Message from President Marsha Parham
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Greetings!
As we embark on the mission of implementing the Strategic Goals developed by our current NAHRO President, Carl Richie for the National Organization; the input from MARC NAHRO will be significant. As the committees work to address the goals listed below at the Regional level, we will continue to promote our mission of assisting members and their agencies toward the attainment and provision of adequate housing and sound communities through the processes of development, preservation, conservation, rehabilitation, and redevelopment.
Goal A:
Position NAHRO as the preeminent organization for the development and implementation of responsible housing and community development policy by vigorously advocating legislation, regulations, and programs that benefit NAHRO members and the people they serve.
Goal B:
Sustain NAHRO’s leadership in developing the professional expertise and credibility of affordable housing and community development practitioners and the industry as a whole.
Goal C:
Expand NAHRO’s reach and improve its effectiveness by building and reinforcing traditional and non-traditional partnerships, both with NAHRO’s regions and chapters, and with outside organizations.
Goal D:
Ensure NAHRO’s continued financial sustainability by increasing income, expanding revenue sources, and maximizing efficiency.
Goal E:
Strengthen NAHRO as a thought-leader by improving communication, networking, information exchange and knowledge transfer with and among members, partners and stakeholders.
By aligning our efforts with the National organization we will strengthen the advocacy, diversity, and relevancy of both organizations.
We are returning to our traditional joint regional conference this year. We will be hosted by the Pennsylvania Association of Housing and Redevelopment Agencies (PAHRA) on June 24-27, 2018 at the Hershey Lodge, Hershey, PA. I hope to see you there!
See the information and registration link for the conference below.
Regards,
Marsha Parham
President
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Housing America Poster Contest
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2018 MARC NAHRO
Poster Contest Winners
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Each year, Housing America holds a poster contest for children residing in affordable housing and community developments owned or administered by NAHRO member agencies. Posters express the theme of “What Home Means to Me.” The contest is a collaborative effort of NAHRO state chapters and regions; national honorees are selected from chapter and/or state-level winning entries.
The contest participation is open to all children residing in affordable housing assisted directly or supported under community development and affordable housing programs administered by a NAHRO member authority (i.e., public or Section 8-assisted housing CDBG, HOME, LIHTC).
Posters must be submitted
to your state chapter:
•Delaware – deadline to submit is May 8
•Maryland – deadline to submit is April 27
•New Jersey- deadline to submit is June 1
•Penn – deadline to submit is May 15
State Chapter information
Best Practice
One of MARC’s agencies does not have any public housing but they get participants involved by sending invitations to voucher holders who have a child(ren) and invite them to an art and pizza night. They provide all of the art supplies and the children create their posters. The posters are then set up on display like at an art show.
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PAHRA/MARC
Annual Spring Conference & Expo
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Registration forms should be emailed to kelly@pahra.org with payment to follow. Checks made payable to PAHRA and mailed to P.O. Box J, New Florence, PA 15944.
Sorry – in order to keep costs low, we do not accept credit cards.
Hotel Reservations 717-533-3311 or 1-800-HERSHEY (1-800-437-7439) before May 23, 2018 for group rate:
$208 per person per night single plus applicable tax / fees; or $115.50 per person per night double plus applicable tax / fees. Rate includes lodging and hot breakfast buffet each morning of your stay.
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PAHRA’s 5th Annual EveryHome™ Event
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The Pennsylvania Association of Housing & Redevelopment Agencies (PAHRA) recently held its 5th Annual EveryHome™ Housing and Community Development Awareness Event at the State Capitol. The group is shown gathered in a show of solidarity on the steps of the main rotunda to promote awareness of the importance and the positive impact of housing and community development in overcoming obstacles in the lives and communities of Pennsylvanians.
This year’s event focused on elimination of children and youth homelessness. Statistically, the average age of a person experiencing homelessness in the U.S. is between the ages of 9-12. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, there are more than 1.6 million children in the U.S. without a stable home. Nearly 28,000 of them live in Pennsylvania.
