What Unites Us

NAHRO family, we’re united by both our belief that everyone deserves a safe, decent and affordable home, and our membership and allegiance to a huge and venerable association. Many of you have heard me say that we’re the oldest (90 years and counting!), we’re the largest (more than 26,000 members!), and our members serve the most – you all build and maintain millions of homes and care for millions of families all across the nation. 

NAHRO is wide and diverse – we have members of all ages, races, religions; members who live and work in cities, towns, suburbs, rural areas, and on Indian lands in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. And that diversity leads to differences. Small agencies, rural agencies and Indian housing agencies need different resources than big city agencies do; both challenges and solutions depend on geographical location, population demographics, local economy, and so much more. Having so many diverse people from diverse communities together in a single group, united by a shared mission to provide affordable housing in sustainable communities, is an excellent opportunity for all of us to bond over our commonalities and learn from our differences. 

Being the big tent means ensuring that each and every one of you has the information, training, networking opportunities and advocacy you need to succeed. It’s a responsibility that we at NAHRO take very seriously, and it’s the driving force behind the wide variety of offerings we have for you. 

It’s also the driving force behind our Washington Conference, which we convene every year in order to ensure that your voices sing out, loudly and together, in the halls of Congress and on Capitol Hill. As voters, constituents and NAHRO members, your Congressional visits and voices carry weight. We invite you to use your influence in unison to advocate for the programs and resources you need to continue doing vital work in your communities. In this incredibly challenging funding environment, every voice matters.   

While we are thousands of different people with different priorities and beliefs, we stand united in our determination to provide every single person in our community – and in the nation – with a safe, decent, affordable home. We know what we need in our communities to get there, and we need our elected officials to listen. Join us in the nation’s capital from April 8-10, and let our voices ring together as one. 

Thank You 

The annual Point in Time (PIT) count of people experiencing homelessness has concluded, and communities nationwide are tallying up and analyzing the data. Thank you to all of you who participated in this important step in ensuring that we have the information we need to allocate resources in the fight against homelessness. I joined the count here in DC, and some of your fellow NAHRO members sent in stories about their own local PIT counts.  

I’m also very grateful for our NAHRO leadership, led by President George Guy and Senior Vice President Sean Gilbert, for leading the charge to develop an ambitious five-year strategic plan that will ensure NAHRO’s continued health and relevance. The work is well underway, and you’ll get updates from President Guy soon.