Message from President Marsha Parham-Green
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Dear Colleagues:
It was wonderful to catch up with so many regional members at the NAHRO Summer Conference in Boston. I know that I speak for all of MARC NAHRO when I say my proudest moment at the conference was when it was announced that
Natasha White
from the Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County, is one of three inaugural NAHRO-LDG Scholars. This is an amazing and incredible honor! The NAHRO LDG Scholars program is a new, 10-year venture that will provide $1 million in scholarships and internship opportunities to low-income students from around the country. Read more about Natasha under regional news.
Save the dates of
May 2-6, 2020
for the region’s conference, which will be held in partnership with the New Jersey Chapter, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. There will be ways for each and every member to be actively engaged so that we can develop relevant program content, attract vendors and sponsors to help us improve agency operations and efficiencies, and offer networking events so that you can expand your circle of colleagues for advice and best practices. Details forthcoming!
Here’s what’s inside this newsletter:
NATIONAL NEWS:
- Individual Awards: NAHRO is soliciting nominees for several individual awards by August 15. I hope you will take the time to nominate your inspiring colleagues!
- NAHRO Certified Regional Members: Please join me in extending congrats to seven MARC NAHRO members who have recently achieved a NAHRO certification.
- New Advocacy APP and Action Center: NAHRO has announced two new tools to help you connect to Congress!
- Professional Development Offerings in the Region: For quick easy reference, we have provided a list of NAHRO Professional Development offerings in the region.
Keep in mind that NAHRO has the capacity to bring a training to directly to your agency! Simply contact RSO
Sylvia Bowen
.
REGIONAL NEWS:
- Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County HCV FSS program participant receives a 2019 NAHRO Merit scholarship and selected as a NAHRO-LDG Scholar.
- Liz Glenn leads a delegation to South Africa. The delegation is comprised of NAHRO members and the Director and Assistant Director of the University of Maryland’s Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development.
- Marjorie Murphy celebrated a major milestone last month – 90 years young! The region sent her congratulations and a lovely bouquet of flowers.
- The Housing Authority of the City of Orange bids farewell to long-term public servant Joanne Kureshepi.
- The Philadelphia Housing Authority honored 70 residents with scholarships: 35--$5,000 scholarships; 24--$3,000 scholarships; and 11 --$1,000 scholarships.
- The Delaware Chapter has submitted information about the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh 2019 funding for the Affordable Housing Program; the application deadline is August 8.
- PAHRA has announced the date for its Annual Conference and Awards: September 15-18 in Harrisburg; and has provided information about a session regarding the present and future of assisted housing “ASK JOE” with Joe Schiff on August 27.
Thank you for taking the time to read your newsletter and thank you to our colleagues who have submitted news items.
This is our space to celebrate our good works and to share ideas. I want to hear from you. Feel free to send comments, questions or concerns to me at
[email protected]
.
Regards,
Marsha J. Parham-Green
President
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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.”
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 Partners 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:
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NAHRO CERTIFIED
Congratulations to all who are NAHRO Certified! Remember, NAHRO Certification means more. It is ethically based; all persons NAHRO Certified must take ethics training and adhere to the NAHRO Code of Professional Conduct. NAHRO Certification also requires continuing education to maintain a certification, ensuring NAHRO Certified professionals are up-to-date.
Below is a listing of MARC NAHRO members who have achieved a NAHRO Certification April-June 2019:
Certified Public Housing Manager:
Joan Roberts, Newcastle DE
Certified Specialist of Eligibility and Calculation-
Housing Choice Vouchers:
Prudence Agbobli - Perry Hill MD
Deirdre Amato - Toms River, NJ
Kenya Grady - Annapolis, MD
Deirdre Harris - Gwynn Oak, MD
Certified Specialist of Inspection-Housing Quality Standards:
Gina Gibson Glen Burnie MD
Certified Specialist of Occupancy-Housing Choice Vouchers:
Prudence Agbobli - Perry Hill, MD
Deirdre Amato - Toms River, NJ
Kenya Grady - Annapolis, MD
Deirdre Harris - Gwynn Oak, MD
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New Advocacy App and Action Center!
