A world where a safe, welcoming, affordable place to call home is open to everyone. |
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HDC and NeighborWorks Partnership
Makes a Difference
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Dear friends and colleagues,
June marks my anniversary month at HDC MidAtlantic – it has been three years since I stepped into the role of President & CEO. It was a lot of hard work, a leap of faith and a bit of serendipity that brought me to lead a now 50-year-old non-profit housing development organization. June is also the month where we celebrate our partnership with NeighborWorks America, with our affiliation now going on five years. NeighborWorks America is a network of excellence and includes nearly 250 of the highest-performing non-profit community development and affordable housing organizations in the nation.
Without a doubt, when I was considering the CEO position, the fact that HDC was a NeighborWorks member was a critical factor in my decision to accept. With the support of a strong network committed to excellence, I knew I would be set up for success. And NeighborWorks has been a game-changer for HDC. Building upon our financial strength and track record, they have helped take HDC to the next level and deepen our impact. Through peer support, capacity building, and access to flexible funding, we can be bold and innovative in our approaches, working alongside our community partners and residents to break down systemic barriers and affect positive change.
As we celebrate the past 50 years during this anniversary year and plan for our future, I know that our NeighborWorks partnership will continue to be instrumental in our success and will continually challenge us to do more and do better to meet the need for affordable housing and to advance racial equity, diversity, and inclusion across our three-state footprint. Working with peer organizations, we find strength in each other and because of this HDC is a more effective resident advocate, housing developer and community partner. As we continue to forge ahead with our bold goals outline in our 5-year strategic plan, we know that our affiliation with NeighborWorks will be there to support HDC in every way.
This week NeighborWorks organizations across the country are highlighting our collective efforts to improve lives and strengthen communities. In this newsletter, that is our focus, too. I hope you enjoy learning more about the work we are able to accomplish in partnership with NeighborWorks America. It’s some good stuff.
With gratitude,
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Dana Hanchin
President and CEO
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Community Leadership Institute
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Community leaders share a desire to help their neighbors through challenges and to be a part of making their community and neighborhood the best it can be. This can take on many forms—big and small—and often begins with creating ways to build connections among residents like greeting people when they just moved into the neighborhood, organizing a community yard sale, or helping with community gardens. As residents make deeper connections with each other, and as leaders grow in their capacity, together they can become strong advocates for their communities and neighborhoods. And they can and often do make a difference by focusing on issues that are important to them and their neighbors. |
Above: Rockford Chase Apartments' welcome bags that will be replicated at Umbrella Works. |
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Participants in the new Umbrella Works neighborhood garden organized by Rocio. |
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Resident Spotlight: Rocio Gonzalez
From Volunteer to Leader
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When first approached to attend NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute (CLI), Rocio was a little skeptical. She liked the idea of learning new skills to help neighbors in her Umbrella Works community, but she was not sure how it was all going to work, especially during a pandemic.
When Rocio moved into the Umbrella Works seven years ago, she found herself with extra time on her hands and wanting to learn new skills, she started volunteering in the office. She would have been content to continue that work if not for Ana Montanez, HDC’s resident services coordinator at Umbrella Works, who inspired her to participate in the CLI.
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The Power of Collaboration in Pennsylvania |
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Since its inception in 1983, NeighborWorks Week showcases how the network strengthens communities and celebrates collective impact. Held June 5-12th this year, it is a time to not only to give back in communities, but also acknowledge the thousands of volunteers, partners, and stakeholders who support NeighborWorks and its critical mission. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there are only eight non-profit organizations that have been accepted into the NeighborWorks network.
Building on the network of excellence that is a NeighborWorks tenet, Pennsylvania NeighborWorks organizations formed an association, the NeighborWorks Association of Pennsylvania or NWAP, and created a powerful and forward thinking agenda to lift all communities up across the state.
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HDC’s Participation in NW Growth Cohort |
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Nationwide, only one third of the available and affordable homes needed for America’s most vulnerable households exist. In response, NeighborWorks started the Rental Real Estate Growth Cohort (Growth Cohort) and invited their highest achieving affordable housing developers to participate to help accelerate production and build a robust pipeline over the next 5-7 years. Acquisition, preservation, and new construction opportunities in the HDC pipeline currently include 36 potential developments and a total of 2,650 affordable homes. Cohort participants undergo an annual review of their program and will continue to receive funding and peer to peer support if their goals are met. The experience has been invaluable for HDC. In addition to receiving $125,000 in seed capital to advance growth strategies, HDC learned about different organizations’ business development strategies and successes in various markets across the country. As a result, HDC has fine-tuned its pipeline development approach, which focuses on a balanced mix of acquisition, preservation, and new construction opportunities. This has enabled HDC to be more strategic and nimble in reaching and hopefully, surpassing our housing production goals.
According to Angela Gravely-Smith, Director of Real Estate Enterprise Strategies at NeighborWorks, “HDC has proven to be a learning organization and has solid capacity to pivot when needed. They’ve been a great asset to both their affordable housing network peers and NeighborWorks America,” she concluded.
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We are having a ton of fun posting about the past 50 years of HDC to celebrate our anniversary. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for stories, images, and interesting facts from our 50-year history!
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Follow Us!
Stay connected with HDC on social media. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for our latest news and updates.
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