June 2019
Message from President Marsha Parham-Green
Dear Colleagues:

First, thank you to the members of the MAHRA and MARC NAHRO 2019 Conference Planning team, under the leadership of Stacy Spann and MAHRA President Eric Brown for an amazing conference experience! I am sure that the rich program content, renowned speakers and networking opportunities helped every attendee return home with innovative solutions, new ideas, and new professional contacts. Thank you to our national leaders who came to speak with us: President Carl Richie, Senior Vice President Sunny Shaw, and CEO Adrianne Todman, as well as Senior Vice-Presidential candidate Patricia Wells. I’d also like to extend a hearty thank you to all our conference attendees for taking the time to join us. 

MARC will partner with the New Jersey Chapter for the 2020 conference, which will take place from May 2-6, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Please reserve these dates on your calendar and watch your inbox for conference news. You’ll also have the opportunity to attend NAHRO Professional Development seminars during this conference.

And now, a few words about this issue of our newsletter. Inside you’ll find:
  • a report on the region’s Executive Board and Annual Business meetings
  • election results—find out who will lead our region for the next two years
  • information about a new scholarship, Mary E. Paumen Leadership Scholarship
  • the winners of the “What Home Means to Me Poster Contest”
  • the agencies that will receive National Agency Awards of Merit
  • National NAHRO News:
  • Complimentary Webinar - Public Housing Repositioning July 2, at 1pm ET
  • Individual Awards - nominations due 8/15
  • Professional Development offerings in the region
  • agency news submitted by our colleagues

I will be at the NAHRO Summer Conference in Boston (July 11-13) and hope to see you there. I want to hear from you. Feel free to send comments, questions or concerns to mparham-green@baltimorecountymd.gov .

Annual Conference Highlights
May 29-31 National Harbor
IRGE Committee members presented
“Stay Local-Go Global"
Pictured are Committee members Laurie Putscher, Don Bibb and Liz Glenn, and John Mahon MARC SR VP.
Baltimore City Housing Program Manager asks IRGE delegation about Australia's model for Housing First.




Laurie Putscher describes her role as NAHRO’s delegate to INTA’s technical assistance panel in St Fons, France in Spring 2019.

Don Bibb, Liz Glenn and John Mahon talked about their experiences as members of NAHRO ’ s delegation to Australia and New Zealand in November 2017.

Liz also talked about MAHRA's MOU with the National Association of Social Housing Organizations and MAHRA’s reciprocal visit to South Africa in July 2019 with the Colvin Institute of Real Estate at the University of Maryland.
May 29th Conference Opening Session
Pictured :
Carl S. Richie, Jr. NAHRO President | PG County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks |
Adrianne Todman, NAHRO CEO | and Sunny Shaw, NAHRO Senior Vice President
May 30th Plenary Session
Pictured:
Carl S. Richie, Jr. NAHRO President | Eric Brown, MAHRA President | Marsha Parham-Green, MARC NAHRO President | Key Note Speaker: Richard Rothstein | Stacy Spann, Conference Chair
Housing America Poster Contest Winners
"What Home Means to Me"

Nearly 200 posters from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico were submitted for the state competitions. Each state selected a winning poster in each of three categories: elementary, middle school, and high school. These posters were displayed at the conference for judging. Congratulations to the winning artists! Their posters are below and will be entered into the national competition.




 Elementary School: 
Jayla




Middle School: 
Owen
Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration



  High School: 
Elaizra
Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration
NAHRO Agency Awards of Merit
The region saluted and presented certificates to national
NAHRO Awards of Merit winners:
Executive Board Meeting Highlights
Keeping with tradition, the region’s Executive Board met on
May 29, prior to the opening plenary session of the conference. 

Two action items of particular note to members:

Establishment of new Regional Scholarship:

The Board unanimously approved the establishment of the Mary E. Paumen Leadership Scholarship (1956-2018). Ms. Paumen served both the region and national NAHRO with commitment, dedication and professional service, benefiting MARC’s work and mission and the lives of low- and moderate-income individuals and families. Eligible applicants are commissioners, employees or Resident Council leaders of member agencies. Scholarship funds may be used to cover costs that are associated with professional development trainings and seminars, research and conference participation. Details forthcoming in upcoming newsletters and on the region’s website.

2020 Regional Conference:

The Executive Board voted unanimously to partner with New Jersey for the 2020 Annual Conference and Exhibition - May 2-6 in Atlantic City

SAVE THE DATE AND MARK YOUR CALENDAR TODAY! 


