Message From President John Mahon
A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
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Greetings MARC Family:
I hope you, your families, staff and residents are well.
As I type this, the first COVID-19 vaccines are being administered. The beginning of the end of the pandemic is here, but that does not mean we can let our guard down. It will take several months to get everyone vaccinated so we must remain vigilant in all the measures we are taking to keep our residents and staff safe. People can still get sick and sadly die from this virus so we must remain vigilant. Please work and advocate for your most at risk residents to get as high a priority for vaccinations as possible within your jurisdictions.
Sometimes our residents are overlooked and we need to add our voices to theirs.
Hopefully, you have kept up with any new information HUD has been releasing as it relates to COVID-19 and operations. NAHRO has been offering updates and analysis of new developments and clarifications as well as HUD hosting information sessions and updating FAQs in different areas.
While exercises in democracy are playing out, we are still scheduled to welcome a new administration and Congress in January. Please do your part and keep our congressional representatives informed of priorities and the good things that we are able to do for our residents. This is especially true if you have elected new members of Congress. Reach out and establish relationships early with any incoming Representatives or Senators. With everything they have to learn, never assume they are well versed in the intricacies of our industry. You will be doing a service to yourself and your residents.
Since we are still unable to meet in person, I strongly urge you to take advantage of NAHRO Professional Development offerings. Remember, MARC has a profit-sharing agreement with NAHRO so your staff not only gets high quality NAHRO training, but you help the MARC region replace lost revenue from not being able to hold a conference; simply enter code MARC2020 and hit apply. It’s that simple.
Finally, with the pandemic and all the other turmoil going on, please remember to try to enjoy the holidays with your families. This will definitely be a “Remember when…” holiday season. 2020 can’t end soon enough for many of us, but it does show that character, courage and perseverance can get you through a lot.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
STAY PROTECTED SO YOU DON’T GET INFECTED!!
Regards,
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Rep. Marcia Fudge Expected to Be Nominated for HUD Secretary |
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Rep. Marcia Fudge/ Courtesy photo |
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Representative Marcia Fudge of Ohio is expected to be nominated to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team has not confirmed Rep. Fudge’s nomination for HUD Secretary, but it has been reported by a number of news agencies. Rep. Fudge had been discussed as a potential candidate for the Department of Agriculture Secretary but it appears that former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack will be nominated for that position.
Read more about Rep. Fudge's expected nomination and what it means for NAHRO's members here.
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MARC NAHRO Executive Board News |
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From left: Kim Taylor, Irma Gorham, Constantine Dean Hadjis and Fred Banuelos
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Four new Executive Board members were recently onboarded:
Kim Taylor-Housing Authority of the City of Trenton, NJ - three-year term
Irma Gorham-Housing Authority of the City Paterson, NJ - three-year term
Constantine Dean Hadjis-Anne Arundel Country Housing Commission, MD was elected to fill a vacancy in a term that will expire in 2022; and
Fred Banuelos-Federal Home Loan Bank Board, Pittsburgh, PA, was elected to fill a vacancy in a term that will expire in 2021.
Click here for a full roster of Executive Board members. As announced to the membership in November via e-blast, next spring, the membership will elect new officers: president, senior vice president, secretary, and treasurer; and five at-large Executive Board members.
The current leadership term ends in October 2021. Be sure to be on the lookout for updates on the election in future newsletters.
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NAHRO Online 2020
Conference Highlights
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Two Former MARCNAHRO Executive Board Members Awarded NAHRO’s Highest Honor |
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Louis A. Riccio and Milton Pratt, Jr., were recipients of NAHRO’s highest honor, the Outstanding Professional of the Year Award. It honors exceptionally qualified members who have made outstanding contributions to the quality of life through service in the field of housing or community development. |
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Outstanding Professional of the Year Award 2020 |
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Lou author, and mentor, began his career in the industry 46 years ago at the Newark Housing Authority.
