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From left are Akinola Popoola, of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials; Jim Inglis, North Central Regional Council; Dee Anna Bakken, Minnesota NAHRO; Jon Ford, Minnesota NAHRO; and Renee Rooker, National NAHRO president.

State housing, redevelopment chapter honored for advocacy

Published Monday, April 6, 2009

The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials recently announced that the Minnesota Chapter of NAHRO has been awarded the 2009 Mary K. Nenno Award for housing advocacy.

According to Jon Ford, Minnesota NAHRO president, the Minnesota Chapter received the award in recognition of its state legislative advocacy efforts that resulted in the set-aside in 2008 of $5 million for preservation of existing public housing in Minnesota.

Ford said that more than 20 agencies in the state benefited from the infusion of funding that was utilized for capital and infrastructure improvements.

The set-aside of preservation funds would not have been realized without the efforts not only of Minnesota NAHRO, but also because of the strong support of the Minnesota Housing Partnership in creating the study document “Investment At Risk: Public Housing In Minnesota” that was used to support the need for additional monies.

The study document was used as support for a funding request submitted by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency to the governor that resulted in the legislative set-aside. “The support of both MHP and MHFA and the collaborative efforts of all three agencies was vital to the success of the legislation,” Ford said.

“It is an honor anytime an organization is recognized by its peers and certainly Minnesota NAHRO is honored by this award,” Ford said. The award was presented at the NAHRO National Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., with Ford and DeeAnna Bakken, senior vice president of Minnesota NAHRO, accepting the award on behalf of the Minnesota Chapter. The Minnesota Chapter was also recognized at the conference for co-sponsoring an affordable housing awareness event during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul in 2008.

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