The affordable housing sector in California has accomplished a lot over the past half-century. Noted for the sense of mission, for talent, experience, and effectiveness, the affordable housing sector is defined by its broad range of participants: from both private and non-profit developers, lenders and investors, to visionary public sector leaders and philanthropic foundations. In calling attention to the heroes among us in the affordable housing effort, it is the distinct privilege of the California Housing Consortium to inaugurate those who have made a profound impact in the housing sector into the California Housing Hall of Fame.  In order to be inducted into the Housing Hall of Fame, an individual or organization must demonstrate a seminal or substantial contribution toward advancing the cause of affordable housing in California.

The Board of Directors of the California Housing Consortium has conferred to recognize heroes in the field by gauging leadership characteristics such as innovation, effectiveness, inclusiveness, impact, tenure, collaborative spirit, and inspirational records of service across (5) distinct categories:

1. Lifetime Achievement (Including In Memoriam Awardees)
2. Public Sector
3. Private Sector
4. Non-Profit Sector
5. Community Development Lending/Philanthropic Sector

 

Lifetime Achievement

 

Arnold Sternberg
Tapped by Governor Jerry Brown in 1974 to run what would become the state's Department of Housing and Community Development, he played a key role in crafting significant housing legislation, redevelopment reform bills, rural and farmworker grant and loan funds, as well as various landlord tenant reforms. Later he served as Executive Director of Burbank Housing Development Corporation in Sonoma County. And today, he continues to push for housing element compliance in California.

 

Senator Alan Cranston 
In Memoriam Sen. Cranston passed away in 2000 after a full life of service that included 25-years in the US Senate working on behalf of California for numerous social justice and housing issues. The Cranston-Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 was important legislation helping to ensure the continued creation of thousands of homes for low-income Americans.

 

 

Don Terner 
In Memoriam In 1996 the affordable housing industry suffered a tremendous loss when Don Terner was among those tragically killed in plane crash over Bosnia during a rebuilding mission lead by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. As a professor, as a Director of California's Department of Housing and Community Development, and especially as a founder and President of BRIDGE Housing Corp., a leading California-based non-profit housing developer, Don brought an enthusiastic 'whatever-it-takes' attitude to planning, building techniques, and financing strategies to promote the creation of affordable, attractive housing throughout the state. He was a dynamic voice in advocating for affordable housing and continues to inspire today.

 

Janet Falk 
Currently the Vice President for Real Estate Development for Mercy Housing California (MHC), Ms. Falk oversees all of MHC's development activities statewide. She has long been regarded as an authority in the use of low income housing tax credit and tax-exempt bonds for nonprofit projects and in the ways in which local and state governments can most effectively assist in the development and preservation of affordable housing.

Prior to joining Mercy Housing, Ms. Falk served as Executive Director of the California Housing Partnership Corporation where she specialized in the refinancing of federally assisted projects and the policy issues involved in the preservation of at-risk housing. She began her housing career working as a housing and community development specialist for local government agencies in the Bay Area; Ms. Falk was also the Co-Director of Community Economics, Inc. for 19 years. She received a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley and a Bachelor's Degree from Stanford University.

Fran Wagstaff
Since 1983 Fran Wagstaff has been the chief executive of Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition, one of the largest and most respected affordable housing developers in Northern California. Under Fran’s leadership, Mid-Pen has developed over 6000 affordable new homes for 14,000 California residents across eight counties. Fran has grown Mid-Pen from $50Million to $1Billion in real estate assets and from 25 to 300 full-time employees.  Fran has also championed and supported other non-profit organizations in an effort to raise up additional leaders in the field. She is known and respected as a collaborator, bringing together diverse organizations for the sake of moving the entire social sector of housing forward.  Throughout her three decades of experience, Fran has become known as an innovator who redefined the way affordable housing is perceived, designed, developed and financed.

