As New York continues to grapple with the pandemic’s impact on the housing affordability crisis, leaders in the affordable housing industry will gather virtually today, 04:00 p.m. EST for the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) Annual Awards for Excellence Ceremony.
NYSAFAH named the recipients of their annual Non-Profit Partners of the Year, Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise of the Year, Downstate Project of the Year, and Upstate Project of the Year, Advocate of the Year, and the Excellence in Leadership Award.
Additionally, as part of the ceremony, NYSAFAH will host a charity auction for House New York’s Community Classrooms Program – an initiative that will help provide broadband access and classroom space to low-income students during remote learning.
Recipients of the 2020 Awards for Excellence in Affordable Housing
- NOT-FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR: Project Parachute Homebase Providers
Project Parachute is a coalition of property owners, nonprofits, and city agencies committed to helping vulnerable and underserved New York residents stay in their homes as the CoViD-19 crisis continues. RiseBoro, BronxWorks, Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services, Catholic Charities Community Partners, CAMBA, Services for the UnderServed, and HELP Social Services Corporation are the Homebase providers as part of the program.
- MWBE OF THE YEAR: Susan Kimmel, Two Plus Four Companies
Susan Kimmel is the President of Two Plus Four Companies, where she works and partners with local communities to provide property development, construction and housing opportunities throughout New York State. Since its inception, Two Plus Four Construction Company has successfully developed and constructed over 120 diversified types of housing, encompassing over 3,000 units and managed over 2,885 units with our focus on affordable and low-income housing
- DOWNSTATE PROJECT OF THE YEAR: Linwood Apartments, B&B Urban and L+M Development Partners
Linwood Apartments is a 10-story, 100-unit mixed-income affordable housing project with 30 units of supportive housing for formerly homeless families, 10 units of affordable housing for families earning under 50 percent of the county’s median income and 59 units of affordable housing for families earning under 60 percent of the county’s median income. The development is a green building, featuring photovoltaic solar installation and energy efficient appliances, and is the first affordable housing building to open in East New York since the neighborhood’s 2016 rezoning.
- UPSTATE PROJECT OF THE YEAR: Energy Square, RUPCO, Inc.
Energy Square is an affordable housing development with 57 affordable rental units. The development includes two apartments reserved for homeless adults, as well as seven apartments set aside for homeless young adults. The development includes over 11,000 square feet on the ground floor for civic and commercial use and houses the Center for Creative Education that provides art education and job training for young adults.
- EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP: Rachel Fee
Rachel Fee is the Executive Director of the New York Housing Conference and has consistently fought for the expansion and preservation of affordable housing across the state of New York for years. This past year, Rachel played an instrumental role in the restoration of the capital housing budget amid the CoViD-19 pandemic.
- ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR: David Gasson
David Gasson has been a longtime advocate of the expansion and preservation of affordable housing in New York and nationally through his position as Executive Director of Housing Advisory Group.
Among the attendees will be:
- NYSAFAH President & CEO Jolie Milstein;
- NYSAFAH Board Chair Kirk Goodrich;
- David Gasson, Housing Advisory Group;
- Rachel Fee, The New York Housing Conference;
- Susan Kimmel, Two Plus Four Companies;
- Project Parachute Homebase Providers;
- aditional leaders in the affordable housing industry.
For more information, please visit here.
