STRATEGIC PLAN For the Years 2011 to 2015 Approved by the MBHP Board of Directors December 8, 2010. I. Overview Founded in 1983, Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP) administers rental assistance and provides housing supports in Boston and 29 surrounding communities. The state’s largest regional provider of rental assistance, MBHP serves 7,600 tenants working with 4,300 property owners. Additionally, through its Housing Supports programs MBHP responds to more than 12,000 housing inquiries annually, providing housing information and referrals to resources, case management and other housing- related supports. MBHP has an annual operating budget of $9,450,000 and a staff of 117, and we administer $98,000,000 of pass-through funds to pay rent and other housing expenses. Key to MBHP’s strategy is our partnership with both property owners and tenants. We work with owners to ensure that rental units are properly maintained, with residents to help them become and remain tenants in good standing, and with both to ensure they comply with their obligations and opportunities under a lease. In this way, we are able to stabilize tenancies and improve the overall quality of affordable housing available to house- holds with low incomes. Maintaining a portfolio of satisfied property owners and tenants is at the center of MBHP’s agenda. This ensures not only the stability of the Rental Assistance program but also provides opportunities for other low-income tenants with whom the Housing Supports staff is working to benefit from a strong network of landlords with whom MBHP has positive and long-standing relationships. MBHP offers a continuum of services to both its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports participants. These services include case manage- ment to help tenants at risk of homelessness retain their housing, assistance to families and individuals who are homeless to secure new housing, and help to low-income households to achieve greater eco- nomic self-sufficiency. MBHP Rental Assistance and Housing Supports programs reinforce each other and thereby provide a unique capacity to leverage an array of assistance for families with low incomes. In both its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports roles, MBHP has developed a strong network of relationships with outside organiza- tions. Making such linkages and establishing mutual trust ensures the efficient use of MBHP’s limited funding for service provision. In addition to its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports roles, MBHP is recognized as a state and national leader and advocate for improved affordable rental housing policy. We work in partnership with other organizations to increase awareness of the housing needs of individuals and families with low incomes, to promote favorable housing policy, and to secure public and private resources to improve the quality and availability of housing for vulnerable households. We produce research to document our own practices; we are concerned with “institutional learning,” both for our own benefit and that of other organi- zations in the field. Given the size of MBHP’s portfolio and the range of housing services situations with which MBHP’s partnerships with area agencies and community organizations date back to its earliest days. In May 2010, a public-private-nonprofit partnership to preserve 925 affordable apartments in Boston that began more than 20 years ago wrapped up with check presentations to the partnering community development corporations. Shown are MBHP Board Member Steven Rioff, Urban Edge Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay and MBHP Executive Director Chris Norris.
Transcript
strategic PlanFor the Years 2011 to 2015
Approved by the MBHP Board of Directors December 8, 2010.
i. Overview Founded in 1983, Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP) administers rental assistance and provides housing supports in Boston and 29 surrounding communities. The state’s largest regional provider of rental assistance, MBHP serves 7,600 tenants working with 4,300 property owners. Additionally, through its Housing Supports programs MBHP responds to more than 12,000 housing inquiries annually, providing housing information and referrals to resources, case management and other housing-related supports. MBHP has an annual operating budget of $9,450,000 and a staff of 117, and we administer $98,000,000 of pass-through funds to pay rent and other housing expenses.
Key to MBHP’s strategy is our partnership with both property owners and tenants. We work with owners to ensure that rental units are properly maintained, with residents to help them become and remain tenants in good standing, and with both to ensure they comply with their obligations and opportunities under a lease. In this way, we are able to stabilize tenancies and improve the overall quality of affordable housing available to house-holds with low incomes. Maintaining a portfolio of satisfied property owners and tenants is at the center of MBHP’s agenda. This ensures not only the stability of the Rental Assistance program but also provides opportunities for other low-income tenants with whom the Housing Supports staff is working to benefit from a strong network of landlords with whom MBHP has positive and long-standing relationships.
MBHP offers a continuum of services to both its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports participants. These services include case manage-ment to help tenants at risk of homelessness retain their housing, assistance to families and individuals who are homeless to secure new housing, and help to low-income households to achieve greater eco-nomic self-sufficiency. MBHP Rental Assistance and Housing Supports programs reinforce each other and thereby provide a unique capacity to leverage an array of assistance for families with low incomes.
In both its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports roles, MBHP has developed a strong network of relationships with outside organiza-tions. Making such linkages and establishing mutual trust ensures the
efficient use of MBHP’s limited funding for service provision.
In addition to its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports roles, MBHP is recognized as a state and national leader and advocate for improved affordable rental housing policy. We work in partnership with other organizations to increase awareness of the housing needs of individuals and families with low incomes, to promote favorable housing policy, and to secure public and private resources to improve the quality and availability of housing for vulnerable households. We produce research to document our own practices; we are concerned with “institutional learning,” both for our own benefit and that of other organi-zations in the field. Given the size of MBHP’s portfolio and the range of housing services situations with which
V. external scan research Findings The key findings of interviews conducted by TDC with 13 internal and external stakeholders including other housing organizations, experts in the field of housing for low-income households, current and former Board members, and public and private funders are summarized below.
Programs• MBHP is seen as a leading provider of rental assistance,
inspections and supported housing services. MBHP is viewed as providing high-quality services that are responsive to both tenants and landlords.
• Funders/grant-makers are pleased with the results of their grants to MBHP and view the agency as an effective collaborator/partner.
• MBHP is seen to be very flexible, nimble, responsive and able to implement even complex programs and new initiatives effectively and quickly.
Vi. acknowledgments MBHP would like to thank members of the Strategic Planning Committee, other staff and Board members who participated in the planning process for their time and contributions to the process. We also would like to thank the internal and external stakeholders who participated in interviews and generously gave of their time and shared their knowledge and insights.
Internal and External Interviewees Evelyn Friedman, City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development
Peter Gagliardi, HAP, Inc.
