The head of a corporation—the heart of a charity.

Since its founding by the Sisters of Mercy 30 years ago, Mercy Housing has grown from a local ministry into a leading example of sustainable, non-profit housing development, all while remaining true to its founding goals. With the head of a corporation and the heart of a charity, Mercy Housing is an organization truly living out the kind of work for which NHC is one of the nation’s strongest voices.

At June’s annual Housing Person of the Year Gala, National Housing Conference will honor Mercy Housing’s CEO, Sister Lillian Murphy, RSM, as 2011 Housing Person of the Year along with Professor Nicolas Retsinas of the Joint Center for Housing Studies. Sister Lillian’s role as both chief executive of Mercy Housing and as a national spokesperson for the cause of affordable housing began in 1987, but her tireless work to help people who are economically disadvantaged began much earlier. She believes that providing safe, quality housing for everyone, regardless of income, is a matter of economic and social justice.

The team at Mercy Housing works to make Sister Lillian’s vision into reality. The organization’s financially sustainable approach to affordable housing evinces the heart of a charity and the mind of a successful company. Today, Mercy Housing operates in 42 states, serving more than 135,000 residents in more than 39,000 affordable homes. In every aspect of housing, from property management to development, preservation and financing, Mercy Housing works to provide low- and moderate-income Americans with safe, decent and affordable homes.

Award-winning housing developments like the Malden Arms Apartments in Chicago, Illinois, and the St. Vincent’s mixed-use development in Santa Barbara, California, are the tangible products of Mercy Housing’s labors of love. Here are the stories of those projects, just two of hundreds that Mercy has undertaken for the needs of local residents in communities across America.

History of Mercy Housing

Mercy Housing was founded in 1981 in Omaha, Nebraska, by the Sisters of Mercy in Omaha. Much of the Sisters’ early work was focused on improving health and education in Omaha, but they realized that poor residents’ lack of access to affordable and decent housing lay behind many of their struggles. The Sisters of Mercy established a ministry to develop affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families. With an initial corporate investment of a half-million dollars, Mercy Housing was born. The ministry took on its first housing properties in Idaho in 1982.

The mission of Mercy Housing is to create stable, vibrant and healthy communities by developing, financing and operating affordable, program-enriched housing for families, seniors and people with special needs who lack the economic resources to access quality, safe housing opportunities. They believe that affordable housing and supportive programs improve the economic status of residents, transform neighborhoods and stabilize lives.

NHC salutes Mercy Housing’s work to create a more humane world where poverty is alleviated, communities are healthy and all people can develop their full potential.