 

Public Sector

Honorary

These are two leaders who have had a tremendous impact on affordable housing in California. Both served with distinction as Presidents Pro Tem of the California State Senate:

The Honorable David Roberti 
Served for 28 years in the State Legislature where he earned a reputation for a thorough understanding of how to get things done in Sacramento. In addition to his work on behalf of housing, Mr. Roberti has led the charge to develop California's hazardous waste management program. Please join me in recognizing David Roberti for his leadership

 

 

The Honorable John Burton
Has a distinctive record of public service, first in the California State Assembly, later as a US Representative, and ultimately as President Pro Tem of the California Senate from 1998 to 2002. Mr. Burton's legislative agenda included infrastructure, campaign finance reform, financial aid for students, and salary increases for in-home care workers. On the housing front, the Senator's role on increasing local funding to combat homelessness and leading the fight for the landmark Prop 46 housing initiative in 2002 - at $2.1 billion the largest ever in the U.S. - have been instrumental in improving the lives of thousands of low-income Californians.

 

The following (4) elected state leaders were instrumental in the bi-partisan effort to forge, promote, and pass PROPOSITION 1C in 2006, the $2.85 billion housing bond to sustain and expand existing housing programs for shelter, supportive service rental housing, and homeownership opportunities:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
The first governor in decades to make major investments in improving California's aging infrastructure through his Strategic Growth Plan, Governor Schwarzenegger has also established the Hydrogen Highway and Million Solar Roofs Plan, continuing his leadership in creating a greener environment.

 

 

Senate President Don Perata
With a career that began in teaching -- of Civics, English, History from 1966-1981 - Mr. Perata was first elected in 1986 to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, to the California Assembly in 1996. He has been unanimously elected President pro Tem three times by the members of the State Senate.

 

 

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez 
Elected to the State Assembly in 2002, the Speaker has consistently worked with Republicans to craft bipartisan budgets that are on-time, balanced, and "lean but not mean." His legislative focus includes consumer protection, a state minimum wage increase, and an expansion of health insurance for children.

 

 

Sen. Min. Leader Dick Ackerman 
Leading the State Senate Republicans since 2004, Mr. Ackerman has advocated for badly needed infrastructure investment by breaking bond issues into separate measures. First elected to the Assembly in 1995, he received Legislator of the Year Award from California League of Cities in 2005.

 

 

 

Individual

Phil Angelides - California State Treasurer 1998-2006
During his tenure as Treasurer, Mr. Angelides launched ground-breaking initiatives that directed $26 billion to promote smart growth and to create jobs, housing and opportunities in inner cities, catalyzing a wave of re-investment in urban centers across the country. He put the weight of the state’s pension funds behind investment in environmental technology and the fight against global warming -- seeding the “green-tech” investment revolution. He mobilized pension funds and investors across the nation to usher in a new era of corporate responsibility, protect investors, and restore integrity to the nation’s financial markets.

 

Betsy Morris - San Diego Housing Commission
As the President and CEO of the San Diego Housing Commission, an agency that helps more than 75,000 people each year afford housing in the City of San Diego, Ms. Morris administers traditional housing programs, finances affordable housing, and provides policy advice to the Mayor and City Council.

 

 

Judy Nevis - CA Dept. of Housing and Community Development
Ms. Nevis career with HCD began in 1989 as its Legislative Coordinator and later served from 2000-2006 as Chief Deputy of HCD where her duties included oversight of housing and economic development programs and enforce State Housing Element law. She continues to serve as a 'retired annuitant'.

 

 

Alex Sanchez - Santa Clara Housing Authority (and CHC Founder) 
Mr. Sanchez's public service over the past quarter century includes Director of Housing for the City of San Jose where he oversaw the department's assisting in the development of over 10,000 housing units. He is currently the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara.

 

 

 

 

Private Sector

Keeley Kirkendall - PNC ARCS Commercial Mortgage
Mr. Kirkendall has over 20 years experience in commercial real estate, delivering both debt and equity of over $4 billion of real estate business nationwide. Prior to joining PNC/ARCS, Keeley was President of Edison Capital Housing Investments (ECHI), an investor in LIHTC and historic tax credits, nationwide.  Mr. Kirkendall also created and managed the Affordable Housing Group within Bank of America, with 13 offices nationwide.  This group originated approximately $800 million in loans annually, providing predevelopment, construction and permanent (taxable and tax exempt) financing for the development of affordable housing.