Aaron Gornstein, CHAPA and former MBHP Board Member
Langley Keyes, Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MBHP Board Member
Chrystal Kornegay, Urban Edge
Mark Nuccio, Ropes & Gray LLP and current Board Member
Marilyn O’Sullivan, Boston Housing Authority
Geeta Pradhan, The Boston Foundation
Bob Pulster and Ita Mullarkey, Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
George Russell, State Street Foundation
MBHP Board of DirectorsLowell RichardsCo-Chairman of the Board Chief Development Officer Massachusetts Port Authority
Steven RioffCo-Chairman of the Board Partner MB Management Company Paul KraftTreasurer Partner Financial Services Industries Deloitte & Touche LLPMark NuccioClerk Partner, Ropes & Gray LLPNader AcevedoVice President Hispanic American Chamber InstituteKevin BoyleSenior Vice President Commercial Real Estate Division Citizens Bank Susanne Marzi Cameron Senior Vice President and Director Massachusetts Community Development CitiDonald ConoverExecutive Vice President Global Realty & Procurement Services State Street CorporationLyndia DowniePresident and Executive Director Pine Street Inn
Elizabeth GruberSenior Vice President Community Development Bank of America Merrill LynchChristopher HarrisPhilanthropic Services Officer The Boston FoundationLangley KeyesProfessor Emeritus Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCynthia LacassePresident John Hancock Realty Advisors, Inc., Vice President John Hancock Financial Services, Inc.Terry Saunders LaneSenior Fellow Center for Social Policy University of Massachusetts-BostonGail LatimoreExecutive Director Codman Square Neighborhood Development CorporationMatthew MartinezFounder and Principal Beacon Hill Property GroupEsther SchlorholtzSenior Vice President Director of Community Investment Boston Private Bank & Trust CompanyGail SteketeeDean and Professor Boston University School of Social Work
MBHP Senior Staff Members
Christopher T. Norris Executive DirectorCarla E. BennettDirector of DevelopmentHowared ClaymanDirector of Information TechnologyKevin DonaherDirector of Property Owner and Inspectional ServicesMary DoyleDirector of Policy and Program DevelopmentSusan NohlDirector of Leased HousingMaura PensakDirector of Client ServicesGeraldine Peters-WilesDirector of Human ResourcesRev. Anne M. RousseauChief Financial Officer
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MBHP’s partnerships with area agencies and community organizations date back to its earliest days. In May 2010, a public-private-nonprofit partnership to preserve 925 affordable apartments in Boston that began more than 20 years ago wrapped up with check presentations to the partnering community development corporations. Shown are MBHP Board Member Steven Rioff, Urban Edge Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay and MBHP Executive Director Chris Norris.
• Staff is viewed as being professional and knowledgeable about the housing needs of low-income households and effective and compassionate in addressing them.
Leadership and Advocacy• MBHP is seen to be a leader in the advocacy/policy
arena concerning housing issues for individuals and households with very low-incomes. This leadership is seen to be derived principally from MBHP’s program and policy expertise, which stems from its on-the-ground experience with community needs and programs to address them.
• Other housing organizations view MBHP as a very effective collaborator and partner and they would like to see MBHP play an even stronger leadership role.
Amy Schectman, Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly (formerly at DHCD)
Alicia Verity, Bank of America Foundation
Linda Wood-Boyle, HomeStart, Inc.
Strategic Planning CommitteeMBHP Board Members:Langley Keyes, Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Terry Saunders Lane, Lane Consulting Services, Senior Fellow, Center for Social Policy, University of Massachusetts-Boston
Steven Rioff, Partner, MB Management Company
Esther Schlorholtz, Senior Vice President, Director of Community Investment, Boston Private Bank & Trust
MBHP Staff:Dale Burnett, Accounting Manager
Barbara Chandler, Fair Housing Manager
Mary Doyle, Director of Policy and Program Development
Sandra Newson, Asst. Director of Leased Housing
Christopher T. Norris, Executive Director
125 Lincoln Street, 5th Floor • Boston, MA 02111-2503 • www.mbhp.org
housing information, homelessness prevention services, housing stabilization supports and fair housing advocacy to people without rental assistance who have housing questions and/or difficulty finding and retaining housing. These individuals and families know about services from our Web site, flyers and articles in local media, as well as being referred to MBHP by state agencies, legislators and other providers. Most of these services are publicly funded; however, MBHP must raise private funds to serve those families and individuals who require more intensive case management and other supports to stabilize their housing situation. These programs and services are especially important because they address the needs of an extremely vulnerable population and because they enable MBHP to craft and implement flexible services that are designed to address emerging community needs in the context of an ever-evolving housing environment. Over the next five years, MBHP will continue to seek funds to serve these residents. We also will help build the capacity of other organizations, locally and nationally, to provide similar services by documenting and disseminating research on best practices and by providing training and technical assistance to other providers.
4. Continue to be flexible, innovative and effective at responding to new opportunities to advance our mission and to help more people with low incomes secure and maintain housing. MBHP is recognized for its ability to develop and implement new programs and services that address emerging community needs, policy changes and funding opportunities, as well as for its ability to pursue opportunities to collaborate with others in the housing arena to strengthen
accessible, establishing mechanisms to monitor and measure program outcomes and generate data that will be used to continuously strengthen and improve programs and outcomes, and further strengthening customer service and responsiveness.
2. For MBHP Rental Assistance customers, continue to provide a range of flexible and timely services that go beyond rental assistance to help families and individuals retain their housing, prevent homelessness and improve their economic and life circumstances. MBHP is a leading provider of rental assistance, inspectional services, and property owner services in the state and nationally. Key to MBHP’s successful provision of services is its unique approach to viewing both tenants and property owners as its customers, as well as the availability of a range of housing resources in house. Going forward, MBHP will improve and strengthen provision of in-house services to tenants with vouchers administered by MBHP and the property owners holding the leases. These improvements will be in the area of service provision, which includes information and referral to appropriate resources, workshops and training, case management, economic self-sufficiency resources, and more, as well as improved internal tracking and follow-up across departments.
3. Continue to provide and build Housing Supports programs for customers without rental assistance who face housing instability. Many MBHP customers are served by rental assistance. In recent years, however, we have leveraged our expertise and services to provide
it must deal, the agency represents a unique “laboratory” for critical analyses of and research on these complex issues. This information is needed to inform decision-making, policies, services and funding. We provide training and technical assistance to share our expertise and to help other housing and community-based organizations strengthen their abilities to address the housing needs of households with low incomes.
With this plan, we commit to continuing to leverage our core competencies to provide efficient and effective services to both tenants and property owners. We also will strengthen our leadership in the field to help more people with low incomes secure and maintain quality affordable rental housing. Finally, MBHP has ambitious plans to increase its fund raising from private and public sources to enable it to secure the resources needed to achieve its strategic goals and vision for the future.