(Minutes are available on the MARC NAHRO website)

Annual Business Meeting Highlights
President Marsha Parham-Green calls the Annual Business Meeting to order

2019-2021 officers take
the Oath of Office

On May 30th, Nominations and Election Committee Chair Clif Martin announced 2019-2021 Regional Officers, Executive Board Members and the region's representative who will serve on the NAHRO Board of Governors

President:  
John Mahon, Housing Authority of the City of Bayonne    

Senior Vice President:  
Kathryn L. Walter, Housing Authority of the County of Beaver

Secretary:
Gina Gibson, Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County

Treasurer:
Robin Senss, Housing Authority of Chester County


Vice Presidents:

Commissioners                                                               
Dorothy Carty Daniel, Perth Amboy Housing Authority

Community Revitalization and Development
Stacy Spann, Housing Opportunities Commission

Housing
Lanita Hillen, Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County
 
International Research and Global Exchange
Don Bibb, Housing Commission of Talbot County

Member Services
Gary Centinaro, The City of Beverly Housing Authority
               
Professional Development
Eric Brown, Baltimore, MD


NAHRO Board of Governors: 2019-2023 Term

Regional at-large: 
Shauna Sorrells , Chief Operating Officer - Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County


Executive Board Members:  2018-2021 (filling vacant seats)

Chelsea Johnson , Deputy Executive Director and Special Counsel -
DC Housing Authority

Pamela Ferguson , Executive Director - Delaware NAHRO

Vernon Lawrence , Executive Director/CEO/CFO - Pleasantville
Housing Authority


Executive Board Members: 2019-2022

John Clarke , Executive Director - New Brunswick Housing Authority

Deborah Jackson , Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Supervisor - DC
Housing Authority

Nicole Jackson , Assistant General Counsel - Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

Debra Johnson , Director of Administration - West Chester

Coram Rimes , Commissioner - Orange Housing Authority
 
 All terms will commence at the conclusion of the 2019 National Conference
and Exhibition in San Antonio, TX (October 10-12)

NAHRO News
Complimentary Webinar - Public Housing Repositioning
July 2, at 1pm Eastern

On Tuesday, July 2, NAHRO will be hosting a complimentary webinar on HUD’s current effort of Public Housing Repositioning. This session is for agencies of all sizes from the smallest to the largest and will discuss HUD’s outreach, the options and first-hand PHA experiences.

Registration Information
Public Housing Preservation Options - The PHA Perspective

Has HUD reached out to your agency to discuss the future of your public housing? Join us for this complimentary session to review your options, and the NAHRO Policy team is here to provide more information and help sort through a lot of the chatter.

Are you interested in joining the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), using the Section 18 Demolition/Disposition program, removing your Declaration of Trust, participating in a streamlined voluntary conversion process, or continuing in public housing? Presenters will provide overviews of the options available to PHAs of all sizes and discuss HUD’s plans for the future. Andy Rodriguez of the Nampa (ID) Housing Authority will share Nampa's experiences in preserving their Public Housing.
 
Please register for Public Housing Preservation Options -
The PHA Perspective on Jul 2, 2019 1:00 PM EDT at:
 
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.


Honor Your Fellow
MARC Colleagues!

Have you ever wanted to recognize a colleague for his/her outstanding work? Here’s your chance! NAHRO invites nominations for the 2019 Individual Awards that recognize excellence, innovation, and achievement in the housing and community development (HCD) industry. The deadline for all awards is August 15. 

Purpose : NAHRO’s highest and most prestigious award given to honor an exceptionally qualified person who has made outstanding contributions to improve a community’s quality of life through service in the HCD industry. The award is made on the basis of extraordinary accomplishments and contributions. 

History : The award was established in 1975 in the name of M. Justin Herman to provide a living acknowledgment for the standard of excellence he established in the field of housing and community development and the contributions he made to the beauty and vigor of San Francisco.

Qualifications : Each nominee must have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the nation’s effort to provide “a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family.”
 
Purpose : To further the work of the NAHRO International Research and Global Exchange Committee by recognizing a person in the housing and community development field who has made an outstanding contribution toward international understanding and exchange of international experience.

History : The award was established in 1983 in the name of John D. Lange, Executive Director of NAHRO from 1951 to 1970, who actively participated throughout his professional career in international exchange and, in his retirement, carried out executive service assignments in Argentina, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Qualifications : Each nominee must have a direct affiliation with the housing and community development field and must have made an outstanding contribution to international understanding in HCD industry.
 
Purpose : To honor a current commissioner, or one who has served within the past 12 months, who has demonstrated excellence in advocating for and developing the financial, political, and community support necessary to ensure the continuation and expansion of HCD programs.

