By: Laura Searfoss, Senior Program Director, Enterprise

New transit investment presents incredible opportunities for our region: more resilient and equitable communities, shorter and easier commutes, and access to more places to live near transit. The Purple Line construction of an east-west light rail between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties will strengthen physical, social, and economic connections across the DMV.

The often-touted economic benefits of new or expanded transit, however, have a checkered history, especially in communities of color. As highlighted in a recent Baltimore Sun op-ed, “Purple Line must not jeopardize affordable housing,” we don’t need to look far across the Greater Washington region to see patterns of exclusion and displacement due to large-scale transit investment. Recognizing the importance of preserving affordability in communities near new transit, nearly all jurisdictions in the Greater Washington—including Montgomery and Prince George’s counties—have policies that prioritize affordable homes near transit.

In 2014, the Purple Line Corridor Coalition was formed to ensure the economic benefits of the new light rail extend into surrounding communities. The coalition spurs collaboration between cross-sector partners to realize shared goals and achieve greater impact.

The coalition has seen the power of what private and philanthropic placed-based capital can do, especially when coupled with local public funding. In three short years, the Purple Line Capital Pool supported the creation or preservation of about 1,100 affordable homes. In many cases, it provided early stage, below-market loans to buy a property or support pre-development work—critical capital that helps move a project forward but can be hard to come by. This pool, administered by the National Housing Trust, leveraged more than $104 million. 

With the Purple Line about three years from operations, now is the time to accelerate investments in Purple Line communities to stabilize households and preserve affordability.

Earlier this year, Enterprise Community Partners released a Capital Needs and Nonprofit Analysis for the Purple Line. The study calls for bigger, bolder, cross-sector investment in affordable homes and significantly more place-based capital. The study estimates a need for $740 million, in addition to the $2 billion already in Maryland’s housing system, to meet the Purple Line Corridor Coalition’s goal to stabilize or add homes for at least 17,000 households earning $72,000 or below before 2027.

It reinforces that every sector has a role to play in reaching our region’s housing goals and many of HAND’s calls to action for the private and philanthropic sectors: providing direct funding for housing preservation and development; creatively deploying resources to invest in housing development and services; and using their influence for advocacy and policy change.

David Nisivoccia

The HAND network is hard at work to address the growing housing affordability challenge across the Capital Region. Five Minutes With is a series highlighting these members and other stakeholders. This informal conversation delves into their recent projects, the affordable housing industry, and more. In this edition, we had the pleasure of chatting with David Nisivoccia, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Volunteers of America National Services. Take a look at our dialogue below.

HAND: Congratulations on your new role with Volunteers of America (VOA)! Tell us more about your background and your organization’s work.
David: I’m happy to be returning to the DMV, having grown up in Northern Virginia. I’ve spent most of my career working on behalf of public housing authorities, including Fairfax, San Antonio, and most recently serving as the Executive Director of the Denver Housing Authority. I’m just wrapping up my first 100 days in this position at VOA, and I’m already amazed at the breadth and depth of housing, healthcare and human services provided by the team. I’ve had the opportunity to travel across the country, visiting our programs and housing sites, and a key commonality across these communities is the consistent undersupply of affordable housing.

Founded in 1896, Volunteers of America is a national, faith-based nonprofit organization that serves more than 1.5 million people in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. VOA National Services is a wholly owned affiliate and one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of quality affordable housing, with a portfolio of 13,000 units across 38 states and Puerto Rico, as well as senior healthcare facilities and other related community health programs.

HAND: Having worked all over the country, you certainly have seen the housing landscape in different markets. What are some of the trends you have noticed?
David: More than 20 million American renters today are burdened with housing costs. As a result, the average family is extremely sensitive to economic volatility and is even susceptible to homelessness should their household face acute financial challenges. This is especially true here in the District and the surrounding region. With significantly more of the average household’s income going toward housing, that means less money is available for transportation, groceries, healthcare, childcare, and especially savings that could protect folks in times of crisis. Affordable housing is one of the most significant societal challenges of our time – and we aren’t going to build our way out of it fast enough using traditional methods or doing business as usual.