 

AF Evans Company, Inc 
Since its founding by Art Evans 1977, AF Evans has developed over 10,000 units in over 70 properties spanning 36 cities in California, Washington, Nevada, and Oregon. In recent years, the firm has created vibrant mixed-income rental and ownership housing on infill sites throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

AMCAL Multi-Housing 
For nearly 30 years, AMCAL Multi-Housing Inc.'s has build a solid reputation by planning, developing, building and managing projects valued at more than $350,000,000 throughout California. AMCAL's mixed-income rental and ownership housing includes the Avenue 26 project along LA's Gold Line. Percival Vaz currently serves as the AMCAL Multi-Housing founding President and CEO. 

The Related Companies of California
The Related Companies of California has been responsible for over 6,000 units of housing across California and has another 2,500 units in the pipeline. What makes Related uniquely effective is the range of housing they produce and their special ability at joint ventures with local non-profit organizations. Related's projects include HOPE VI for very-low income and public housing residents, HUD 'preservation' projects which help ensure continued affordability for low-income households, senior housing, mixed-income apartments, and in Downtown Los Angeles the Grand Avenue project in Bunker Hill - one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the country.

 

Non-Profit Sector

Were it not for the exemplary role of the non-profit sector over the past several decades, the affordable housing mission in California would be woefully under- served. Indeed, for over 30 years, the following (5) non-profit housing development organizations have been making a critical positive impact in the lives of low-income households in California.

Burbank Housing 
Organized in 1980, Burbank Housing provides qualified nonprofit housing development, ownership, and management services in Sonoma County. The organization has developed 2,700 units over the past 25 years and currently has over 600 units of family rental, senior, self-help homeownership housing in the pipeline in over a dozen developments. John Lowry currently serves and Burbank Housing's Executive Director.

 
Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation 
CEDC provides comprehensive housing services through a community building approach in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Since its incorporation in 1981, CEDC has built more than 1000 units of affordable for-sale and multi-family rental housing, manages 440 affordable rental units, and has helped more than 250 families into homeownership through education, counseling, and lending services.

Christian Church Homes 
Since 1961, Christian Church Homes has developed and currently manages over 5,000 units of affordable senior housing in 55 facilities around the nation and throughout California

 

 

 

Community Housing Improvement Program 
Established in 1973 as collaboration between the Chico State University and the City of Chico, CHIP has developed more than 1,700 housing units in a six county region of the rural northern Sacramento Valley focusing primarily on the creation and preservation of homeownership for low-income households.

 

 

Community HousingWorks 
In its 20-year history as a developer and owner of affordable rental apartments in urban, suburban and rural communities across San Diego County, Community HousingWorks has completed over 1,300 rental and cooperative apartments in 25 complexes and currently has some 300 apartments in progress. The organization is also an innovator in community-based programs including after-school and leadership. Sue Reynolds currently serves as Community HousingWorks' Executive Director.

 

EAH 
EAH was established in 1968 and currently manages 6,500 units. The organization plays a key leadership role in federal, state and local affordable housing advocacy efforts.

 

 

 

 

East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation 
Created in 1975 around the dream of buying and preserving a beautiful but deteriorated warehouse in Oakland's Chinatown, EBALDC has helped create over 900 affordable apartments and townhouses in 13 developments; 97 first time home ownership units; 230,000 square feet of space for community organizations. 

 

 

 
Eden Housing 
Eden Housing was also founded in 1968 and in the past 38 years, Eden has created over 4,700 units of affordable housing-rental, homeownership, supportive housing, co-ops-that have provided homes for over 15,000 Northern Californians. 

 
Human Investment Project 
Since it's founding in San Mateo in 1972, HIP Housing's Home Share program is the largest in the nation having served over 13,000 individuals.

