|
The Latest News
October 2017
|
|
|
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
As my term as your regional president comes to a close, I am humbled and honored to have had the opportunity to serve you. I can truly say that this has been a wonderful experience and has helped develop my leadership abilities in a way I had not previously imagined.
We have accomplished much in the last two years. We have a robust monthly newsletter that helps to keep us all connected. I thank Kristen for her efforts in pulling this together each month. Also thanks to Kristen, we have a new logo that is more representative of our region as well as a more functional website. We have created a strong conference planning process which has resulted in well attended events packed with relevant information. We have invited difficult conversations, like those of equity and inclusion, into our conferences because we know that equality doesn't just happen without our being intentional in ensuring that it does. We have brought more trainings to our region, thanks to our close NAHRO ties through the RSO Advantage Program. And we have developed partnerships with our neighboring regions to better prepare for legislative advocacy each spring.
Of course, there are things I didn't get time to address or complete. I had hoped to rewrite our bylaws in order to more closely align our committee structure with that of National NAHRO. And speaking of committees, I had hoped to create more engaged committees on the regional level who were moving our regional work forward. Who knew that two years would go so fast?
I am excited for our new leadership! I know that Saeed will be a remarkable President and will bring new strengths to the position. And with Cupid backing him up as his Sr. VP? We simply can't go wrong. I look forward to the amazing things they will do in the coming years. I know that when their terms are completed, our region will be even better equipped to meet the needs of our members.
I have grown. I have stumbled. And I have learned. I thank those who have continued to support and mentor me along the way. We are connected by our passion for this work and PNRC is the link that pulls us together. You are more than colleagues. You are my family.
Best,
Sunny
|
Seattle Housing Authority's Raven Terrace named nation's best public housing redevelopment
Raven Terrace, the Seattle Housing Authority's second new residential building at Yesler, was named the best public housing redevelopment in Affordable Housing Finance magazine's 2017 Readers' Choice Awards for the Nation's Best Affordable Housing Developments.
Raven Terrace is part of SHA's redevelopment of Yesler Terrace from 561 aging housing units into a new
mixed-income community that replaces all previous low-income housing and includes more than 1,000 additional units of affordable housing along with market-rate housing. It is a 30-acre site near downtown Seattle that was developed by SHA in the early 1940s as the first publicly subsidized housing in the state of Washington and the first racially integrated public housing in the country.
Raven Terrace, which was designed by Weber Thompson, includes 83 affordable apartments for people of all ages, space for resident-run childcare, a central courtyard, community room and office space for social services. Weber Thompson employees donated books for a reading center in the lobby. Raven Terrace is adjacent to a fully accessible pedestrian pathway that connects the Yesler community to surrounding neighborhoods. It is situated near a community center, new streetcar line, 1.8-acre park currently under construction, and an education and learning center created out of a historic steam plant. The building, which opened in January of 2016, was designed to meet both Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards and Evergreen Green Communities criteria.
"Raven Terrace is a beautiful building that provides a long-term affordable housing option in the heart of Seattle for residents and families earning the lowest income levels," said SHA Executive Director Andrew Lofton, who will receive the award in Chicago in November. "We're proud of this national recognition and very grateful to the many partners who made Raven Terrace possible."
 Val Valfre, Jr. has announced his plan to retire as the Washington County Directorof Housing Services and as the Executive Director of the Washington County Housing Authority effective November 30, 2017. Val has led the agency for the past 13 years; first as the Assistant Director and then as the Director. His stewardship has resulted in a new era of leadership of the Housing industry in Washington County while his influence can be felt State-wide.
He was instrumental in the development of several partnerships
that brought in over 700 new affordable housing
units to the County while preserving other low-income housing opportunities. He led efforts to create the County's low-income housing tax exemption program, affordable housing "gap" funding resources, county-wide pr
oject-basing of vouchers, and veterans housing initiatives. Val has a long history of leadership positions in Non-profit agencies such as Community Housing Fund, Oregon Opportunity Network (Housing Oregon) and both PNRC/NAHRO National. He was appointed by Governor Brown to
both the State Housing Stability Council and the State Veterans Advisory Committee, and will continue to serve after his "retirement".