HAND: What are some of the biggest challenges when it comes to building more affordable housing for those priced out of the current market?
David: The National Multifamily Housing Council estimates that 4.3 million new rental homes are needed by 2035 to meet the demand. The challenges are stark: rising interest rates and construction costs, tumultuous equity markets, strong opposition to densifying neighborhoods, limited soft funding and oversubscribed bond cap, an overwhelmed and under-resourced workforce. We must use every single tool in the toolbox, and invent new ones that address the challenge from both the supply and demand sides. We need both carrots and sticks … accelerated entitlements and expedited permitting; efficiently-designed housing; modular and manufactured housing solutions, and new capital stacks that can work well together. And we need new partnerships, and opportunities for mixed-use projects that leverage capital markets and affordable housing programs.

HAND: There certainly is no shortage of challenges facing our sector. What is Volunteers of America doing here in the Capital Region to increase the supply of supportive affordable housing?
David: In partnership with Hoffman & Associates, D.C. United, and the D.C. Government, Volunteers of America is thrilled to relocate our national headquarters into the emerging Buzzard Point neighborhood of Southwest D.C., where we will bring together more than 100 full-time employees, co-located with 110 units of deeply-affordable senior housing operated by Volunteers of America National Services. Of these units, 69 out of 110 units will be set aside for seniors earning 30 percent AMI or less, which we believe is the most critical tier of residents to house.

We are currently exploring strategies to implement best-in-class technology supports to help address social determinants of health. The building is designed to achieve LEED for Multifamily certification, and every single unit will be accessible, allowing residents to age in place and take advantage of built-in infrastructure as their mobility and health needs change. The project also will include market rate multifamily and retail. We are excited to expand our reach in the District of Columbia and bring our national expertise to support local initiatives in the city.

HAND: Why is it important for Volunteers of America to move from your current headquarters in Northern Virginia into the District of Columbia, at Buzzard Point?  
David: In a time of significant office vacancy and hybrid work, Volunteers of America will bring a commercial office presence to DC, as one of our greatest strengths as an organization is being “in-community,” leveraging relationships, trust and connections in the communities we serve. We recognize the value of human connection, as that is what we do every day with the people we serve. Co-locating our staff teams with affordable housing and services in the District is a reflection of our commitment to ensuring we are “in-community,” connected on a daily basis to the communities we live in, work in and have the pleasure to serve. We plan to continue our work as a public policy partner and thought leader in advocacy efforts around affordable housing, making our voices heard and ensuring policies work well for industry practitioners like yourselves.

I look forward to growing our presence in the DMV, and working with all of you to answer the call for meeting the region’s affordable housing needs.

The HAND network is hard at work to address the growing housing affordability challenge across the Capital Region. Five Minutes With is a series highlighting these members and other stakeholders. This informal conversation delves into their recent projects, the affordable housing industry, and more. In this edition, we had a conversation with Ronette “Ronnie” Slamin, founder of Embolden Real Estate. Check out our dialogue below to learn about her development firm, what she believes women leaders of color in the real estate industry can do to move the needle in a different direction, and the importance of explaining the multiple levels of housing affordability.

HAND: Can you tell us about Embolden Real Estate and about how you landed in the real estate development industry?
RS: Embolden Real Estate is the company that I founded in 2021, a development firm with consulting services related to project management, entitlements, and community engagement. The name of my company came to me when I was reading a book on education, as I’ve always wanted to work at the intersection of housing and education to improve educational outcomes.

I landed in the industry of real estate by way of an undergrad professor Joseph E. Corcoran at Boston College, who was a successful developer and a pioneer of mixed-income housing. I had returned from a summer service trip to Jamaica and was interested in ways to improve the infrastructure in the remote town I volunteered in. Coincidentally I took his class and realized that real estate development was a great tool to address infrastructure issues such as roads, homes and schools.

