NMA Blog

Today at the third annual NMA and GoSection8 Housing Conference in Miami, Nan McKay and Associates announced the four winners of the 2015 NMA Housing Awards. We first launched these awards nearly a decade ago to recognize excellence and innovation in the affordable housing industry.

Since then, we’ve been honored to read and evaluate a great number of worthy entries, and this year was no exception. Read on to learn more about this year’s winning agencies.

2015 Excellence in Housing

Fort Wayne Housing Authority

The Fort Wayne Housing Authority offers a truly remarkable spread of achievements, including a robust partnership with the City of Fort Wayne to help the homeless, a resident resource center that promotes self-sufficiency, a financial literacy program, a newly constructed energy-efficient senior housing community built with mixed financing, a newly constructed permanent supportive housing complex for young adults aging out of foster care, and an urban gardening program that has been so successful, participants are able to sell excess produce at a local farmer's market. 

2015 Excellence in Housing
(Honorable Mention)

Nevada Rural Housing Authority

Nevada Rural Housing Authority has long been a member of the Rural Nevada Continuum of Care (RNCoC), but in 2012, NRHA began chairing the organization and providing guidance to the state's small nonprofit and county social service agencies to improve assistance offered to the homeless. NRHA volunteered to lead the effort to create and implement centralized or coordinated intake centers, a complex task with no additional funding.

Through 2014, 11 centralized intake centers were created and the NRHA has become a clearinghouse of sorts for homeless rental assistance in rural Nevada.

2015 Pioneer in Housing
(Large Agency)

King County Housing Authority

King County Housing Authority has been working to address the lack of affordable housing and resulting homelessness in its community for decades. Recognized by HUD as a high-performing housing authority, KCHA was granted Moving to Work (MTW) status in 2003 to develop innovative responses to the region's housing crisis.

KCHA stepped up and took action by building strong community partnerships, aggressively pursuing all competitive voucher allocations, implementing flexible programs through MTW, and designing multiple supportive housing programs that have received local and national attention, including one of the nation's largest housing choice voucher programs for non-elderly persons with disabilities. 

2015 Pioneer in Housing
(Small Agency)

Housing Authority of the City of Freeport

The Housing Authority of the City of Freeport has received local, state, regional, and national recognition for the innovative ways in which it encourages and supports residents in achieving self-sufficiency. HACF offers services and programming above and beyond basic housing, including educational, employment, and empowerment opportunities. Its workforce training has graduated over 100 participants, and 90 percent of its graduates have retained employment.

With this success, HACF added youth programs and additional hands-on training, transforming the local workforce and helping its students achieve self-confidence and personal development.

The #NMAHousingAwards is an annual event created to honor agencies that build bridges to the future and generate real change in their communities and the affordable housing industry.

This morning at the second annual NMA Housing Conference, Nan McKay and Associates announced the five winners of the 2014 NMA Housing Awards. We first launched these awards nearly a decade ago to recognize excellence and innovation in the affordable housing industry.

Since then, we’ve been honored to read and evaluate a great number of worthy entries, and this year was no exception. Read on to learn more about this year’s winning agencies.

2014 Excellence in Housing Award (Large Agency)

Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk

Over the past year, the Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk (NHA) saw the culmination of years of hard work when it received several highly significant awards and grants. Most visibly, in June HUD awarded NHA with a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods implementation grant to rebuild the Washington Village development and revitalize the community. However, also very important to NHA was the award of a Head Start grant which makes it the only housing authority in New England to operate Head Start.

2014 Excellence in Housing Award (Small Agency)

Everett Housing Authority

For the past several years, the Everett Housing Authority (EHA) has partnered with Domestic Violence Services (DVS) of Snohomish County to assist survivors of domestic violence and their families with the provision of project-based voucher assistance, including building a new development on the same property as a DVS facility that includes an emergency shelter, administrative offices for support staff, and a daycare for children of occupants of the shelter.

2014 Pioneer in Housing Award (Large Agency)

Rockford Housing Authority

With high crime rates and high unemployment rates, the Rockford Housing Authority (RHA) decided to address the negative headlines and challenges being placed upon its city and its residents. With a collaborative effort of RHA and the Rockford Area Arts Council, it created a platform for creative entrepreneurship called New Mix. The program is so successful that New York City is currently using New Mix for its residents, and Dallas and Chicago are also exploring the implementation of New Mix for their communities.

2014 Pioneer in Housing Honorable Mention (Large Agency)

Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority

Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) developed an innovative initiative called Fairfax Intergenerational Housing, one of the first of its kind in Ohio and only the seventh such intergenerational housing in the country. The project offers an affordable, sustainable, and supportive environment for seniors 55 and older who have legal custody of children.

2014 Pioneer in Housing Award (Small Agency)

Housing Authority of Lancaster

The Housing Authority of Lancaster (HAL)'s Map to Success Family Literacy Program (MAP) is an innovative research-based program that combines the teaching of adult literacy skills with child development and family education empowerment. The creative onsite program targets low-literacy adults and their families who are public housing residents and Section 8 participants, equipping them with the tools necessary to become better parents and community members.

The NMA Housing Awards is an annual event created to honor agencies that build bridges to the future and generate real change in their communities and the affordable housing industry. Read about the 2013 winners and the 2012 winners.