Following his five--year tenure there, he was appointed executive director of the Madison Housing Authority, a position he has held for nearly 40 years. Lou’s use of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, loans, CDBG funds, Rental Assistance Funds, Federal Home Loan Bank Board funds, and formation of non-profits, public-private partnerships were catalysts for increasing the supply of affordable housing in Madison. A fierce advocate for pubic and affordable housing, in addition to leading his agency in the expansion of its portfolio, he has been a major contributor in the development of affordable housing units in all parts of the state of New Jersey. He has also guided agencies throughout the country in either the construction of affordable housing or the conversion of public housing to the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, which serves as a reinvestment in public housing stock. READ MORE
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Milton Pratt Jr. is a leader who is constantly in pursuit of excellence, collaboration, and innovation.
He began his career at the Michaels Organization 15 years ago, where he led his team in the development of more than 2,500 units including award-winning work on HOPE VI developments in New Orleans and Tampa. They showcase the transformation of outdated and neglected public housing into sustainable, mixed income-communities. He also led the way on a three-phase redevelopment, Belmont Heights in Tampa, that included 825 varied rental units. It is located in the heart of the city’s redevelopment activity and has completely transformed the local neighborhood in terms of green spaces, social cohesion, and economic opportunity. Milt was the first affordable housing developer to complete a rebuild following Hurricanes Rita and Katrina-425 units on more than 97 acres of cypress swamp. His forward-thinking, expert team building, and creative problem solving turned a ravaged community into a beautiful one that captures the unique architectural styles of New Orleans. READ MORE
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Candidates for NAHRO President and Senior Vice President-2021 Biennial Election |
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From left: Patricia Wells, Marsha Parham-Green and George Guy
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The MARC NAHRO Executive Board has endorsed Marsha Parham-Green’s candidacy
The NAHRO leadership changes hands biennially with the election of a President and Senior Vice President by the NAHRO membership. The current leadership term ends in October 2021. Patricia Wells, CEO of the Oakland Housing Authority and the current NAHRO Senior Vice President, officially announced her candidacy for the office of NAHRO President. Marsha Parham-Green, Executive Director of the Baltimore County Office of Housing and George Guy, Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Housing Authority, both announced their candidacy for the office of NAHRO Senior Vice President.
NAHRO and the region will provide ongoing leadership election news to members via newsletters and virtual events. Members should feel free to direct questions to Diane Cohen, chair of the Nominating and Election Committee.
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Housing America Regional
2021 Poster Contest Winners
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Eight posters were submitted for this year’s regional Housing America Poster Contest. Three winning entries (pictured below) were selected for the national competition. |
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Elementary School:
Alphonso
The Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Home means a place where you and your family grow together, a place where you can feel safe and have shelter. Home is a place where you are brought home when your first born and grow up. Home is a place where you have gatherings for holidays a place where you eat, sleep and feel protected.
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Middle School:
Hector J.
Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration
My home means for me more than a building. It means everything I do, I feel, I learn and my hobbies. My family is my home. They are who taught me since I was a baby how to speak, eat, walk, study and my daily routine. They give me support, care and security every day. They taught me to love and to have other feelings. My poster is about the things and people that make our house my home.
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High School:
Elaiza M.
Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration
For me, home is wherever I stand. Is where I feel loved and where I can be myself. Home is not only the structure of the house, is that feeling of happiness when you are with your family and friends. Home is my little island, the one that I grew up in every single part of it.
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Hector’s and Elaiza’s posters were selected as national winners and their artwork will be featured in the 2021 What Homes Means to Me calendar, which is shared with all members of Congress, local leaders, and the NAHRO membership.
They will each receive a $100 Visa gift card. Calendars are on sale for $9.99; to order click here. Proceeds from the calendar sales go to a fund for the contest winners. The contest is part of the Housing America public awareness campaign, which seeks to raise national awareness of the need for and importance of safe, quality, affordable housing through education, advocacy, and empowerment.
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2020 Awards of Excellence |
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The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia Housing Authority were among 18 agencies that received NAHRO’s 2020 prestigious Awards of Excellence for creating innovative programs that improve their communities. |
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The site had significant topographical challenges with steep rock formation and slopes. A master planning process with extensive public outreach ensued, resulting in a project that optimizes on-site strengths in embracing and enhancing local context.