It is with great pride that MBHP presents this five-year strategic plan which articulates our mission and goals and provides a roadmap for achieving our vision of continued growth. This blueprint for action clarifies our priorities and invites our current and future constituents, collaborators, funders and supporters to join us in realizing our dynamic plan for the future. The planning process inspired and challenged Board and staff members during the course of the planning effort; we hope and expect this sense of inspiration and challenge will continue into the future as we implement the strategies we worked so hard to develop.
ii. MissionOur mission is to ensure that the region’s low- and moderate-income individuals and families have choice and mobility in finding and retaining decent affordable housing; all of our programs and initiatives are designed to encourage housing stability, increased economic self-sufficiency, and the enhanced quality of the lives of those we serve. To achieve our mission and to promote efficient service delivery, we work collaboratively with a broad array of service providers and neighborhood-based organizations.
iii. strategic goals Goals for Programs
1. Further increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our Rental Assistance program while maintaining the highest standards of customer service for both tenants and property owners. MBHP has implemented several procedures to streamline its Rental Assistance operations including instituting reminder phone calls to tenants which have reduced the number of “no shows” for scheduled unit inspections, introduced a more efficient file management system, and worked with property owners to reduce the number of re-inspections. Going forward, we will continue to increase operating efficiencies by more fully leveraging technology to make information more accurate and
services, outcomes and impact. To ensure that we are intentional and proactive in pursuing new initiatives, we have developed criteria and a process to evaluate all new opportunities and to select those that build upon our core areas of expertise, enable us to better serve tenants and property owners, address gaps in services (rather than duplicate existing services), use our human and financial resources wisely, allow us to advance our strategic goals, and enable us to innovate and develop best practices that can help advance the low-income housing field.
Goals for Leadership and Advocacy 5. Continue to be at the forefront of advocating for
and securing resources to help address housing needs for families and individuals with low incomes. MBHP will further strengthen its leadership role in Massachusetts and nationally as convener, educator, catalyst and advocate to raise awareness of community housing needs and ensure that they are met. MBHP will continue to work to bring about systemic and policy changes at the local, state and national levels that are responsive to the needs of households with very low incomes. We also will continue to be innova-tive in piloting new initiatives and tracking the outcomes of those initiatives in order to both address emerging needs and effectively advocate for systemic, policy and funding changes that are based on the lessons MBHP has learned from its own on-the-ground experience with thousands of tenants and property owners across our region.
Goals for Staff Development6. Continue to attract and retain the most highly
qualified staff and support their professional devel-opment and job satisfaction. We recognize that our experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated staff is the key to our outstanding program performance and services. MBHP is committed to recognizing and showing appreciation for its staff and to ensuring that all staff has work that is meaningful and rewarding, competitive salaries and benefits, and opportunities to increase their professional skills and knowledge.
Fund Raising
7. Set aggressive fund-raising targets and raise funds to support attainment of MBHP’s strategic goals. Currently, 97 percent of MBHP’s funding comes from public sources for our Rental Assistance programs and other housing supports. Although public dollars will likely continue to be the mainstay of MBHP funding, we have ambitious goals to increase our funding from a variety of public and private sources to grow programs and services and achieve the goals set forth in this plan. This funding is particularly important to address gaps in existing programming, pilot new and innovative initiatives, and continue to support our leadership and advocacy efforts in the housing arena.
Governance 8. Strengthen the governance structure of MBHP to
enable the Board to fully and appropriately support the realization of MBHP’s mission and goals. The Board of Directors provide strong governance for MBHP, and the Board is recognized for its depth
of expertise in housing, housing supports programs and finance; its connections to diverse sectors of the community; and its highly visible support for MBHP. To help MBHP achieve the goals set forth in this plan, the Board will prioritize supporting MBHP’s exciting leadership and advocacy initiatives and its ambitious fund-raising efforts. The Board will restructure its committees, as needed, to ensure that committee structure aligns with the goals established in this plan.
Facilities9. Develop a plan to address the agency’s facilities/space
needs. MBHP currently rents space for its central office near South Station in Boston. In general, this space adequately serves the agency’s needs, and both staff and clients like the location and the space. Going forward, MBHP will explore its future space needs and identify options that would enable the organization to continue to grow and operate effectively and efficiently. The plan will identify cost-effective options that promote effective agency operations, provide comfort-able workspace for staff, and facilitate accessibility, convenience and good customer service.
iV. the Planning ProcessThe planning process for this five-year strategic plan, conducted in 2010, was facilitated by Nanette Robicheau of TDC, a nonprofit consulting group. The planning pro-cess included input from a range of internal and external stakeholders and included the following elements:
• The Strategic Planning Committee included four Board members and five senior staff or managers who oversaw all planning activities and convened four meetings to identify future strategic directions for MBHP.
• Staff input included confidential interviews with eight senior staff members, a planning discussion with 20 managers, and planning sessions with 11 MBHP teams from all departments that included MBHP frontline staff and team supervisors. In addition, an electronic survey was completed by 19 staff members who had not been able to attend a meeting or who wanted to provide additional input into the process.
• Board input included a confidential Board survey, confidential interviews with three current or former Board members, Board participation on the Strategic Planning Committee, and Board review and refine-ment at regularly scheduled Board and Executive Committee meetings.
• External stakeholder input included confidential phone interviews with 11 external stakeholders including public and private funders, policy-makers and other housing organizations.
2 3 4
Ongoing staff development is key to staff retention, client service and job satisfaction. Shown here are MBHP staffers Joanna Baton and Noble Williams participating in an all-staff diversity training exercise.
MBHP’s Diversity Committee actively promotes diversity understanding with periodic trainings, activities and brown-bag lunches. Shown are the members of the November 2010’s “One Day Around The World” diversity luncheon committee: Ivy Guo, Claudia Valle, Verna Augustine, Helga Ramos, Margaret Gibson, Brunette Beaupin Jaramillo, David Lafontant, Diana Paradiso, Sandra Figueira and Marshall James.
Helping tenants increase their assets is a cornerstone of MBHP’s mission, and the Family Self-Sufficiency Program for Section 8 tenants links rental assistance with case management to help tenants gain financial independence. Shown here at the October 2010 FSS graduation, hosted by Boston Private Bank & Trust Co., is Boston Private CEO Mark Thompson, MBHP Executive Director Chris Norris, FSS Outreach Coordinator Justine Cabrera, FSS graduate Maria Rosa, FSS Advisor David Kelly, and Boston Private Senior Vice President Esther Schlorholtz.
MBHP’s annual Founders Celebration, hosted by the State Street Corp., recognizes individuals and organizations who further the cause of affordable housing in Greater Boston and who have played an important role in the history of MBHP. The event also serves as the major fund-raiser for MBHP programs and services. Shown is The Beal Companies, LLP President Robert Beal presenting one of the November 2010 Founders Awards to Housing Partners, Inc. Chairman Marvin Siflinger.
housing information, homelessness prevention services, housing stabilization supports and fair housing advocacy to people without rental assistance who have housing questions and/or difficulty finding and retaining housing. These individuals and families know about services from our Web site, flyers and articles in local media, as well as being referred to MBHP by state agencies, legislators and other providers. Most of these services are publicly funded; however, MBHP must raise private funds to serve those families and individuals who require more intensive case management and other supports to stabilize their housing situation. These programs and services are especially important because they address the needs of an extremely vulnerable population and because they enable MBHP to craft and implement flexible services that are designed to address emerging community needs in the context of an ever-evolving housing environment. Over the next five years, MBHP will continue to seek funds to serve these residents. We also will help build the capacity of other organizations, locally and nationally, to provide similar services by documenting and disseminating research on best practices and by providing training and technical assistance to other providers.
