SAHF SPOTLIGHT

Resources and insights for creating the places people call home

Practical, mission-focused solutions have never been more important. Our nation needs millions more affordable homes. In the recent election, voters recognized the challenges of finding and keeping an affordable home, voting for new resources and policies to help create and preserve homes. While this momentum is critical, the challenges to create and maintain affordable homes are great. Affordable housing providers face mounting pressures, from increased staffing and operating costs to skyrocketing insurance rates and residents struggling to pay rent. Solutions must be bold and thoughtfully address these on-the-ground realities.  

As we have for more than two decades, SAHF will use its real-world insights to advocate for practical and immediate steps to remove barriers to creating homes in equitable communities where people can thrive. And we’ll call out policies that fall short of that goal.

We believe we can have a country where every person has a healthy home in a thriving community. We look forward to sharing our ideas and strategies for making it happen. 

SAHF member National Church Residences partnered with local land banks to expand affordable senior housing in Columbus, Ohio—a strategy that local governments and developers can use to tackle the nation’s housing affordability crisis. Through this approach, National Church Residences delivered 76 new homes, which opened in 2023. Explore our case study.

SAHF is committed to advancing housing opportunities in a new Congress and Administration. While it may be several months before we have a clear sense of the new Administration's housing priorities, one thing is clear - we need bold solutions for housing affordability, especially for people with the lowest incomes. Read our policy priorities for the new Administration and Congress.

Dive into the latest blog by SAHF Vice President of Energy & Sustainability, Lauren Westmoreland, as she explores rooftop solar projects, covering everything from installation to results. Learn valuable insights and best practices to enhance solar performance and promote long-term sustainability in affordable housing. Read the full post.

There is an urgent and historic opportunity to significantly reduce carbon emissions in nearly five million multifamily affordable rental homes. Achieving meaningful carbon reductions requires widespread action from practitioners. Learn more.

Measuring residents' perceptions of agency, voice and belonging is a critical step toward creating more equitable, healthy communities.

We’re excited to share our latest blog post highlighting our updated resource guide, “Revisiting Measuring Agency & Voice,” which focuses on centering residents' voices in affordable housing. This guide offers practical steps for housing providers to assess whether residents feel empowered and engaged in their communities, building on our ongoing commitment to improving resident well-being.

Our work on measuring agency and voice is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Discover how you can enhance resident outcomes by reading our blog and updated resource guide.

SAHF member Mercy Housing is spotlighted in a new HUD User case study, showcasing innovative approaches to preserving affordable housing. The case study highlights the remarkable transformation of Hacienda Heights, a formerly vacant public housing development in Richmond, California. After nearly a decade of planning and securing funding, Hacienda Heights has been revitalized into 150 homes for older adults.

Addressing our nation's housing affordability crisis requires forward-thinking solutions like this. Learn more about how we’re advocating for new resources and innovative strategies to create and preserve affordable homes.

The Bay State Banner recently featured Preservation of Affordable Housing’s Kenzi at Bartlett Square in Roxbury, Mass., highlighting its innovative, fully electric design. Designed for Passive House certification under PHIUS standards, the Kenzi is Boston's first all-electric building over four stories with a City-permitted emergency battery energy storage system and rooftop solar array, which offsets energy use. Part of the five-phase redevelopment of the former Bartlett bus yard, the Kenzi provides 50 supportive, affordable homes for older adults, advancing sustainability and community housing solutions. Read the article.

Advancing racial equity in affordable housing requires ongoing commitment. SAHF and our members are dedicated to this mission, as highlighted in The NHP Foundation's redevelopment efforts in West Baltimore’s Park Heights. This project showcases the impact of community leadership, government collaboration and targeted resources on closing the racial wealth gap. By fostering resident wealth-building within their communities, Park Heights offers lessons for inclusive, impactful redevelopment. 

Explore our case study here.

Congratulations to SAHF members The Community Builders (TCB) and Mercy Housing for being honored with 2024 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Awards by the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition.

TCB and Mercy Housing were recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. where members of Congress attended the event to present the awards.

The ten Edson Award winners represent Housing Credit developments across eight states that strengthen communities, improve resident opportunities and support economies across the country. Learn more.

Andrea Ponsor, president and CEO at Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF), discussed the challenges of securing sustainable funding for affordable housing services in The Impact Real Estate Podcast.  

Protecting and preserving existing affordable homes is essential to addressing the housing affordability crisis. By safeguarding these homes, we ensure stability and opportunity for current and future generations. SAHF has created some new resources for practitioners considering preserve Housing Credit properties. Learn more.

Andrea Ponsor is featured in Jonathan Bach's article in The Oregonian, discussing the pressing challenges confronting both residents of affordable housing and the providers who serve them. She emphasizes the critical need for rental assistance programs that directly support those in need, as well as flexible resources to empower housing providers in delivering quality homes and connecting residents with services that enable them to maintain stable and secure housing.

SAHF's Housing Stability Cohort (HSC) convened on November 16, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The HSC is a unique, interdisciplinary working group of property management, asset management, and resident services leaders which has collaborated to create policy recommendations and practitioner resources. Learn more.