History and the Future 

Living through history can be overwhelming. In addition to the normal operational complexities, we are currently navigating a deluge of executive orders, reductions in force, reprioritizations and more. It makes it more difficult to steer quickly, flexibly and in a well-informed way while not losing sight of the destination: for us, it’s towards a world of thriving communities with affordable homes for all.

As we continue to collectively battle a rising affordable housing crisis, I find it helpful to pause and look at the greater arc of history. 

On Friday, April 4, the National Public Housing Museum formally opened its doors. As both a houser and a Board Member, this opening was a longstanding dream come true, and I was thrilled to be there. My heartfelt congratulations go out to so many supporters who worked tirelessly to bring NPHM to life, and I encourage you to visit, or to find another way to reengage with our national tapestry.  Public housing history is American history – from the individual stories of millions of families and the buildings they called homes, to the larger narratives of government and public policy that created the programs as well as the opportunities and challenges associated with them. 

That confluence of individual, local and national history is intertwined in the museum’s historic apartment tour, which features three recreated historic apartments that show families’ experiences at different moments in public housing history between 1938 and 1975. As our host Gentry said, be ready to journey through time. 

As housers and community builders, NAHRO members also stand squarely within this history. We’ve built, renovated, razed and rebuilt homes in communities all across America. We’ve rejoiced at handing over house keys and despaired at the lengths of our waitlists. We’ve fought for scarce Federal dollars and searched for new partners and alternate funding streams. And above all, we’ve worked to learn from the past, build on the present and plan for a better future. We strive to improve on the buildings and policies that came before us, provide homes for as many families, children, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities as we can, and find new and better ways to bring forward a future where everyone has a safe, decent and affordable place to call home.  

Even as we work to keep our residents housed in these turbulent times, we must also keep an eye on our vision: thriving communities with affordable homes for all. That’s why we’ve built this year’s NAHRO Summer Symposium with an eye towards shaping the future of housing and community development. We’ll spotlight domestic and international best practices, reach out to non-traditional partners, and work together on innovative ways to ensure safe, decent, affordable housing for all. I hope you join us in New York this July, as we rise to meet the tests of 2025 together.