Celebrating the work of NHC and our members

Remarks of David M. Dworkin, President and CEO, at the National Housing Conference's 2023 Housing Visionary Awards Gala

Good evening! What a beautiful night to spend time together and celebrate the work of three of our exceptional colleagues.

Tonight’s celebration would not be possible without the generous support of JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Rocket Mortgage and the National Multifamily Housing Council. You have stood with us over many years – through thick and thin and have helped us celebrate the brightest lights of housing. Thank you.

Last month, we were in Memphis to celebrate the second anniversary of the Black Homeownership Collaborative, where we launched an extraordinary new mortgage affordability calculator on the 3by30 website.

The Black Homeownership Collaborative is one of NHC’s most important initiatives, bringing together prominent leaders in civil rights and affordable housing to create 3 million net new Black homeowners by the end of 2030. We convened at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Loraine Motel. As you can imagine, it was a moving and inspirational reminder of how important this work is, and how much so many sacrificed on its behalf.

As I looked into the room where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent his last night, and the balcony where he drew his last breath, I thought, if he were here today and asked me, how we are doing with his legacy, I would be embarrassed.

While we have made important progress, we have so far to go to realize his vision, his dream. He knew how hard it would be. He told us many times throughout the last year of his life as he grappled with the challenge of housing discrimination and genuine economic opportunity.

“We’ve fought across the South, in various struggles to get rid of legal, overt segregation and all of the humiliation that surrounded that system of segregation,” he said.

“But we must see that the struggle today is much more difficult. It’s more difficult today because we are struggling now for genuine equality, and it’s much easier to integrate a lunch counter than it is to guarantee a livable income and a good, solid job. It’s much easier to guarantee the right to vote than it is to guarantee the right to live in safe, sanitary, decent housing conditions. It is much easier to integrate a public park than it is to make genuine quality integrated education a reality.”

Recalling the fierce, often violent opposition he faced in Chicago and Boston, he said he was “convinced that many of the very people who supported us in the struggle in the South are not willing to go all the way now.”

Those of you who we honor tonight, and so many of you here, understand this challenge because you are committed to this harder work; committed to going “all the way.” more