NAHRO is excited to debut two new tools to help its members connect to Congress: a mobile app that members can download to their smartphones and an improved web-based Advocacy Action Center.
The new advocacy app allows NAHRO members to access their legislators directly through their smartphone rather than having to navigate to NAHRO’s website. The app contains a directory of your individual members of Congress, talking points and critical advocacy documents, bills that NAHRO is tracking, and a mobile action center so you can send letters to your members of Congress directly through the app.
To access the NAHRO app:
- Visit your smartphone’s app store: either the Google Play Store (Android) or the Apple App Store (iPhone).
- Search for “NAHRO Advocacy Action” in the app store.
- Download and open the app.
- Sign in. Your username will be your first name and last name (no space in between, not case sensitive) and password will be your last name (lowercase).
The app is only available to NAHRO members. If you attended the Washington Conference and got a preview of the app, you may need to close out of the app and re-open for access.
NAHRO has also updated its web-based Advocacy Action Center. To see the changes, visit
www.nahro.org/nahro-advocacy
. Though the look of the Action Center has changed, its functionality remains the same. Through the
Advocacy Action Center
, anyone can send pre-drafted letters to their members of Congress to encourage responsible federal housing policy and increases to HUD spending. No NAHRO login is needed!
Need help with the app or the web-based Advocacy Action Center? Contact NAHRO’s Director of Congressional Relations,
Tess Hembree
.
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7/31/2019 - 8/1/2019
HQS Refresher
Richard E. Wankel Esq
e-Learning; Online / 0.50 CEU
8/7/2019
Ethics for Specialists
Veronica Bukowski
e-Learning; Online / 0.25 CEU
8/8/2019
Ethics for Management
Veronica Bukowski
e-Learning; Online / 0.25 CEU
8/14/2019 - 8/15/2019
Ethics for Commissioners
Ken Miller
e-Learning; Online/0.50 CEU
8/21/2019
Excellence in Customer Service
Deborah Jackson
e-Learning; Online/0.25 CEU
8/28/2019
Section 3
Georgi Banna Esq
e-Learning; Online / 0.25 CEU
8/29/2019
Procurement & Contract Management Refresher
Georgi Banna Esq
e-Learning; Online
0.25 CEU
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Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County HCV FSS program participant receives a 2019 NAHRO Merit scholarship and selected as a NAHRO-LDG Scholar
Natasha, a single mother who once was homeless, has received the proud honor of a 2019 NAHRO Merit scholarship. In addition, she was chosen to be a NAHRO-LDG Scholar receiving additional scholarship funds and internship possibilities.
Natasha has endured many struggles throughout her life. As a child of a parent with mental illness, Natasha found herself having to perform the role of second parent and income earner at a young age. When her family lost their home, she became homeless. She bounced between couches and shelters. Despite being homeless, she still continued to complete her college courses. After a year and half of homelessness, she received a call from HCAAC and was issued a voucher. Although she has had additional setbacks, Natasha continues to keep a clear focus of her goal to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and Spanish at WGU.
Currently, Natasha is employed full-time as a Teacher’s Assistant at Anne Arundel County Public Schools. In addition, she works two part-time jobs working with individuals with disabilities while raising her children. Natasha still finds time to give back to her community as fundraising coordinator for her son’s football organization and acting Captain of the Cougar Cubes Polar Bear Plunge team, raising $30,000 for Special Olympics of Maryland. Natasha’s educational colleagues describe her as “someone who wants to make a difference in the lives of the children she meets.” Natasha will use this scholarship opportunity to continue her outstanding commitment to her community endeavors and “to return the favor in kind.”
