The National Low Income Housing Coalition held its 31st Annual Leadership Awards Reception on March 19 in Washington, D.C. NLIHC honored housing scholar Chester Hartman, Ph.D. with the Cushing Niles Dolbeare Lifetime Service Award and recently retired Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) with the Edward W. Brooke III Housing Leadership Award.The Cushing Niles Dolbeare Lifetime Service Award, named after NLIHC’s late founder, goes to an individual who has demonstrated an unyielding commitment to achieving safe, decent and affordable homes for low income people over a long period of time. The 2013 honoree, Chester Hartman, Ph.D., an urban planner and author, is founder and Director of Research for the Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC). Dr. Hartman was an original member of the ad hoc coalition that predates NLIHC. There is no one who has studied urban or housing policy in the U.S. in the last 30 years who has not learned from Dr. Hartman’s scholarship.Dr. Hartman could not be present for health reasons, so he addressed the audience by video. On receiving the Cushing Niles Dolbeare Lifetime Service Award, Dr. Hartman said that he was “just delighted” and thanked all who attended the reception for “working for a right to decent, affordable housing, which we must have in this society.” Philip Tegeler, Executive Director of PRRAC, introduced Hartman, and PRRAC board member and Georgetown Law Professor Sheryll Cashin accepted the award on Hartman’s behalf. About the award, colleague and friend Gregory Squires, Professor of Sociology and Public Policy at George Washington University, said, “Chester Hartman's call for a right to housing may be the boldest policy statement of our generation. All advocates for social justice should follow the path that he has emblazoned.” The Edward W. Brooke III Housing Leadership Award is named for Senator Brooke (R-MA), who championed low income housing as a United States Senator and as Chairman of the NLIHC Board of Directors after he left the Senate. The Brooke award goes to an exemplary housing leader with a record of fighting for affordable housing on the national level. Another New England Republican who focused on building bipartisan consensus, Senator Snowe built a reputation as one of the Congress’ leading centrists. Senator Snowe was the first Republican in the Senate to support NLIHC’s signature legislation, the National Housing Trust Fund. She was the original Republican co-sponsor of NHTF legislation in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007, opening the door for bipartisan cooperation to advance the bill. NLIHC board member and Coordinator of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition Greg Payne spoke about her staunch support for protecting and expanding affordable housing nationally and in Maine. About the Senator, Mr. Payne said, “Senator Snowe knows that neither party has a monopoly on good ideas… she knows that homelessness and affordable housing are not Democratic or Republican issues, and she legislated that way. After 34 years of representing the people of Maine with grace and an open mind, Senator Snowe was chosen to receive the Edward W. Brooke III Housing Leadership Award because of the spirit of bipartisanship and collaboration that she brought to Capitol Hill, and in particular because of her conviction that we can and must end homelessness in America.” Senator Snowe was unable to attend the event.In addition to the awards, a traditional quilt handmade by Oglala Sioux Tribe members and delivered in person from Pine Ridge, South Dakota by NLIHC board member Emma “Pinky” Clifford, was given to each of the honorees.NLIHC Board Chair Mark Allison thanked the members of the Host Committee and the many donors who made the event a successful fundraising event for NLIHC, first among them the evening’s host, Bank of America. Bank of America Community Affairs Executive Angie Garcia Lathrop, a longtime supporter of the Coalition, lauded NLIHC for its strong advocacy on behalf of low income people. The Leadership Awards Reception is NLIHC’s only fundraising event. The National Low Income Housing Coalition expresses its deep gratitude to the following individual and organizational donors making this year’s Leadership Awards Reception a success:
HOSTBank of AmericaCHAMPIONHome Depot FoundationSUSTAINERElderly Housing Development & Operations Corporation • Federal Home Loan BanksSPONSORAFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust • CitiBank • Enterprise Community Partners • Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas • Housing Assistance Council • Local Initiatives Support Corporation & the National Equity Fund • Low Income Investment Fund • Mercy Housing • National Association of Realtors • National Council of La Raza • NeighborWorks America • Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing • PNC Bank • Technical Assistance Collaborative • Volunteers of AmericaBENEFACTORBocarsly Emden Cowan Esmail & Arndt • Buckley Sandler • Klein Hornig • Mortgage Bankers Association of America • Quadel ConsultingPATRONAndrew Davidson & Company • AFSCME • AGM Financial Services • Anonymous • Bill & Kris Apgar • Baker Tilly Virchow Krause • Ballard Spahr • BB&T • Beekman Advisors • Bonnie & Jim Caldwell • Mark Calabria • Campion Foundation • Carlisle Housing • Catholic Health Partners • Donald Chamberlain • Coalition on Housing & Homelessness in Ohio • CohnReznick • The Collingwood Group • The Communities Group • The Community Builders • Community Development Trust • Community Economics • Community Justice Project - Florida Legal Services • The Compass Group • Corporation for Supportive Housing • Council of Federal Home Loan Banks • Sheila Crowley & Kent Willis • District of Columbia Housing Authority • Helen Dunlap • Edgewood Management Corporation • Bill Faith & Barb Poppe • Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston • Great Lakes Capital Fund • Chip Halbach • Hawkins Delafield & Wood • The Honorable Carla A. Hills & Mr. Roderick M. Hills • Holland & Knight • Housing Authority Insurance Group • Housing Partnership Network • Idaho Housing & Finance Association • William C. Jr. Kelly • LeadingAge • The Honorable Eugene A. Ludwig & Dr. Carol Ludwig • Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development • McCormack, Baron, Salazar • Merritt Community Capital Corporation • The Robert Bensen Meyer, Jr. Foundation • The Michaels Organization • Mid-City Financial Corporation • Mortgage Insurance Companies of America • National Affordable Housing Management Association • National Affordable Housing Trust • National Community Reinvestment Coalition • National Community Renaissance • National Council of State Housing Agencies • National Housing Trust • National Leased Housing Association • The NHP Foundation • Kathryn P. Nelson & David B. Nelson • Wayne & Marti Nelson • Nixon Peabody • Opportunity Finance Network • Greg Payne • Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency • Philadelphia Housing Authority • Piton Foundation • Poverty & Race Research Action Council • Preservation of Affordable Housing • Promontory Financial Group • Prudential Mortgage Capital • Reno & Cavanaugh • Riverside Advisors • Jaimie Ross • Kathleen & Fred Rotondaro • Irene Basloe Saraf & Tal Saraf • Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association • Somerset Development Company • TAG Associates • Telesis Corporation • United States Conference of Catholic Bishops • Virginia Housing Development Authority • Darren Walker • Sue Watlov Philips • Barry Zigas & Jodi Levin-EpsteinSUPPORTERMark Allison • Anonymous • Avesta Housing • The Honorable James A. Baker III & Mrs. James A. Baker • Joseph & Evalyn Basloe • Michael Bodaken & Fran Bernstein • David Bowers • Jan Breidenbach & Dan Stormer • Mary Brooks • Brophy & Reilly • Orlando Cabrera • Delorise Calhoun • Dede Carney • Gordon & Joan Cavanaugh • Center on Budget & Policy Priorities • The Honorable Henry Cisneros & Mrs. Henry Cisneros • Brenda Clement • Emma “Pinky” Clifford • Coan & Lyons • Coastal Enterprises • Marcie Cohen • Kent Colton • Council for Affordable & Rural Housing • East Los Angeles Community Corporation • Chris Estes • First Sterling Financial • Danna Fischer • Daisy Franklin • Genesis Community Loan Fund • Matt Gerard • Lisa Hasegawa • Hessel, Aluise & Neun • Ann Houston • JMB Preservation Advisors • Michael Kelly • Doris Koo • Kenneth Lore • Maine Affordable Housing Coalition • David & Jackie Marlin • Rachael Myers • NAACP Norwalk Connecticut Branch • National Alliance to End Homelessness • National Association of Housing & Redevelopment Officials • National CAPACD • National Church Residences • National Housing & Rehabilitation Association • National Housing Law Project • Nevada Fair Housing Center • New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness • Marla Newman • Norstar Development • Northern New England Housing Investment Fund • Ann O'Hara & Steve Day • Omni Development Corporation • Olson Advocacy Group • Laurence A. Pagnoni • Carol Parry & John Fox • Partnership for Sustainable Communities • Pennrose Properties • Peoples' Self Help Housing • Pepper Hamilton • Preservation Management • Nic Retsinas • Tara & Dan Rollins • Nan Roman & Tom Bobak • Barbara Sard & Burt Nadler • Ester Schlorholtz & Joseph Hunter • Ellen Seidman • Marvin Siflinger • Lydia Tom • Paul Weech • Weinheimer & Associates • Joe Weisbord