Val began his public service as an Air Force pilot for over 24 years. He is also a veteran of the Vietnam War. After retiring from the Air Force, Val worked for the City of Tucson in their HR department and later served as the Section 8 Administrator at the City Housing Authority. He came to Oregon and served as the Executive Director of the West Valley Housing Authority in Polk County before moving to Washington County.
While his day-to-day presence at the Housing Authority will be missed, he has left a legacy to be proud of for the Department and the County. His official retirement celebration will be held November 29, 2017 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Washington County Conference Center located in downtown Hillsboro.
Peninsula Housing Authority's Mutual Self-Help Build program they operate in partnership
with USDA Rural Development, Rural Community Assistance Corporation and
Community Frameworks received some great press on King5 TV recently.
THA TO OFFER FREE ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS AND ADULTS
TO PLAY TOGETHER!
Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) is teaming up with Children's Museum of Tacoma and KBTC to offer Play To Learn - a series of free, weekly 90-minute classes that provide fun activities for children and adults to enjoy together.
 THA is thrilled to partner again with the Children's Museum to bring Play to Learn directly to where our familieslive," says THA Program Manager Caroline Cabellon. "When children and adults join forces to play, the creative possibilities are endless! This fall, families of younger children can expect to play with pumpkins and apples and explore themes such as outer space and nighttime sparkle. In our after school program at Salishan, older siblings can expect to create and invent with weekly STEM activities."
Play To Learn is for parents, grandparents, neighbors, family and friends who nurture children ages 0-12 years old. Kids engage in age-appropriate activities that include individual play, group interaction, songs and whole group circle time. For kids age 0-6, The Children's Museum of Tacoma will coordinate weekly-themed activities such as "Forest Friends", and "Sound and Music". For kids age 7-12, KBTC will offer activities that focus on activities that stimulate kids' interests in science and technology.
Click here for more information.
Free Little Libraries Collaboration in Nampa
Under-served and low-income populations living in Nampa have transportation or economic barriers making it difficult for them to purchase books or easily access the collection of the Nampa Public Library. Working with the Urban Libraries Council and National Book Foundation's Book Rich Environment initiative, the Nampa Housing Authority, and Nampa Rotary will create Free Little Libraries at Nampa Housing Authority sites to improve literacy and provide easy access to books to children and teens living in or near Nampa's public housing projects.
The Nam
pa Rotary will fund the Library Kits and posts. Kits will be assembled and painted by members of
Nampa Rotary, Rotaract Club at College of Idaho, and Skyview High School Interact Club. Free Little libraries will be installed on Nampa Housing Authority properties by Nampa Rotary Club members and Nampa Housing Authority carpentry staff. Nampa Kiwanis will also be a collaborative partner in the project.
The Urban Library Council provides the Nampa Housing Authority with free books. The Nampa Housing Authority will make sure that the Free Little Libraries are maintained and well stocked with new books.
Free Little Libraries will be available by Fall 2017. This project will be sustainable with Nampa Housing Authority's ongoing commitment to provide upkeep of the Little Free Libraries and replenishing the libraries with new books.
|
VOTE TODAY FOR NAHRO PRESIDENT
AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
FOR THE 2017-2019 TERM
Eligible voters:
All Associates and Allied Individual Members
as of September 13, 2017.
Voting Period: October 2 through October 24
21 Housing and Community Development Agencies Win
National Excellence Awards
Washington, D.C. (October 2, 2017) - The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) will honor 21 housing and community development agencies with Awards of Excellence for their innovative programs and initiatives. The official presentations will take place on Sunday, October 28 in Pittsburgh, Pa. during NAHRO's National Conference and Exhibition. A complete list of the winning programs is available
here.
"NAHRO's Awards of Excellence program honors the exemplary housing and community development work being done by our members," said NAHRO President Steve Merritt. "They also provide fellow professionals with opportunities to learn from these agencies and the innovative ways they are improving the lives of our nation's most vulnerable citizens."