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Delegation to South Africa
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Message from Liz Glen:
NAHRO housing professionals and academics from the University of Maryland will participate in a four-city tour engaging in meetings and site visits with our peers in South Africa from July 22 through August 3.
We will visit officials from the Nelson Mandela University and the University of Kwa Zulu Natal. Our hosts, from the Housing Authority of East London and the Steve Tswete Housing Association, along with other members of the National Association of Social Housing Organuzations of South Africa (NASHO), have arranged an exceptional itinerary, rich in best practices in social housing, tours of informal settlements, meetings with university and government officials, and cultural and historical site visits.
Expected outcomes include a study abroad program for the Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development for UMD graduate students and strengthened collaboration between NAHRO and NASHO members.
We are so grateful to Lawrence Ramashamole, Noma Tunzi, Thomas Ntuli and Dr. Sjekula Mbanga for their graciousness and hospitality.
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Housing Authority of the City of Orange and City of Orange Say Farewell to Long-Term Public Servant
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(Left to right) Joanna Kureshepi posed with HACO colleagues and Orange Mayor at her retirement dinner: HACO Commissioner Clifford Ross,
HACO Commissioner
Ernest Williams,
HACO Commissioner
Dr. Joseph Juliano, Joanne Kureshepi, HACO Executive Director Dr. Walter McNeil, HACO Commissioner Betty McLeod, Orange Mayor Dwayne Warren, Orange Housing Development Corporation board members Dennis Motley and Avram White.
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ORANGE, NJ – July 11, 2019 –
Joanne Kureshepi, long-term administrative secretary at the Housing Authority of the City or Orange (HACO), got a heartfelt send-off into retirement with a resolution from the city and a day, May 31, designated in her honor.
The resolution praised Kureshepi, stating, “Throughout her 20-year career with the Housing Authority, Joanne earned the respect of her peers, her constituents and that of the population she served. She will be sorely missed by her co-workers, the commissioners, residents, vendors, and many friends she met along the way.”
Joanne joined HACO in May 1999 as the administrative secretary, eventually serving six executive directors. Among her many duties, she maintained the personnel records, prepared the monthly board meetings, and kept the records for the Orange Housing Development Corporation. Joanne took a lead role in organizing and directing the authority’s annual golf tournament that raises funds for college scholarships for deserving high school seniors in Orange.
“I know I speak for the staff as well as myself when I say how grateful we are for the many years of service Joanne has given to the Housing Authority,” said Dr. Walter McNeil, HACO’s Executive Director. “Joanne has been a familiar and welcoming presence that we all have relied upon for her exceptional skills. She has kept this office organized and running smoothly. We wish her health and happiness in her well deserved retirement.”
About the Housing Authority of the City of Orange
The Housing Authority of the City of Orange works to transform the City of Orange by providing safe, livable and affordable housing that promotes the development of communities. At HACO, participants are not statistics, they are neighbors. The HACO knows the community and tailors programs to better serve the participant’s needs. Whether it is a search for housing, assistance with foreclosure or neighborhood development, the Housing Authority of the City of Orange stands ready to offer its services to all residents.
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PhillySEEDS, Inc., a Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) subsidiary, has honored 70 PHA residents seeking higher education with $258,000 in scholarships. Students received scholarships valued at $1,000, $3,000 and $5,000.
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Federal Home Loan Bank AHP Online System Now Open for 2019 Application Input
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DE NAHRO is sharing with you the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh AHP Online 2019 Application.
Deadline for applications is August 8th
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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.
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- 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
[email protected]
.
*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
.
Copy and paste in browser for link:
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PAHRA Annual Conference & Awards
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Save the Date for PAHRA Annual Conference & Awards and link to the Conference Flyer with Registration, Agenda, and Hotel Info:
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MARC NAHRO State Chapters
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Do you have news to share from your agency?
E
mail MARC Regional Service Officer at
Sylvia Bowen
or call 202-580-7201
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