HAND: What excites you about working in the real estate development industry?
RS: I am excited about how every day in real estate development is different and how many hats you must wear, from project management, financing, design, construction, property management and sometimes even a social worker. As a person who gets bored easily, I love that it’s always changing and keeps you on your toes. I also love that you can see the result of your hard work just by walking past projects you have completed. 

HAND:  Keeping in mind the history of racism and its impacts on housing, how can leaders of color or, more specifically, women leaders of color in the real estate industry move the needle in a different direction?
RS: The history of racism in the housing industry is a painful reality with deep-rooted impacts that continue to be felt today. I think as an industry, we can move the needle in the right direction by being intentional about creating diverse work cultures and pushing for affordable housing to be in high opportunities neighborhoods.

As a woman of color, I believe we need to be intentional about creating a welcoming space for women and people of color, and by doing so, we will create a welcoming space for all. Research shows that women usually take on more family and household responsibilities. As an industry, we can make an effort to support women by scheduling events at different times (not always in the evening), offering better benefits, and flex work from home. To support people of color in the industry, I think it first starts by increasing exposure to the field. The real estate field is an unknown industry to many, so I think we will start seeing more diversity by creating that exposure and awareness of the opportunities.

HAND: Do you believe there is a “secret sauce” to addressing housing affordability and creating more equitable communities in our region? If so, what do you think that is? What do you think is the most significant obstacle?
RS: I don’t think there’s a secret sauce, but I would say I think it requires creativity and collaboration. Housing affordability is a huge issue that will not be fixed overnight and requires different tools based on the deal. I think if we can work together we will be able to have a huge impact. I would consider the largest obstacle to be marketing and optics. I think the word affordable housing has just become such a loaded term, and with many definitions, we often do not realize that we may not be talking about the same thing. When you mention the word affordable housing, you can sometimes raise red flags where, even if many in the community would qualify for that affordable housing. So, I think marketing needs to explain the affordability levels, the quality, and the great positive outcomes that can come from affordable housing.

HAND: What is your “why”? What keeps you motivated to continue your work in this space?
RS: I stay motivated to work in affordable housing because of its impact on residents and communities. Knowing that you’re providing families a home, a place to create memories, a place to feel safe, and a place to grow is very rewarding and motivating.

HAND: What might you be doing if you weren’t working in this industry?
RS: I would probably be in the sports industry if I were not in real estate. I was working towards being a sports broadcaster or agent before taking that real estate development class in college.

The HAND network is hard at work to address the growing housing affordability challenge across the Capital Region. Five Minutes With is a series highlighting these members and other stakeholders. This informal conversation delves into their recent projects, the affordable housing industry, and more. In this edition, we had a conversation with John Hall, Loudoun County’s new Director of Housing & Community Development. Check out our dialogue below to learn about his nearly 30-year career, what excites him about working in the DMV region again, and what he believes is a “secret sauce” to creating more equitable communities in our region!

HAND: Congratulations on your new role as Loudoun County’s new Director of Housing & Community Development! You have extensive experience in housing and community development – can you tell us about your journey to this point?
JH: Thank you very much!  I cannot believe I have been working nearly 30 years.  My journey has been so fulfilling.  I am grateful for having the privilege to work with so many great communities.  I started in the banking industry with commercial loan servicing and real estate loan administration in Dallas, Texas.  I pursued graduate studies in New York to focus on poverty alleviation activities such as workforce development and all other social welfare policies.  I never imagined integrating my banking experience.  In fact, in my first position after graduate school, my boss told me she hired me because of my banking experience, which is what I was trying to escape.  What I found over the years is that the banking experience provided me with an acute awareness of affirmative covenants, regulatory requirements, as well as commercial acquisition and development knowledge.

