HAND Members,
Greetings & Happy Black History Month! As the Library of Congress reminds us, the origins of this month can be attributed to Carter G. Woodson, who “believed that truth could not be denied and that reason would prevail over prejudice.” I hope you will join us in honoring the rich history of the African American experience, and the milestones that are yet unseen.
It’s hard to believe it’s officially been one year in my role as Executive Director. The time is moving swiftly, but it’s already been such an incredible adventure. I continue to extend my sincere gratitude to my predecessors, HAND’s Board of Directors, and the larger HAND community for your support.
If you’ve been following our journey, you should have also noticed that our team is growing! Over the last two quarters, we have welcomed our two newest staff members: Steven Palmer (Director of Public Policy) & Racine Tucker-Hamilton (Director of Communications & Thought Leadership). Both Steven & Racine have been incredible additions to the staff, and I am confident that their expertise will help us sustain a first-class member experience. You can learn more about our entire team here – and as always, feel free to reach out to us with any questions, partnership opportunities, or concerns you’d like to discuss.
I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t also acknowledge the unprecedented climate that we are all navigating. In times of uncertainty, there are often more questions than answers – but what I can share with you is nothing new: HAND stands ready to work with its members to remove barriers to opportunity for our most vulnerable neighbors. As we process the implications of shifts in policies and programs, we will also prioritize bringing our members along with custom learning opportunities, policy updates and additional resources. I encourage you to keep up with us via notices just like this one, and on our website at www.HANDHousing.org. Over the coming months we have a number of sessions that we believe will be impactful for your work, culminating in the Annual Meeting & Housing Expo on June 5! We can’t make any of this happen without YOU, and we hope you will tap in as we CONVENE, EDUCATE and ACTIVATE our collective.
Thank you for all that you do for our communities across the region. It is an honor to work together toward greater outcomes.
In partnership,
Mentorship is a cornerstone of personal and professional growth, and this January, during National Mentoring Month, HAND is proud to highlight its commitment to fostering the next generation of housing and community development leaders through its GenerationHAND initiative. The program provides emerging leaders with resources and mentorship to help them thrive in their careers.
Launched in 2021, the year-long program pairs mentees with experienced mentors to provide guidance, insights, and professional development support. The program not only equips mentees with essential skills but also creates a ripple effect of empowerment, as participants are encouraged to pay it forward by becoming mentors themselves. This cycle of support is key to building a robust leadership pipeline in the housing industry.
One example of this impact is Remarno Chambers, Housing Financial Analyst at the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development, who has benefited from and contributed to the mentorship program. Initially joining the program as a mentee in 2023, Chambers has since transitioned into a dual role as mentor and mentee, embodying the program’s mission of continuous learning and collaboration.
“What inspired me to become a mentor is the opportunity to give back and pay it forward,” Chambers shares. Reflecting on the guidance he received from mentors throughout his career, Chambers emphasizes the value of helping others navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and grow personally and professionally. For him, mentorship is about creating a ripple effect—supporting mentees so they, in turn, can uplift others.“
Chambers joined several other mentor/mentee pairs on January 22 during an in-person kick-off meeting. The event featured a panel discussion with a previous mentor/mentee pair: Ayesha Hudson (A-Peace), Priya Jayachandran (National Housing Trust), and Gerry Joseph (Joseph & Browne Development Associates) moderated by HAND Executive Director Courtney Battle.
“Here at HAND, we emphasize the importance of relationships. Our members’ shared mission to build and sustain more equitable communities is not an easy goal, and it is not one that can be accomplished alone,” said Battle. “It’s exciting to hear from our participants about how the program is helping them succeed professionally and personally.“
By offering mentorship, fostering diversity, and championing equity, GenerationHAND ensures the housing industry benefits from a wide array of perspectives and ideas.
“A program like GenerationHAND is crucial in the housing industry because it provides invaluable support to professionals navigating a complex landscape,” Chambers explains.
Through mentorship, Chambers has honed his leadership abilities and expanded his professional network. He credits the program with preparing him to take on higher-level roles and fostering a unified effort to address the challenges of the housing industry.
As we celebrate National Mentoring Month, we look forward to seeing our mentor-mentee pairs thrive and make meaningful contributions to building a stronger, more inclusive community development field.
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.
With only one year left until the first major DC’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) deadline, the Building Innovation Hub recently released a new suite of tools to support you with BEPS compliance! HAND is proud to share the Building Innovation Hub’s resources below, which will help you navigate the regulations and enable easier building upgrades.
Request for Qualifications: Right of First Refusal
The Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development is seeking responses (“Qualification Statements”) from qualified non-profit and mission-oriented for-profit developers (“Developers”) with strong affordable rental housing track records and demonstrated experience in acquiring, owning, operating, rehabilitating, and developing quality rental housing with affordability covenants who are interested in serving in a pool of qualified parties to serve as assignees or designees (the “Roster of Responders”) to exercise DHCD’s Right of First Refusal (“ROFR”). For more information on the ROFR and to respond to this request, please review the ROFR developer bench application. The proposal closing date is January 31, 2022.
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Payments: Orders placed on the event registration page are not confirmed until payment is received. A confirmation email will be sent to the email address listed in your registration. If you paid by credit card, a receipt will be sent to the email address listed in your registration. If you mail a check, all payments must be received within seven days of completing your registration form. Checks should be remitted to: HAND, PO Box 48386, Washington, DC 20002
Guest List & Dietary Preference: If your registration includes a luncheon table or multiple guests, please submit guest names and menu choices by May 1, 2020. Submit guest names here.
Housing Expo: Plan to exhibit? Download the Housing Expo FAQs here.
Omni Shoreham Hotel Room Block: For attendees looking to secure overnight accommodations on May 25th, HAND has secured a rate starting at $189 for conference attendees. There are a limited amount of rooms available, so visit this link today to reserve your room. May 10th is the last day to secure a room at the discounted rate.
Ad Submission: The artwork for advertisements should be submitted to annualmeeting@handhousing.org. You can download the ad spec sheet here. Deadline for ad submission is April 13, 2020.
Cancellations & Changes: If you wish to cancel or change your registration for the Annual Meeting & Housing Expo, please send a request in writing to annualmeeting@handhousing.org. All cancellation requests made prior to April 27th will receive a 50% refund. For cancellation requests made after April 27th, no refund will be provided.
Door Prizes: Are you interested in donating a door prize to this year’s Annual Meeting? Email annualmeeting@handhousing.org to coordinate with our team.
Mailing Address:
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