4. Continue to be flexible, innovative and effective at responding to new opportunities to advance our mission and to help more people with low incomes secure and maintain housing. MBHP is recognized for its ability to develop and implement new programs and services that address emerging community needs, policy changes and funding opportunities, as well as for its ability to pursue opportunities to collaborate with others in the housing arena to strengthen
accessible, establishing mechanisms to monitor and measure program outcomes and generate data that will be used to continuously strengthen and improve programs and outcomes, and further strengthening customer service and responsiveness.
2. For MBHP Rental Assistance customers, continue to provide a range of flexible and timely services that go beyond rental assistance to help families and individuals retain their housing, prevent homelessness and improve their economic and life circumstances. MBHP is a leading provider of rental assistance, inspectional services, and property owner services in the state and nationally. Key to MBHP’s successful provision of services is its unique approach to viewing both tenants and property owners as its customers, as well as the availability of a range of housing resources in house. Going forward, MBHP will improve and strengthen provision of in-house services to tenants with vouchers administered by MBHP and the property owners holding the leases. These improvements will be in the area of service provision, which includes information and referral to appropriate resources, workshops and training, case management, economic self-sufficiency resources, and more, as well as improved internal tracking and follow-up across departments.
3. Continue to provide and build Housing Supports programs for customers without rental assistance who face housing instability. Many MBHP customers are served by rental assistance. In recent years, however, we have leveraged our expertise and services to provide
it must deal, the agency represents a unique “laboratory” for critical analyses of and research on these complex issues. This information is needed to inform decision-making, policies, services and funding. We provide training and technical assistance to share our expertise and to help other housing and community-based organizations strengthen their abilities to address the housing needs of households with low incomes.
With this plan, we commit to continuing to leverage our core competencies to provide efficient and effective services to both tenants and property owners. We also will strengthen our leadership in the field to help more people with low incomes secure and maintain quality affordable rental housing. Finally, MBHP has ambitious plans to increase its fund raising from private and public sources to enable it to secure the resources needed to achieve its strategic goals and vision for the future.
It is with great pride that MBHP presents this five-year strategic plan which articulates our mission and goals and provides a roadmap for achieving our vision of continued growth. This blueprint for action clarifies our priorities and invites our current and future constituents, collaborators, funders and supporters to join us in realizing our dynamic plan for the future. The planning process inspired and challenged Board and staff members during the course of the planning effort; we hope and expect this sense of inspiration and challenge will continue into the future as we implement the strategies we worked so hard to develop.
ii. MissionOur mission is to ensure that the region’s low- and moderate-income individuals and families have choice and mobility in finding and retaining decent affordable housing; all of our programs and initiatives are designed to encourage housing stability, increased economic self-sufficiency, and the enhanced quality of the lives of those we serve. To achieve our mission and to promote efficient service delivery, we work collaboratively with a broad array of service providers and neighborhood-based organizations.
iii. strategic goals Goals for Programs
1. Further increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our Rental Assistance program while maintaining the highest standards of customer service for both tenants and property owners. MBHP has implemented several procedures to streamline its Rental Assistance operations including instituting reminder phone calls to tenants which have reduced the number of “no shows” for scheduled unit inspections, introduced a more efficient file management system, and worked with property owners to reduce the number of re-inspections. Going forward, we will continue to increase operating efficiencies by more fully leveraging technology to make information more accurate and
services, outcomes and impact. To ensure that we are intentional and proactive in pursuing new initiatives, we have developed criteria and a process to evaluate all new opportunities and to select those that build upon our core areas of expertise, enable us to better serve tenants and property owners, address gaps in services (rather than duplicate existing services), use our human and financial resources wisely, allow us to advance our strategic goals, and enable us to innovate and develop best practices that can help advance the low-income housing field.
Goals for Leadership and Advocacy 5. Continue to be at the forefront of advocating for
and securing resources to help address housing needs for families and individuals with low incomes. MBHP will further strengthen its leadership role in Massachusetts and nationally as convener, educator, catalyst and advocate to raise awareness of community housing needs and ensure that they are met. MBHP will continue to work to bring about systemic and policy changes at the local, state and national levels that are responsive to the needs of households with very low incomes. We also will continue to be innova-tive in piloting new initiatives and tracking the outcomes of those initiatives in order to both address emerging needs and effectively advocate for systemic, policy and funding changes that are based on the lessons MBHP has learned from its own on-the-ground experience with thousands of tenants and property owners across our region.
Goals for Staff Development6. Continue to attract and retain the most highly
qualified staff and support their professional devel-opment and job satisfaction. We recognize that our experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated staff is the key to our outstanding program performance and services. MBHP is committed to recognizing and showing appreciation for its staff and to ensuring that all staff has work that is meaningful and rewarding, competitive salaries and benefits, and opportunities to increase their professional skills and knowledge.
Fund Raising
7. Set aggressive fund-raising targets and raise funds to support attainment of MBHP’s strategic goals. Currently, 97 percent of MBHP’s funding comes from public sources for our Rental Assistance programs and other housing supports. Although public dollars will likely continue to be the mainstay of MBHP funding, we have ambitious goals to increase our funding from a variety of public and private sources to grow programs and services and achieve the goals set forth in this plan. This funding is particularly important to address gaps in existing programming, pilot new and innovative initiatives, and continue to support our leadership and advocacy efforts in the housing arena.
Governance 8. Strengthen the governance structure of MBHP to
enable the Board to fully and appropriately support the realization of MBHP’s mission and goals. The Board of Directors provide strong governance for MBHP, and the Board is recognized for its depth
of expertise in housing, housing supports programs and finance; its connections to diverse sectors of the community; and its highly visible support for MBHP. To help MBHP achieve the goals set forth in this plan, the Board will prioritize supporting MBHP’s exciting leadership and advocacy initiatives and its ambitious fund-raising efforts. The Board will restructure its committees, as needed, to ensure that committee structure aligns with the goals established in this plan.
Facilities9. Develop a plan to address the agency’s facilities/space
needs. MBHP currently rents space for its central office near South Station in Boston. In general, this space adequately serves the agency’s needs, and both staff and clients like the location and the space. Going forward, MBHP will explore its future space needs and identify options that would enable the organization to continue to grow and operate effectively and efficiently. The plan will identify cost-effective options that promote effective agency operations, provide comfort-able workspace for staff, and facilitate accessibility, convenience and good customer service.
iV. the Planning ProcessThe planning process for this five-year strategic plan, conducted in 2010, was facilitated by Nanette Robicheau of TDC, a nonprofit consulting group. The planning pro-cess included input from a range of internal and external stakeholders and included the following elements:
• The Strategic Planning Committee included four Board members and five senior staff or managers who oversaw all planning activities and convened four meetings to identify future strategic directions for MBHP.