Featured speaker Sonia Pitzi, Regional Coordinator, Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness, Intermediate Unit #12, York Leaning Center, struck a resounding tone by emphasizing the importance of children having stable and consistent housing, as well as equality in education. She stressed the struggle of homeless families to balance priorities, and how common it can be for education to fall by the wayside when other issues such as food and shelter take precedence. Ms. Pitzi serves as an educational liaison to help students enroll and remain in school.
PAHRA President, Senghor A. Manns, highlighted the statistical realities of childhood homelessness, noting that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports indicate 62% of homeless youth suffer from depression; 72% report major trauma such as physical or sexual abuse; and nearly 80% experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mr. Manns issued a call to action to help eliminate or reduce children and youth homelessness, asking that we be guided by the simple principles that:
- EVERY citizen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should be afforded the ability to live in a decent, safe and sanitary home;
- EVERY citizen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should be able to obtain an affordable and/or accessible home without spending a high percentage of their gross income on rent or a mortgage;
- EVERY citizen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should have access to the expertise and helpful advice of housing practitioners in order to secure decent, safe, sanitary, affordable and/or accessible housing;
- EVERY time a citizen is, becomes, or remains without a decent, safe, sanitary, affordable and/or accessible home in which to live, the entire Commonwealth has failed in its duty; and
- EVERY person benefits from all people within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania having a home.
PAHRA will continue to advocate for adequate funding of affordable housing and community development programs in pursuit of these goals.
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Sonia Pitzi, front row center, in red; PAHRA President Senghor A. Manns to her right
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100-Day Campaign
Housing Authority of Chester County
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In efforts to end veteran homelessness Chester County has launched its fifth 100-day campaign to house 100 veterans in 100 days. Chester County’s 100-day campaign began Thursday March 1
st
2018 and will conclude on June 8
th
2018. County wide agencies have joined the cause for ending veteran homelessness including: The Housing Authority of Chester County, the Coatesville Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Office of Chester County. As a result of the help received from partnering agencies, previous 100-day campaigns for housing veterans have proved to exceed housing expectations. Additionally, unification of Landlords and the Housing Authority of Chester County has been recognized as a pivotal partnership in housing homeless veterans. With the continued support of partnering agencies, community members and landlords, we can look forward to the success of this year’s 100-day campaign.
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Newark Housing Authority
Redevelopment Plans
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The Newark Housing Authority is embarking on its 2
nd opportunity to re-develop its remaining housing stock.
In March of 2017, the Newark Housing Authority solicited the services via RFP 2017-01 for Architectural/Engineering Services to prepare four separate and distinct concept plans for the re-development of 56 Low Income Pubic Housing units owned and managed by the authority.
The plan includes re-developing the existing Administration Building located at 313 E. Main Street, the existing 36 1-bedroom units located in the rear of the Administration Building and 20 scattered sites located within the city limits. Commercial space with the possibility of additional units assisted by project based vouchers is also part of the plan.
Currently, the Newark Housing Authority has begun its contract negotiations to hire an Agency Representative via RFQ 2017-01 to prepare a feasibility study model using several tools to determine options and funding sources to be considered in using the concepts plans prepared by the A&E firm.
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Professional Development
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ONLINE e-Learnings
ON-SITE Trainings
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Donate to the Region's
Gilliam, Milan, Smith and Moyer Memorial Scholarship Fund
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Established in 2016, the region’s Gilliam, Milan, Smith and Moyer Memorial Scholarship was designed to fund tuition and/or certification examination fees for NAHRO Professional Development offerings. Members of MARC NAHRO who are commissioners and/or trustees and employees of housing and community development agencies may apply for a scholarship. We seek to award annually two $1,000 scholarships and a number of smaller scholarships. To help us do so, we need your donation and there is no better time than now to donate to the Scholarship Fund. All donations are tax deductible.
or send a check, payable to:
MARC NAHRO Scholarship Fund
630 Eye Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
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MARC NAHRO State Chapters
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Do you have news to share from your agency?
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