It connects a formerly isolated public housing development to the larger community through amenities such as hiking trails, improved access to public transportation, and neighboring businesses. Community Development category for Cornerstone Village - Phase II, a mixed-income housing development and an award in Project Design for Sandstone Quarry - Phase I, which reintegrated a previously isolated and stigmatized development within the greater neighborhood. READ MORE
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The Philadelphia Housing Authority modernized and rehabbed its Sharswood Tower, a mid-century low-income senior apartment high-rise that after years of use and poor planning was left dilapidated, inefficiently laid out, and did not meet current safety and accessibility requirements.
The Sharswood Tower is one part of the housing authority’s plan to demolish and reconstruct a superblock in North Philadelphia bound by 22nd and 24th streets, and Oxford and Jefferson streets. The intent is to provide upgrades to modernize and create a safer living environment for residents. Through careful selective demolition and insertion of all new electrical, mechanical and sprinkler systems, insulation, and windows, the building now complies with to-date safety and energy codes. The units were reorganized with new kitchens and bathrooms and given a sleek, fresh look. The community room, leasing and tenant offices, laundry rooms and outdoor patio were all upgraded, and a walkable park was also added.
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Joe DeFelice, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Mid-Atlantic administrator, visited the Housing Authority of the County of Beaver (HACB) to recognize the Housing Authority’s fifth award of funding for the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI). FYI was initiated by a group of foster teens working with HUD. The goal is to provide housing assistance to youth who are aging out of the foster care program to give them assistance in starting on their own.
The fifth recipient of the FYI funds, Ms. Somerville expressed that she would not be anywhere near where I am without this program. “I am just so grateful because I’d still be sitting in placement right now with nowhere to go”. Ms. Somerville recently gave birth to her first child.
The efforts to protect the foster care youth in Beaver County are a collaboration, involving the Housing Authority (HACB), TRAILS Ministries, Children and Youth Services and the Beaver County Continuum of Care.
HACB is continuing to bring more foster youth into the program and is currently working with their seventh perspective program recipient.
Mr. DeFelice was accompanied by Jane Miller, Pittsburgh Field Office Director and Michael Horvath, Field Office Director.
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Lancaster City Housing Authority Keeps Residents Connected During COVID-19 |
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A story sure to warm you heart on a cold winter day...Lancaster City Housing Authority (LCHA) utilized grant monies to combat the effects of isolation during the pandemic by purchasing tablets to provide virtual connection for their residents. Click here to read the full feature story.
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Get the Recognition Your Agency Deserves
NAHRO 2021 Awards of Merit
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Take advantage of NAHRO’s Agency Awards of Merit to showcase the innovative work being done by your agency. Winners receive national recognition and are added to the resource bank of the best programs in housing and community development throughout the nation. At the Merit Award level, entries are judged on their own merit and not in competition with each other. Information about the 2021 Merit Awards is now available on the NAHRO website. Submit your application by January 22, 2021.
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Check out Our Latest Virtual Classroom Offerings! |
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MARC NAHRO continues to partner with NAHRO Professional Development on their “Virtual Classroom” offerings that will directly benefit members and our Region!
Members will receive a discount of $10 on every NAHRO “Virtual Classroom” offering and MARC NAHRO will also receive a revenue share for each participant from our region! How does it work? When registering, please use code MARC2020, click apply prior to checkout, it’s that simple!
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Check out our Latest e-Learnings |
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call 202 580-7211 for further details and/or registration assistance.
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MARC NAHRO is now on Twitter @MARCNAHRO1 Please follow us! If your agency has a separate Twitter account, please let us know so we can follow! |
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We would love to receive a mixture of articles and pictures—best practices during COVID-19, uplifting messages—to lift people up and community engagement.
Click here to submit your stories!
Articles are due for review on the 10th of each month
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Post a Job on the
MARC NAHRO website - At no cost!
Put your open positions in front of candidates who have the skills and experience that your agency needs to excel.
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MARC NAHRO State Chapters |
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Central Eastern Pennsylvania
(no website)
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