I leveraged this knowledge with workforce development to build neighborhood assets with a couple of community development corporations in Texas.  As a non-profit developer, I worked with elected officials, board members and communities to increase rooftops and generate economic activity.  My position in Lubbock, Texas afforded me the opportunity to work with everyone in order to effectuate components of John McKnight’s Asset Based Community Development model. 

From there, I initially arrived in the mid-Atlantic region working at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.  I endeavored to preserve affordable housing on a national level by working in the Mark-to-Market program with qualified non-profit organizations.  Wanting to be closer to the action, I became a field office director at HUD for the capital region and later for the Commonwealth of Virginia.  I left this role as I was appointed agency director for the District of Columbia’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).  We achieved a lot at DHCD with affordable housing production, but what I am most proud of is the interdepartmental collaboration that institutionalized permanent supportive housing using the agency’s annual consolidated Notice of Funding Availability.  Since then, I have gained more experience at the local level overseeing entitlement grants and public housing agencies.

HAND: You were once the director of DC’s Housing and Community Development Department. What excites you about working in the DMV region again?
JH: I am elated to return to the DMV.  There is no place that possesses the intellectual capital this region has.  I am among friends in the business and look forward to re-activating networks to do great things together that benefit the residents of Loudoun County and the whole region.

HAND: As director of a newly established independent department, what excites you about your leadership role in this new department? Do you foresee any challenges? Are there key takeaways from your experience thus far that you are bringing into your new position?
JH: I am excited about the commitment of Loudoun County’s elected officials to provide attainable housing for everyone.  The County’s Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan (https://www.loudoun.gov/5278/Unmet-Housing-Needs-Strategic-Plan) has 143 key action items for us to create the opportunity for victory throughout the county.  Implementing public policy is my forte, and I am overjoyed to join the team.

Housing and community development is hard everywhere. Immediate challenges will be adjusting to rising mortgage interest rates and inflation.  To mitigate this, we must optimize resources with strategic collaborations to produce results.

I have always maintained a strong focus on compliance.  That may go back to my banking days.  We want to spend money wisely and appropriately to reduce any chance of grantors requiring repayment.  I also know that we must be results driven in a relatively short timeframe. Having shovel-ready projects in the development pipeline is key to delivering for county residents.

HAND: According to our Housing Indicator Tool (HIT), 45 percent of renters in Loudoun County spend more than 30% of their income on paying rent. How do you see your role in helping to navigate this issue?
JH: Households should not be rent-burdened.  My objective is to triage this challenge in various ways.  One way is to examine transit-oriented development opportunities.  Metro’s Silver Line recently commenced service in the county.  I see this milestone as an effective way for households living near stations to bundle their housing and transportation costs to improve their quality of life.  Enhancing programming such as the Housing Choice Voucher Program is another mechanism to reduce rent burden.  Participants can leverage the voucher with the Family Self-Sufficiency Program to increase wages whereby the differential in the rent increase is matched by the program and set aside in an escrow account.  Often times participants earn enough for down payments to purchase a home while then using the voucher share toward a mortgage payment.  I would like to see more emphasis placed in this regard to increase homeownership, generate wealth and stabilize families.

HAND: Do you believe there is a “secret sauce” to addressing housing affordability and creating more equitable communities in our region? If so, what do you think that is? What do you think is the largest obstacle?
JH: I believe the secret sauce is collaborating partnerships, where all parties bring resources for a specified period of time.  I do believe, however, that despite competing priorities, we all get done what we want to get done.  We just have to identify partners with shared vision and commitment in making our communities stronger.

HAND: What is your “why”? What keeps you motivated to continue your work in this space?
JH: My upbringing emphasized for me to take care of people around me and not just family but neighbors and community.  So, I am motivated to be the voice for people who are not in the room and who may not know how to use available resources to improve daily living.

HAND: What might you be doing if you weren’t working in this industry?
JH: I would be teaching financial literacy to increase the number of people who break cycles of poverty.