FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2009	Contact: Michele Anapol (202) 466-2121 x226 manapol@nhc.org

NHC AND CENTER FOR HOUSING POLICY HONORED WITH "2009 MACARTHUR AWARD FOR CREATIVE AND EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONS"

NHC and the Center for Housing Policy Among Eight Organizations in Five Countries Selected to Receive Prestigious Award from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Washington, DC (April 28, 2009) – The National Housing Conference (NHC) and its research affiliate the Center for Housing Policy have been honored with the “2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions,” receiving a total of $650,000 from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of an international announcement made today by the Foundation. As co-recipients of the award, NHC and the Center are among only a handful of organizations worldwide selected to receive the honor, which is part of the Foundation’s tradition of encouraging creativity and building effective institutions in order to help address some of the world’s most challenging problems. According to the Foundation, both organizations were chosen because, together, they make a case for coherent, cost-effective housing policy and legislation that are interlinked with other important investments in transportation, schools, healthcare and the environment.

"NHC and the Center for Housing Policy are deeply honored to be among the list of eight accomplished organizations world-wide that have been selected to receive the '2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions,'" said Conrad Egan, NHC president and CEO.

"This award not only recognizes our work," added Jeffrey Lubell, executive director of the Center, "but also clearly demonstrates the Foundation’s continued dedication to addressing the housing challenges facing families nationwide."

For 75 years, NHC has been at the forefront of policy and legislation focused on fulfilling its mission of ensuring suitable housing in a safe, decent environment for every American. Known as the “United Voice for Housing,” NHC has the broadest membership of any national housing organization – including for-profit and non-profit housing developers, banks, corporations, advocacy organizations, and nonprofit institutions – and a reputation for convening its members, stakeholders and others to improve the coordination of diverse agendas and build consensus on key housing issues.

NHC advocates for policies and legislation that meet the full range of housing concerns, including foreclosure prevention and neighborhood stabilization, two critical issues that have taken center stage in today’s challenging economic times. NHC priorities also include the preservation of affordable rental housing and asset-building through policies such as shared equity homeownership and employer-assisted housing. In addition, the organization has a strong reputation for advocating for the coordination of housing policies within the broad range of issues that intersect with housing, including transportation, energy-efficiency, health, education and economic prosperity.

"This MacArthur Foundation award would not have been possible without the significant and tireless contributions of the NHC membership, as well as NHC and the Center’s key funders, leadership and staff," said NHC Chair Helen Kanovsky, chief operating officer, AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust. "We thank them for their support, hours of dedication and continued commitment to meeting the nation’s housing needs."

The Center for Housing Policy has studied the housing needs of low- to moderate-income families for more than 14 years, combining research and practical, real-world expertise to develop effective policy solutions at the national, state and local levels that increase the availability of affordable homes. The Center focuses on expanding awareness of the nation’s housing concerns and identifying promising solutions through attractive, readable publications that provide practitioners, policymakers and advocates with the facts they need.

Most recently, the Center’s attention has concentrated on the important task of helping to address the nation’s current housing challenges, which the Center presents through innovative Web resources such as www.HousingPolicy.org and www.Foreclosure-Response.org.

"We are thrilled and humbled that the MacArthur Foundation has made this substantial and generous investment in our future," said Center Chair John McIlwain, senior resident fellow with the Urban Land Institute (ULI), ULI/J. Ronald Terwilliger Chair for Housing. "This award will enable NHC and the Center to expand our effectiveness and sustainability through in-depth strategic and business planning and targeted investments in technology that will strengthen our overall policy, research and communications capacity."

NHC and the Center will use the MacArthur award to chart a course for enhanced sustainability through targeted investments in infrastructure. For example, the funding will be used to take recent internal business and strategic planning processes to the next level by developing formal plans for both organizations, as well as developing related plans for specific business and fundraising functions. The organizations will also invest in new technology, including expanding their database systems, enhancing their Web outreach and capabilities, and covering the costs associated with moving to new office space when their current lease expires. Ultimately, it is projected that these and other planned investments will result in an expansion of the base of support for the organizations’ work at the local, state and national levels, enhancing their ability to meet the housing needs of NHC members and the broader field.

In addition to co-recipients NHC and the Center for Housing Policy, the other seven recipients of the “2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions” include: Access to Justice in Lagos, Nigeria; Caribbean Natural Resource Institute in Port of Spain, Trinidad; Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago, Illinois; Centre for Independent Social Research, St. Petersburg, Russia; Chicago Community Loan Fund, Chicago, Illinois; Mahila SEWA Trust in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India; and Women of the Don Region in Novocherkassk, Russia.

The 2009 award recipients have diverse missions, but, according to the Foundation, they have much in common – "all are highly effective organizations that have made a remarkable impact in their fields, driving significant change on a modest budget."

In making these awards, the MacArthur Foundation does not seek or accept nominations. According to the Foundation, in order to qualify organizations must demonstrate exceptional creativity and effectiveness; have reached a critical or strategic point in their development; have budgets of less than $5 million per year; show strong leadership and stable financial management; have previously received MacArthur support; and engage in work central to one of MacArthur’s core programs.

For more details, please go to NHC and the Center for Housing Policy Honored With "2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions."

###

Return to Media Releases