• Staff input included confidential interviews with eight senior staff members, a planning discussion with 20 managers, and planning sessions with 11 MBHP teams from all departments that included MBHP frontline staff and team supervisors. In addition, an electronic survey was completed by 19 staff members who had not been able to attend a meeting or who wanted to provide additional input into the process.
• Board input included a confidential Board survey, confidential interviews with three current or former Board members, Board participation on the Strategic Planning Committee, and Board review and refine-ment at regularly scheduled Board and Executive Committee meetings.
• External stakeholder input included confidential phone interviews with 11 external stakeholders including public and private funders, policy-makers and other housing organizations.
2 3 4
Ongoing staff development is key to staff retention, client service and job satisfaction. Shown here are MBHP staffers Joanna Baton and Noble Williams participating in an all-staff diversity training exercise.
MBHP’s Diversity Committee actively promotes diversity understanding with periodic trainings, activities and brown-bag lunches. Shown are the members of the November 2010’s “One Day Around The World” diversity luncheon committee: Ivy Guo, Claudia Valle, Verna Augustine, Helga Ramos, Margaret Gibson, Brunette Beaupin-Jaramillo, David Lafontant, Diana Paradiso, Sandra Figueira and Marshall James.
Helping tenants increase their assets is a cornerstone of MBHP’s mission, and the Family Self-Sufficiency Program for Section 8 tenants links rental assistance with case management to help tenants gain financial independence. Shown here at the October 2010 FSS graduation, hosted by Boston Private Bank & Trust Co., is Boston Private CEO Mark Thompson, MBHP Executive Director Chris Norris, FSS Outreach Coordinator Justine Cabrera, FSS graduate Maria Rosa, FSS Advisor David Kelly, and Boston Private Senior Vice President Esther Schlorholtz.
MBHP’s annual Founders Celebration, hosted by the State Street Corp., recognizes individuals and organizations who further the cause of affordable housing in Greater Boston and who have played an important role in the history of MBHP. The event also serves as the major fund-raiser for MBHP programs and services. Shown is The Beal Companies, LLP President Robert Beal presenting one of the November 2010 Founders Awards to Housing Partners, Inc. Chairman Marvin Siflinger.
housing information, homelessness prevention services, housing stabilization supports and fair housing advocacy to people without rental assistance who have housing questions and/or difficulty finding and retaining housing. These individuals and families know about services from our Web site, flyers and articles in local media, as well as being referred to MBHP by state agencies, legislators and other providers. Most of these services are publicly funded; however, MBHP must raise private funds to serve those families and individuals who require more intensive case management and other supports to stabilize their housing situation. These programs and services are especially important because they address the needs of an extremely vulnerable population and because they enable MBHP to craft and implement flexible services that are designed to address emerging community needs in the context of an ever-evolving housing environment. Over the next five years, MBHP will continue to seek funds to serve these residents. We also will help build the capacity of other organizations, locally and nationally, to provide similar services by documenting and disseminating research on best practices and by providing training and technical assistance to other providers.
4. Continue to be flexible, innovative and effective at responding to new opportunities to advance our mission and to help more people with low incomes secure and maintain housing. MBHP is recognized for its ability to develop and implement new programs and services that address emerging community needs, policy changes and funding opportunities, as well as for its ability to pursue opportunities to collaborate with others in the housing arena to strengthen
accessible, establishing mechanisms to monitor and measure program outcomes and generate data that will be used to continuously strengthen and improve programs and outcomes, and further strengthening customer service and responsiveness.
2. For MBHP Rental Assistance customers, continue to provide a range of flexible and timely services that go beyond rental assistance to help families and individuals retain their housing, prevent homelessness and improve their economic and life circumstances. MBHP is a leading provider of rental assistance, inspectional services, and property owner services in the state and nationally. Key to MBHP’s successful provision of services is its unique approach to viewing both tenants and property owners as its customers, as well as the availability of a range of housing resources in house. Going forward, MBHP will improve and strengthen provision of in-house services to tenants with vouchers administered by MBHP and the property owners holding the leases. These improvements will be in the area of service provision, which includes information and referral to appropriate resources, workshops and training, case management, economic self-sufficiency resources, and more, as well as improved internal tracking and follow-up across departments.
3. Continue to provide and build Housing Supports programs for customers without rental assistance who face housing instability. Many MBHP customers are served by rental assistance. In recent years, however, we have leveraged our expertise and services to provide
it must deal, the agency represents a unique “laboratory” for critical analyses of and research on these complex issues. This information is needed to inform decision-making, policies, services and funding. We provide training and technical assistance to share our expertise and to help other housing and community-based organizations strengthen their abilities to address the housing needs of households with low incomes.
With this plan, we commit to continuing to leverage our core competencies to provide efficient and effective services to both tenants and property owners. We also will strengthen our leadership in the field to help more people with low incomes secure and maintain quality affordable rental housing. Finally, MBHP has ambitious plans to increase its fund raising from private and public sources to enable it to secure the resources needed to achieve its strategic goals and vision for the future.
It is with great pride that MBHP presents this five-year strategic plan which articulates our mission and goals and provides a roadmap for achieving our vision of continued growth. This blueprint for action clarifies our priorities and invites our current and future constituents, collaborators, funders and supporters to join us in realizing our dynamic plan for the future. The planning process inspired and challenged Board and staff members during the course of the planning effort; we hope and expect this sense of inspiration and challenge will continue into the future as we implement the strategies we worked so hard to develop.
ii. MissionOur mission is to ensure that the region’s low- and moderate-income individuals and families have choice and mobility in finding and retaining decent affordable housing; all of our programs and initiatives are designed to encourage housing stability, increased economic self-sufficiency, and the enhanced quality of the lives of those we serve. To achieve our mission and to promote efficient service delivery, we work collaboratively with a broad array of service providers and neighborhood-based organizations.
iii. strategic goals Goals for Programs
1. Further increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our Rental Assistance program while maintaining the highest standards of customer service for both tenants and property owners. MBHP has implemented several procedures to streamline its Rental Assistance operations including instituting reminder phone calls to tenants which have reduced the number of “no shows” for scheduled unit inspections, introduced a more efficient file management system, and worked with property owners to reduce the number of re-inspections. Going forward, we will continue to increase operating efficiencies by more fully leveraging technology to make information more accurate and
services, outcomes and impact. To ensure that we are intentional and proactive in pursuing new initiatives, we have developed criteria and a process to evaluate all new opportunities and to select those that build upon our core areas of expertise, enable us to better serve tenants and property owners, address gaps in services (rather than duplicate existing services), use our human and financial resources wisely, allow us to advance our strategic goals, and enable us to innovate and develop best practices that can help advance the low-income housing field.
