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

NHC AND THE CENTER FOR HOUSING POLICY RAMP UP NATIONAL,
STATE AND LOCAL POLICY AND PLANNING ACTIVITIES WITH NEW DIRECTORS

Sharon Price Welcomed as Director of Policy, Lynn Ross Becomes Director of State and Local Initiatives

Washington, DC (November 1, 2007) – The National Housing Conference (NHC), and its research affiliate the Center for Housing Policy, announced today that they are welcoming housing experts Sharon Price and Lynn Ross to lead the organizations’ efforts focused on national, state and local housing policy. Price will become director of policy for NHC and Ross joins both NHC and the Center in the newly created position of director of state and local initiatives. Their hiring comes at a critical time when affordable housing policy has taken center stage in the national debate, while, at the same time, communities across the country are increasingly in need of assistance in designing and implementing tailored housing strategies.

“Over the past several years NHC and the Center have experienced significant growth in our activities focused on helping to ensure decent, affordable housing for low- to moderate-income Americans. To help build on that momentum in the areas of housing policy and planning, we are pleased to welcome Sharon Price and Lynn Ross,” said NHC President and CEO Conrad Egan.

Sharon Price will serve as NHC’s new director of policy and will be responsible for working with NHC member partners and staff to formulate, and then advocate for the adoption of, housing policy positions that will better support the development and preservation of affordable housing nationwide. Price will also work collaboratively with staff on state and local housing issues to help determine how national housing policy could better support effective state and local housing strategies. Price replaces Maria Fiore who previously served as NHC’s policy director.

Price most recently served as program examiner for affordable housing and homeless programs for the Housing Branch of the Office of Management and Budget where she helped to develop policy and budget recommendations through data analysis and discussions with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), officials and advocacy groups. Prior to that, she was a presidential management fellow with the Office of AIDS Housing at HUD. Price holds Masters’ Degrees in both Public Policy and Social Work from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Bowdoin College.

As director of state and local initiatives for NHC and the Center, Lynn Ross will be working to develop and execute the education, outreach and technical assistance strategies of the two organizations, ultimately, directed at helping to strengthen housing policies at the state and local levels. Her responsibilities will also focus on providing in-depth technical assistance on housing policy to legislators, agency staff, practitioners and advocates.  In addition, she will be developing and planning the major 2009 Learning Conference that NHC and the Center plan to coordinate for state and local leaders.

Previously, Ross worked at the American Planning Association as manager of the Planning Advisory Service where her responsibilities included providing customer service, publications, and customized research to over 1,200 planning agencies, consultants and educational institutions. Ross holds a Master’s Degree in Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University.

Sharon Price was welcomed aboard on October 29th and Lynn Ross begins on November 19th.

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