FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 10, 2004	Contact: Michele Anapol (202) 466-2121 x226 manapol@nhc.org

EMPLOYER ASSISTED HOUSING GAINS IN POPULARITY, EXPERTS DETAIL
PROGRAM THAT COULD BECOME AS FAMILIAR AS EMPLOYEE HEALTHCARE

Private Sector Participation in Housing and Community Development Takes Center Stage in New Report as Federal Spending Cuts Threaten the Role of Government Programs

Washington, DC – Employer assisted housing (EAH) programs are gaining in popularity nationwide and experts detail the innovative program, which could become as familiar as employee healthcare, in a new report from the National Housing Conference (NHC) entitled Private Sector Partnerships: Investing in Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization. The overall report focuses on key approaches to private sector participation in affordable housing and community development related activities, outlining strategies and case studies that have proven to help ensure affordable housing for America’s low- and moderate-income families.

Specifically, according to the publication, EAH programs are not only providing financial assistance or homeownership education for employees. In fact, employers are quickly recognizing that these programs benefit employees while at the same time helping them to reach their own business objectives through increased morale, reduced turnover and the resulting productivity. Private sector partnership approaches to revitalization are also highlighted in the report as a result of their critical role in helping to transform areas once plagued by crime and disinvestment despite years of hard work by local housing organizations and public officials.

As outlined in the report, EAH programs are usually a “win-win-win” situation. First, they are a win for employers who benefit from a stable workforce that is often the result of living near work. This reduction in recruitment ultimately results in financial savings for an employer. Second, employees win because they enjoy the extra time provided by living closer to work, time that could have been spent in traffic, but instead is spent with family and friends.  And third, communities benefit from increased investment and reduced congestion as a result of families and individuals who may have just been passing through but instead decide to purchase a home.

When it comes to revitalization through public and private sector partnerships, among other case studies, the report details strategies implemented through the development of the Phillips neighborhood, south of downtown Minneapolis. These strategies included building bridges to solve issues that span public agency jurisdictions, traditional appropriations categories and individual corporate interests; diagnosing the underlying causes of urban decay and exploring systematic cures; pulling together resources that are available but have been unorganized; putting the best strategic minds to work alongside the most knowledgeable and most personally invested people living and working in the community.

“With Federal spending cuts greatly reducing the role that government programs have historically played in providing affordable housing, private sector partnerships are without question proving highly effective and are growing in popularity as a result,” said NHC Chairman G. Allan Kingston, president and CEO of Century Housing. “Ultimately, our goal is to bring the related strategies and lessons learned in this new report to a nationwide audience so that companies, and the communities they serve, are provided with the tools and resources necessary to succeed.”

“In addition, by highlighting the advantages of employer assisted housing programs, NHC is certain that companies and organizations will be quick to recognize the benefits, not only to their employees, but to their bottom-line through less turnover, as well as improved morale and productivity,” added Kingston.

Authors that contributed to the report include Leigh Bezezekoff, senior outreach coordinator for the HomeStreet Bank’s Affinity Lending Department; Louis A. Galuppo, Esq., associate director for residential real estate at the Real Estate Institute at the University of San Diego; H. Beth Marcus, director in the Fannie Mae Housing and Community Development Division; Barbara McCormick, vice president and director of housing and development for Project for Pride in Living, Inc.; Raymond Schmidt, executive director of Select Milwaukee, Inc., from November 1991 until June 1992; Robin Snyderman, housing director at the Metropolitan Planning Council in Chicago; Kari Stanley, director of community relations for the Legacy Health System, a nonprofit four-hospital healthcare organization; and Eleanor G. White, president of Housing Partners, Inc.

The new publication was released today at the NHC Policy Symposium held at the Capitol Hilton in Washington, DC. Speakers at the symposium included Bruce M. Brooks, executive vice president and director of corporate and community affairs for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle; Congrad Egan, NHC president and CEO; NHC Chairman G. Allan Kingston, president and CEO of Century Housing, a nonprofit corporation; Jack McGrory, managing director of The Price Group; Robin Snyderman, housing director for the Metropolitan Planning Council in Chicago; and Dianne Wasson, vice president and manager of HomeStreet Bank’s Affinity Lending Department.

It is important to note that this new report is part of the NHC Affordable Housing Policy Review series, which seeks to offer a balanced nonpartisan view of complex housing policy issues. The publication encourages discussion and commentary from all who choose to engage in responsible dialogue on the housing needs of this nation. 

To review the full report, please go to NHC Publications.

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