Goals for Leadership and Advocacy 5. Continue to be at the forefront of advocating for
and securing resources to help address housing needs for families and individuals with low incomes. MBHP will further strengthen its leadership role in Massachusetts and nationally as convener, educator, catalyst and advocate to raise awareness of community housing needs and ensure that they are met. MBHP will continue to work to bring about systemic and policy changes at the local, state and national levels that are responsive to the needs of households with very low incomes. We also will continue to be innova-tive in piloting new initiatives and tracking the outcomes of those initiatives in order to both address emerging needs and effectively advocate for systemic, policy and funding changes that are based on the lessons MBHP has learned from its own on-the-ground experience with thousands of tenants and property owners across our region.
Goals for Staff Development6. Continue to attract and retain the most highly
qualified staff and support their professional devel-opment and job satisfaction. We recognize that our experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated staff is the key to our outstanding program performance and services. MBHP is committed to recognizing and showing appreciation for its staff and to ensuring that all staff has work that is meaningful and rewarding, competitive salaries and benefits, and opportunities to increase their professional skills and knowledge.
Fund Raising
7. Set aggressive fund-raising targets and raise funds to support attainment of MBHP’s strategic goals. Currently, 97 percent of MBHP’s funding comes from public sources for our Rental Assistance programs and other housing supports. Although public dollars will likely continue to be the mainstay of MBHP funding, we have ambitious goals to increase our funding from a variety of public and private sources to grow programs and services and achieve the goals set forth in this plan. This funding is particularly important to address gaps in existing programming, pilot new and innovative initiatives, and continue to support our leadership and advocacy efforts in the housing arena.
Governance 8. Strengthen the governance structure of MBHP to
enable the Board to fully and appropriately support the realization of MBHP’s mission and goals. The Board of Directors provides strong governance for MBHP, and the Board is recognized for its depth
of expertise in housing, housing supports programs and finance; its connections to diverse sectors of the community; and its highly visible support for MBHP. To help MBHP achieve the goals set forth in this plan, the Board will prioritize supporting MBHP’s exciting leadership and advocacy initiatives and its ambitious fund-raising efforts. The Board will restructure its committees, as needed, to ensure that committee structure aligns with the goals established in this plan.
Facilities9. Develop a plan to address the agency’s facilities/space
needs. MBHP currently rents space for its central office near South Station in Boston. In general, this space adequately serves the agency’s needs, and both staff and clients like the location and the space. Going forward, MBHP will explore its future space needs and identify options that would enable the organization to continue to grow and operate effectively and efficiently. The plan will identify cost-effective options that promote effective agency operations, provide comfort-able workspace for staff, and facilitate accessibility, convenience and good customer service.
iV. the Planning ProcessThe planning process for this five-year strategic plan, conducted in 2010, was facilitated by Nanette Robicheau of TDC, a nonprofit consulting group. The planning pro-cess included input from a range of internal and external stakeholders and included the following elements:
• The Strategic Planning Committee included four Board members and five senior staff or managers who oversaw all planning activities and convened four meetings to identify future strategic directions for MBHP.
• Staff input included confidential interviews with eight senior staff members, a planning discussion with 20 managers, and planning sessions with 11 MBHP teams from all departments that included MBHP frontline staff and team supervisors. In addition, an electronic survey was completed by 19 staff members who had not been able to attend a meeting or who wanted to provide additional input into the process.
• Board input included a confidential Board survey, confidential interviews with three current or former Board members, Board participation on the Strategic Planning Committee, and Board review and refine-ment at regularly scheduled Board and Executive Committee meetings.
• External stakeholder input included confidential phone interviews with 11 external stakeholders including public and private funders, policy-makers and other housing organizations.
2 3 4
Ongoing staff development is key to staff retention, client service and job satisfaction. Shown here are MBHP staffers Joanna Baton and Noble Williams participating in an all-staff diversity training exercise.
MBHP’s Diversity Committee actively promotes diversity understanding with periodic trainings, activities and brown-bag lunches. Shown are the members of the November 2010’s “One Day Around The World” diversity luncheon committee: Ivy Guo, Claudia Valle, Verna Augustine, Helga Ramos, Margaret Gibson, Brunette Beaupin Jaramillo, David Lafontant, Diana Paradiso, Sandra Figueira and Marshall James.
Helping tenants increase their assets is a cornerstone of MBHP’s mission, and the Family Self-Sufficiency Program for Section 8 tenants links rental assistance with case management to help tenants gain financial independence. Shown here at the October 2010 FSS graduation, hosted by Boston Private Bank & Trust Co., is Boston Private CEO Mark Thompson, MBHP Executive Director Chris Norris, FSS Outreach Coordinator Justine Cabrera, FSS graduate Maria Rosa, FSS Advisor David Kelly, and Boston Private Senior Vice President Esther Schlorholtz.
MBHP’s annual Founders Celebration, hosted by the State Street Corp., recognizes individuals and organizations who further the cause of affordable housing in Greater Boston and who have played an important role in the history of MBHP. The event also serves as the major fund-raiser for MBHP programs and services. Shown is The Beal Companies, LLP President Robert Beal presenting one of the November 2010 Founders Awards to Housing Partners, Inc. Chairman Marvin Siflinger.
strategic PlanFor the Years 2011 to 2015
Approved by the MBHP Board of Directors December 8, 2010.
i. Overview Founded in 1983, Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP) administers rental assistance and provides housing supports in Boston and 29 surrounding communities. The state’s largest regional provider of rental assistance, MBHP serves 7,600 tenants working with 4,300 property owners. Additionally, through its Housing Supports programs MBHP responds to more than 12,000 housing inquiries annually, providing housing information and referrals to resources, case management and other housing-related supports. MBHP has an annual operating budget of $9,450,000 and a staff of 117, and we administer $98,000,000 of pass-through funds to pay rent and other housing expenses.
Key to MBHP’s strategy is our partnership with both property owners and tenants. We work with owners to ensure that rental units are properly maintained, with residents to help them become and remain tenants in good standing, and with both to ensure they comply with their obligations and opportunities under a lease. In this way, we are able to stabilize tenancies and improve the overall quality of affordable housing available to house-holds with low incomes. Maintaining a portfolio of satisfied property owners and tenants is at the center of MBHP’s agenda. This ensures not only the stability of the Rental Assistance program but also provides opportunities for other low-income tenants with whom the Housing Supports staff is working to benefit from a strong network of landlords with whom MBHP has positive and long-standing relationships.