The 2017 NAHRO Awards of Excellence winners are chosen from the Awards of Merit honorees, who are recognized for outstanding achievement in housing and community development programs in five categories. Administrative Innovation recognizes innovative methods in areas such as maintenance, community relations, and interagency cooperation. Program Innovation - Affordable Housing includes special programs for homeownership, public/private partnerships, and innovative financing. Program Innovation - Community Revitalization includes innovative use of programs in areas such as economic development, neighborhood preservation, and creative financing. Program Innovation - Resident and Client Services includes innovative use of programs such as special activities for children, families, and the elderly, anti-drug programs, social services, and self-sufficiency. Project Design recognizes efforts such as new housing design, housing modernization, enduring design, and landscape design.
"Despite the growing need and tightening budgets facing NAHRO member agencies, leaders in the industry still find ways to serve their residents and communities," said NAHRO CEO Adrianne Todman. "NAHRO is proud to recognize these agencies and showcase their innovative methods to the general public."
Both the NAHRO Awards o
f Merit and Excellence Programs were created to give national recognition to NAHRO housing and community development member organizations that have found innovative ways of making a difference in the communities and the lives of the people they serve. Established in 1989, the NAHRO Award of Merit program has honored more than 6,000 programs.
|
Agency
|
Category
|
Program Title
|
|
County of San Diego Dept. of Housing/Community Development
|
Administrative Innovation
|
Homelessness - Let's Talk About It!
|
|
Spokane Housing Authority
|
Administrative Innovation
|
Referral Voucher Program
|
|
King County Housing Authority
|
Administrative Innovation
|
Speakers of the House: An Investment in Employees
|
|
Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara
|
Affordable Housing
|
Golden Inn and Village - Family and Senior
|
|
Boulder Housing Partners
|
Affordable Housing
|
Project Renovate
|
|
Fort Worth Housing Solutions
|
Affordable Housing
|
The Palm Tree Apartments
|
|
National Community Renaissance
|
Affordable Housing
|
Valencia Vista in San Bernardino, California
|
|
Fort Wayne Housing Authority
|
Community Revitalization
|
Creating a Consortium to Provide Superior Service
|
|
Lake County Housing Authority
|
Community Revitalization
|
Proactive Panel Discussion on Race Relations
|
|
Los Angeles County Community Development Commission
|
Community Revitalization
|
TGE-ERC Revitalizes Carmelitos Public Housing
|
|
San Francisco Housing Authority
|
Community Revitalization
|
The New Dr. Davis Center
|
|
Oakland Housing Authority
|
Project Design
|
AvéVista
|
|
Northeast Oregon Housing Authority
|
Project Design
|
Blue Springs Crossing Apartments
|
|
Metro West Housing Solutions
|
Project Design
|
CityScape at Belmar
|
|
Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara
|
Project Design
|
Golden Inn and Village - Family and Senior
|
|
Rockford Housing Authority
|
Project Design
|
Solar Installation w/STEM Resident Platform
|
|
Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino
|
Project Design
|
Valencia Grove Affordable Housing Community
|
|
Housing Authority of the City of Pocatello
|
Resident and Client Services
|
A Book For Every Child Initiative
|
|
Saint Paul Public Housing Agency
|
Resident and Client Services
|
Affordable Grocery Delivery Program
|
|
Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority
|
Resident and Client Services
|
Building for the Future
|
|
Los Angeles County Community Development Commission
|
Resident and Client Services
|
Comprehensive Health Services at Star Apartments
|
|
Housing Authority of the City of Santa Paula
|
Resident and Client Services
|
Oakwood Senior Apartments
|
|
Denver Housing Authority
|
Resident and Client Services
|
Tackling Mental Health through Patient Navigators
|
For more information about the agencies' award-winning programs, see here.
|
Looking for a new job or just want to see what's out there?
Recent job openings in the region include:
|
Like us on Facebook and
Follow us on Twitter
for current industry related news!
Check out the PNRC-NAHRO Website at
|
|
|
|
|
