Bright Days and Big Smiles

“As long as you live keep smiling because it brightens everybody’s day.” –  Vin Scully

Now some folks might ask me, Sean, why are you talking about smiling? We’ve got growing housing shortages, unsure funding and a raft of new proposed rules (some of which you can read about in this issue of the Monitor). I’m not talking about those forced smiles like gritting your teeth through the pain, though we’ve all had those. I mean the genuine smiles and real camaraderie that emerge when we work together towards our shared vision: thriving communities with affordable homes for all.

The times are tough and the work is hard, but we can and do improve lives, every single day. As housers, we’re not just landlords and homebuilders; we’re also job providers, service coordinators, economic engines and powerful local partners. In the course of our work in America’s communities, we brighten the days of our residents, of our staff, and our neighbors. Even on the busiest and worst days, thinking about the people we serve, and their success stories will always bring some brightness to my day.

I also found myself smiling throughout last month’s Summer Symposium in Nashville because of you, my NAHRO family. It was a pleasure and a privilege to host hundreds of you in my home state of Tennessee, to hear Raj Chetty talk about his groundbreaking work on economic mobility, to see the great work being done in the city of Nashville by the Metropolitan Development and Housing Authority, to get the first look at NAHRO’s latest Secure Homes, Strong Communities report, and to meet, reconnect with and learn from housers and community builders from all across America. Music City was the perfect place for our symposium. This city knows a thing or two about turning hard times into something to sing — and smile — about.

You know what else makes me smile? Seeing tens of thousands of housers speaking up for our residents and the programs we use to serve them. It’s August Advocacy time, and NAHRO’s prepared us with an expanded array of resources to help us tell our stories to our elected officials and our communities. In addition to sending letters, you can also schedule site visits, make calls, and even create short video messages for your members of Congress. Advocacy isn’t one-and-done work- it takes commitment and repetition. We’re talking a steady stream of emails, phone calls, comment letters, invitations to meetings and site visits, and patient, steady relationship-building with policymakers who might not even want to meet with us. But like Vin Scully’s beloved baseball, advocacy is a long game that’s won through consistency and hard work. Every person who takes a few minutes to send a letter, make a call, or plan a site visit is advancing our shared agenda and making our case. Tell your story, and show your elected officials how important your work is to your community.

And then there’s the National Conference and Exhibition in Denver — the biggest and most vibrant NAHRO event of the year is always worth smiling about. In October, well over a thousand housers, community builders, thought leaders and solutions providers will convene to celebrate the best of us, solve problems and discover new and better ways to work. I hope you’ll join us there.

In the meantime, I hope you won’t let the daily grind wear away your own smile. When I say keep smiling, I’m not being naively optimistic. I see, as we all do, the challenges we face: rising rents and costs, funding uncertainties, and a shifting federal policy landscape, among others. I see the headwinds we face and the obstacles in our way, and I know many more challenges will emerge. But we are committed to our work, committed to our communities, and committed to helping each other. That’s definitely something to smile about.

See you in Denver!