MBHP offers a continuum of services to both its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports participants. These services include case manage-ment to help tenants at risk of homelessness retain their housing, assistance to families and individuals who are homeless to secure new housing, and help to low-income households to achieve greater eco-nomic self-sufficiency. MBHP Rental Assistance and Housing Supports programs reinforce each other and thereby provide a unique capacity to leverage an array of assistance for families with low incomes.
In both its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports roles, MBHP has developed a strong network of relationships with outside organiza-tions. Making such linkages and establishing mutual trust ensures the
efficient use of MBHP’s limited funding for service provision.
In addition to its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports roles, MBHP is recognized as a state and national leader and advocate for improved affordable rental housing policy. We work in partnership with other organizations to increase awareness of the housing needs of individuals and families with low incomes, to promote favorable housing policy, and to secure public and private resources to improve the quality and availability of housing for vulnerable households. We produce research to document our own practices; we are concerned with “institutional learning,” both for our own benefit and that of other organi-zations in the field. Given the size of MBHP’s portfolio and the range of housing services situations with which
V. external scan research Findings The key findings of interviews conducted by TDC with 13 internal and external stakeholders including other housing organizations, experts in the field of housing for low-income households, current and former Board members, and public and private funders are summarized below.
Programs• MBHP is seen as a leading provider of rental assistance,
inspections and supported housing services. MBHP is viewed as providing high-quality services that are responsive to both tenants and landlords.
• Funders/grant-makers are pleased with the results of their grants to MBHP and view the agency as an effective collaborator/partner.
• MBHP is seen to be very flexible, nimble, responsive and able to implement even complex programs and new initiatives effectively and quickly.
Vi. acknowledgments MBHP would like to thank members of the Strategic Planning Committee, other staff and Board members who participated in the planning process for their time and contributions to the process. We also would like to thank the internal and external stakeholders who participated in interviews and generously gave of their time and shared their knowledge and insights.
Internal and External Interviewees Evelyn Friedman, City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development
Peter Gagliardi, HAP, Inc.
Aaron Gornstein, CHAPA and former MBHP Board Member
Langley Keyes, Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MBHP Board Member
Chrystal Kornegay, Urban Edge
Mark Nuccio, Ropes & Gray LLP and MBHP Board Member
Marilyn O’Sullivan, Boston Housing Authority
Geeta Pradhan, The Boston Foundation
Bob Pulster and Ita Mullarkey, Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
George Russell, State Street Foundation
MBHP Board of DirectorsLowell RichardsCo-Chairman of the Board Chief Development Officer Massachusetts Port Authority
Steven RioffCo-Chairman of the Board Partner MB Management Company Paul KraftTreasurer Partner Financial Services Industries Deloitte & Touche LLPMark NuccioClerk Partner, Ropes & Gray LLPNader AcevedoVice President Hispanic American Chamber InstituteKevin BoyleSenior Vice President Commercial Real Estate Division Citizens Bank Susanne Marzi Cameron Senior Vice President and Director Massachusetts Community Development CitiDonald ConoverExecutive Vice President Global Realty & Procurement Services State Street CorporationLyndia DowniePresident and Executive Director Pine Street Inn
Elizabeth GruberSenior Vice President Community Development Bank of America Merrill LynchChristopher HarrisPhilanthropic Services Officer The Boston FoundationLangley KeyesProfessor Emeritus Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCynthia LacassePresident John Hancock Realty Advisors, Inc., Vice President John Hancock Financial Services, Inc.Terry Saunders LaneSenior Fellow Center for Social Policy University of Massachusetts-BostonGail LatimoreExecutive Director Codman Square Neighborhood Development CorporationMatthew MartinezFounder and Principal Beacon Hill Property GroupEsther SchlorholtzSenior Vice President Director of Community Investment Boston Private Bank & Trust CompanyGail SteketeeDean and Professor Boston University School of Social Work
MBHP Senior Staff Members
Christopher T. Norris Executive DirectorCarla E. BennettDirector of DevelopmentHowared ClaymanDirector of Information TechnologyKevin DonaherDirector of Property Owner and Inspectional ServicesMary DoyleDirector of Policy and Program DevelopmentSusan NohlDirector of Leased HousingMaura PensakDirector of Client ServicesGeraldine Peters-WilesDirector of Human ResourcesRev. Anne M. RousseauChief Financial Officer
5 6
MBHP’s partnerships with area agencies and community organizations date back to its earliest days. In May 2010, a public-private-nonprofit partnership to preserve 925 affordable apartments in Boston that began more than 20 years ago wrapped up with check presentations to the partnering community development corporations. Shown are MBHP Board Member Steven Rioff, Urban Edge Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay and MBHP Executive Director Chris Norris.
• Staff is viewed as being professional and knowledgeable about the housing needs of low-income households and effective and compassionate in addressing them.
Leadership and Advocacy• MBHP is seen to be a leader in the advocacy/policy
arena concerning housing issues for individuals and households with very low-incomes. This leadership is seen to be derived principally from MBHP’s program and policy expertise, which stems from its on-the-ground experience with community needs and programs to address them.
• Other housing organizations view MBHP as a very effective collaborator and partner and they would like to see MBHP play an even stronger leadership role.
Amy Schectman, Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly (formerly at DHCD)
Alicia Verity, Bank of America Foundation
Linda Wood-Boyle, HomeStart, Inc.
Strategic Planning CommitteeMBHP Board Members:Langley Keyes, Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Terry Saunders Lane, Lane Consulting Services, Senior Fellow, Center for Social Policy, University of Massachusetts-Boston
Steven Rioff, Partner, MB Management Company
Esther Schlorholtz, Senior Vice President, Director of Community Investment, Boston Private Bank & Trust
MBHP Staff:Dale Burnett, Accounting Manager
Barbara Chandler, Fair Housing Manager
Mary Doyle, Director of Policy and Program Development
Sandra Newson, Asst. Director of Leased Housing
Christopher T. Norris, Executive Director
125 Lincoln Street, 5th Floor • Boston, MA 02111-2503 • www.mbhp.org
Approved by the MBHP Board of Directors December 8, 2010.
i. Overview Founded in 1983, Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP) administers rental assistance and provides housing supports in Boston and 29 surrounding communities. The state’s largest regional provider of rental assistance, MBHP serves 7,600 tenants working with 4,300 property owners. Additionally, through its Housing Supports programs MBHP responds to more than 12,000 housing inquiries annually, providing housing information and referrals to resources, case management and other housing-related supports. MBHP has an annual operating budget of $9,450,000 and a staff of 117, and we administer $98,000,000 of pass-through funds to pay rent and other housing expenses.