History : The award was established in 1987 in the name of Elizabeth B. Wells to provide a living acknowledgment of the outstanding contributions she made to the housing field as a member of the Board of Commissioners of the King County (WA) Housing Authority and as NAHRO’s first Vice President of the Commissioners Committee.

Qualifications :  Each nominee must be an individual or associate member of national NAHRO, have contributed in the areas of community leadership, advocacy, and public relations as well as to the activities of NAHRO. Nominees cannot be employed by the Housing Authority and serve as Commissioner simultaneously.
 
The Emerging Leaders are a self-identified, diverse group of professionals who are interested in advancing in the HCD industry. Emerging Leaders gain knowledge and integrate themselves into the industry through mentors, trainings, and conferences. An Emerging Leader demonstrates leadership and is willing to contribute and share knowledge/ideas with others.

Purpose : The Emerging Leader Award recognizes an individual who has distinguished him/herself as an Emerging Leader.  

Qualifications : Must have been involved in NAHRO at the national, regional and/or chapter levels for at least five years and must have distinguished him/herself as an Emerging Leader.
 
Please note: Nominees do not need to be a member of the Emerging Leaders Subcommittee. Nominations must be submitted by someone other than the nominee. Award winners can only receive the award once.
 
This award recognizes both a vendor partner and a housing agency or community development agency whose partnership exemplifies a joint effort that creates positive change. Current Business Partner Council (BPC) members and PHAs or associations that administer affordable housing programs will be eligible. Each entry must be limited to one specific partnership example. BPC members may also enter new products and services that have not yet been implemented, but that would meet the above criteria with the support of the HA for which the product/service is being designed. BPC members may also enter products, services, and philanthropic activities (e.g., scholarships or volunteer projects) that benefit multiple PHAs or their local communities. 
 
For more information and/or an application form, visit: www.nahro.org/individual-awards
Regional News

AHP Online System Now Open for 2019 Application Input
DE NAHRO is sharing with you the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh AHP Online 2019 Application.  Deadline for applications is August 8th
The 2019 funding round for the Affordable Housing Program (AHP) is now open  with approximately $31 million  in available funding. All 2019 forms, guides and application attachments are currently available on the  Bank's website . Forms may be downloaded and completed and then uploaded to the AHP Online system. Other resources available to assist applicants include:
 
New guides for applying in the updated system
Several AHP application questions and documentation requirements changed when the AHP Online system was updated in January. All applicants should review the updated application  paper guide , which outlines all the application questions, prior to completing their application in the AHP Online system.
 
The following Application Guides detail the steps and screens you will encounter as you complete your AHP application in the updated system:
Webinars
  • AHP 101 Webinar - This webinar provides a detailed discussion of the AHP process, including key scoring and feasibility factors.
  •  
  • Community Stability Webinar - This webinar defines the scoring elements and describes the documentation necessary to earn Community Stability points in the AHP application.
  •  
  • AHP Tips Webinar - Initiate your application by July 10 to receive a July 11 invitation to view the AHP Tips Webinar, which provides insight into a successful AHP application.

Partner matching
Members and project sponsors looking for a partner for this year's funding round can request matching help by completing the  AHP Member/Sponsor Match form .

Technical assistance
To discuss specific eligibility, scoring or feasibility considerations and questions, project sponsors and members may request technical assistance from FHLBank staff through the  Technical Assistance Request Form . Technical assistance for 2019 AHP projects is available through June 28.*
 
2019 AHP applications are due  by 5 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, Aug. 8 .  The awarded projects will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 19. If you have questions about the AHP program or webinars, please contact Megan Krider at 800-288-3400, ext. 4577, or  megan.krider@fhlb-pgh.com .

*Please note that project-based technical assistance requests (i.e., scoring and feasibility) for the 2019 funding round will be accepted until June 28. After that date, assistance will be limited to AHP Online system functionality issues only (e.g., AHP Online system login or financial feasibility spreadsheet upload issues). For questions related to scoring and feasibility guidelines, please consult the  2019 AHP Implementation Plan .

Philadelphia Housing Authority
Norris Senior Open House
On May 7, The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) welcomed seniors to an open house featuring apartments designed especially for them at Norris Apartments Phase II in the city’s North Central neighborhood. Former residents of the old Norris Apartments site, including seniors, have the right of return to the redeveloped apartment complex, which now sits on both sides of the regional rail station that serves Temple University. Twenty-six of the 89 units at the complex are senior preference units, located in two small apartment buildings. The development complements ongoing private housing and commercial development in the neighborhood. 
MARC NAHRO State Chapters
Do you have news to share from your agency?
E mail MARC Regional Service Officer at Sylvia Bowen or call 202-580-7201