visit with you, my fellow NAHRO members, all across this great country. Thanks to the Middle Atlantic Regional Council for hosting me in National Harbor, Maryland, as you all discussed  solutions for a new housing paradigm. June’s been a busy month so far. I got my game on in Kansas City, Missouri at the Southwest NAHRO conference, visited with Mountain Plains NAHRO and Montana NAHRO in beautiful Billings, Montana, and met with many of our New England Regional Council members in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. As I write this, I’m on my way to Orlando, Florida for the SERC-NAHRO regional conference there. While this might be a formidable travel schedule, I wouldn’t change anything about it – I welcome each and every opportunity to meet with you, and to be inspired by your great work and your determination to improve the communities you serve. 

Big News in Boston

In less than two weeks, we’ll be gathering in Boston for CONNECT to Results, our 2019 Summer Conference. While I’m always excited for our national gatherings, this one is particularly special. Last year, at our National Conference in Atlanta, we announced a $1 million partnership with LDG Development, a Louisville, Ky. based affordable housing developer, to create a 10-year scholarship and professional opportunity program. This year, in a city famed both for its excellent schools and its status as an innovation hub, we’ll be announcing our inaugural cohort of NAHRO-LDG Scholars! Our NAHRO-LDG scholarship program will provide these talented young men and women from our housing authorities with money for college as well as networking events, internship opportunities, and more.  It’s an innovative program that encompasses both education as well as professional growth, and we’re excited to get it off the ground. 

We will also be announcing this year’s winners of our NAHRO Merit College Scholarships. In addition, we’ll have the Awards of Merit breakfast showcase, top-notch plenary speakers such as Harvard’s Chris Herbert, more than 25 concurrent sessions on vital affordable housing and community development topics, and more. I hope you’ll be able to join us! 

June Is Homeownership Month

I’d also like to acknowledge that June is National Homeownership Month. For the families we serve, owning a home is an important step towards increased stability, building wealth, and creating better educational and professional outcomes. I’d like to call attention to three of our 2019 Awards of Merit-winning programs — the City of Pasadena and Heritage Housing Partners’ “Leveraging Affordable Housing for Blight Removal,” the Greensboro Housing Authority’s “Financial Freedom Seminars,” and the Greenville Housing Authority’s “Dream Tour” – all of which have homeownership components. And thank you to all of you who are helping your residents along the path to what many call the American dream of homeownership.