Key to MBHP’s strategy is our partnership with both property owners and tenants. We work with owners to ensure that rental units are properly maintained, with residents to help them become and remain tenants in good standing, and with both to ensure they comply with their obligations and opportunities under a lease. In this way, we are able to stabilize tenancies and improve the overall quality of affordable housing available to house-holds with low incomes. Maintaining a portfolio of satisfied property owners and tenants is at the center of MBHP’s agenda. This ensures not only the stability of the Rental Assistance program but also provides opportunities for other low-income tenants with whom the Housing Supports staff is working to benefit from a strong network of landlords with whom MBHP has positive and long-standing relationships.
MBHP offers a continuum of services to both its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports participants. These services include case manage-ment to help tenants at risk of homelessness retain their housing, assistance to families and individuals who are homeless to secure new housing, and help to low-income households to achieve greater eco-nomic self-sufficiency. MBHP Rental Assistance and Housing Supports programs reinforce each other and thereby provide a unique capacity to leverage an array of assistance for families with low incomes.
In both its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports roles, MBHP has developed a strong network of relationships with outside organiza-tions. Making such linkages and establishing mutual trust ensures the
efficient use of MBHP’s limited funding for service provision.
In addition to its Rental Assistance and Housing Supports roles, MBHP is recognized as a state and national leader and advocate for improved affordable rental housing policy. We work in partnership with other organizations to increase awareness of the housing needs of individuals and families with low incomes, to promote favorable housing policy, and to secure public and private resources to improve the quality and availability of housing for vulnerable households. We produce research to document our own practices; we are concerned with “institutional learning,” both for our own benefit and that of other organi-zations in the field. Given the size of MBHP’s portfolio and the range of housing services situations with which
V. external scan research Findings The key findings of interviews conducted by TDC with 13 internal and external stakeholders including other housing organizations, experts in the field of housing for low-income households, current and former Board members, and public and private funders are summarized below.
Programs• MBHP is seen as a leading provider of rental assistance,
inspections and supported housing services. MBHP is viewed as providing high-quality services that are responsive to both tenants and landlords.
• Funders/grant-makers are pleased with the results of their grants to MBHP and view the agency as an effective collaborator/partner.
• MBHP is seen to be very flexible, nimble, responsive and able to implement even complex programs and new initiatives effectively and quickly.
Vi. acknowledgments MBHP would like to thank members of the Strategic Planning Committee, other staff and Board members who participated in the planning process for their time and contributions to the process. We also would like to thank the internal and external stakeholders who participated in interviews and generously gave of their time and shared their knowledge and insights.
Internal and External Interviewees Evelyn Friedman, City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development
Peter Gagliardi, HAP, Inc.
Aaron Gornstein, CHAPA and former MBHP Board Member
Langley Keyes, Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MBHP Board Member
Chrystal Kornegay, Urban Edge
Mark Nuccio, Ropes & Gray LLP and current Board Member
Marilyn O’Sullivan, Boston Housing Authority
Geeta Pradhan, The Boston Foundation
Bob Pulster and Ita Mullarkey, Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
George Russell, State Street Foundation
MBHP Board of DirectorsLowell RichardsCo-Chairman of the Board Chief Development Officer Massachusetts Port Authority
Steven RioffCo-Chairman of the Board Partner MB Management Company Paul KraftTreasurer Partner Financial Services Industries Deloitte & Touche LLPMark NuccioClerk Partner, Ropes & Gray LLPNader AcevedoVice President Hispanic American Chamber InstituteKevin BoyleSenior Vice President Commercial Real Estate Division Citizens Bank Susanne Marzi Cameron Senior Vice President and Director Massachusetts Community Development CitiDonald ConoverExecutive Vice President Global Realty & Procurement Services State Street CorporationLyndia DowniePresident and Executive Director Pine Street Inn
Elizabeth GruberSenior Vice President Community Development Bank of America Merrill LynchChristopher HarrisPhilanthropic Services Officer The Boston FoundationLangley KeyesProfessor Emeritus Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCynthia LacassePresident John Hancock Realty Advisors, Inc., Vice President John Hancock Financial Services, Inc.Terry Saunders LaneSenior Fellow Center for Social Policy University of Massachusetts-BostonGail LatimoreExecutive Director Codman Square Neighborhood Development CorporationMatthew MartinezFounder and Principal Beacon Hill Property GroupEsther SchlorholtzSenior Vice President Director of Community Investment Boston Private Bank & Trust CompanyGail SteketeeDean and Professor Boston University School of Social Work
MBHP Senior Staff Members
Christopher T. Norris Executive DirectorCarla E. BennettDirector of DevelopmentHoward ClaymanDirector of Information TechnologyKevin DonaherDirector of Property Owner and Inspectional ServicesMary DoyleDirector of Policy and Program DevelopmentSusan NohlDirector of Leased HousingMaura PensakDirector of Client ServicesGeraldine Peters-WilesDirector of Human ResourcesRev. Anne M. RousseauChief Financial Officer
5 6
MBHP’s partnerships with area agencies and community organizations date back to its earliest days. In May 2010, a public-private-nonprofit partnership to preserve 925 affordable apartments in Boston that began more than 20 years ago wrapped up with check presentations to the partnering community development corporations. Shown are MBHP Board Member Steven Rioff, Urban Edge Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay and MBHP Executive Director Chris Norris.
• Staff is viewed as being professional and knowledgeable about the housing needs of low-income households and effective and compassionate in addressing them.
Leadership and Advocacy• MBHP is seen to be a leader in the advocacy/policy
arena concerning housing issues for individuals and households with very low-incomes. This leadership is seen to be derived principally from MBHP’s program and policy expertise, which stems from its on-the-ground experience with community needs and programs to address them.
• Other housing organizations view MBHP as a very effective collaborator and partner and they would like to see MBHP play an even stronger leadership role.
Amy Schectman, Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly (formerly at DHCD)
Alicia Verity, Bank of America Foundation
Linda Wood-Boyle, HomeStart, Inc.
Strategic Planning CommitteeMBHP Board Members:Langley Keyes, Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Terry Saunders Lane, Lane Consulting Services, Senior Fellow, Center for Social Policy, University of Massachusetts-Boston
Steven Rioff, Partner, MB Management Company
Esther Schlorholtz, Senior Vice President, Director of Community Investment, Boston Private Bank & Trust
MBHP Staff:Dale Burnett, Accounting Manager
Barbara Chandler, Fair Housing Manager
Mary Doyle, Director of Policy and Program Development
Sandra Newson, Asst. Director of Leased Housing
Christopher T. Norris, Executive Director
125 Lincoln Street, 5th Floor • Boston, MA 02111-2503 • www.mbhp.org