 

 

 

LA Community Design Center 
LACDC is a non-profit architecture and real estate development firm that since 1972 has provided comprehensive architectural services and technical assistance to over 500 community groups to build a variety of projects including child care centers, health clinics, senior service centers, playgrounds, shelters for the homeless and permanent affordable housing for low-income people. Robin Hughes serves as the Executive Director.

Mercy Housing 
Mercy Housing develops affordable housing for families, seniors, formerly homeless populations, people with HIV/AIDS and individuals with chronic mental illnesses and physical impairments. Begun in 1981, the organization has developed more than 12,000 units of affordable rental housing and over 3,000 homeownership units for low-income families in California, Idaho and Washington. Jane Graf currently serves as Mercy Housing's Executive Director 

 
Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition 
Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition (MPHC) is one of the largest and most successful non-profit developers of affordable housing in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay regions, having designed & built or acquired & rehabilitated - and now manage - nearly 5,500 units of affordable housing since 1970. 

 

National Farm Workers Service Center
The NFWSC was founded by Cesar E. Chavez, Dolores C. Huerta, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Walter Ruether, President of the United Automobile Workers (UAW) in 1966.  Early in its history, the NFWSC adopted an aggressive and innovative approach to addressing the needs of farm worker communities by developing and operating a chain of rural farm worker health clinics, farm worker cooperatives, and the nation's first farm worker retirement home. Since 1983, the NFWSC has developed various affordable housing and economic development projects to address the needs of farm workers, Latinos and other working families.  The NFWSC has constructed over 600 single-family homes and completed 24 acquisition/ rehabilitation and new construction communities totaling approximately 4,000 multi-family units.

Oakland Community Housing, Inc. 
Since 1973, OCHI has developed nearly 1200 units of affordable housing in 22 different projects in Oakland and other East Bay locales, providing homes for more that 3,000 individuals.

 

 

 
Orange County Community Housing Corp. 
OCCHC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help large families with little housing choice avoid poverty-like conditions through the provision of decent housing at an affordable price. Since 1977, the organization has developed over 200 units of housing affordable to very low-income families in cities throughout Orange County. Allen Baldwin currently serves as the Executive Director.

Palo Alto Housing Corporation 
Established in 1970, PAHC has developed, acquired and managed over 600 units of low and moderate-income housing in Palo Alto and the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

People's Self-Help Housing 
People's Self-help Housing was established as a community based organization and since 1970 over 1,000 homes and more than 1,200 rental units have been developed, and over 3,000 housing rehabilitation and homes repair projects have been completed throughout California's Central Coast.

 

Rural Community Housing Development Corporation 
Since 1975, RCHDC has completed over 375 self-help homes; developed 529 units of affordable multi-family housing; and manages 845 units of multi-family affordable housing.

 

Satelitte Housing Inc. 
Satelitte Housing was established by the Oakland Council of Churches in 1966 and over the past 40 years the organization has developed and now manages 17 communities serving over 1,350 low-income seniors and disabled adults.

 
Self-Help Enterprises 
Self Help Enterprises was established in 1965 to improve the living conditions of low-income people in the eight-county San Joaquin Valley; now in its 41st tearm SHE has completed over 5,400 new self-help homes; built 18 multifamily housing communities, rehabilitated over 5,340 homes, and assisted 977 first-time homebuyers. 

 

 

Self-Help Home Improvement Project 
For 33 years, SHHIP has been helping the residents of Shasta, Tehama, and Trinity counties obtain decent and affordable housing while also providing assistance to qualified persons in the areas of housing, energy conservation, and water conservation.

 

 

 

  

Community Development Lending/Philanthropic Sector

Alan Stein – JMP Securities
Alan L. Stein was asked by the San Francisco Foundation in 1981 to chair a Blue Ribbon Task Force to determine the most appropriate use of an anonymous gift of $600,000 to address the housing crisis in the Bay Area. The task force recommended the formation of BRIDGE as a nonprofit development corporation. Mr. Stein has served as Chairman of the Board of BRIDGE Housing Corporation since its inception in 1981. In 2001 BRIDGE launched the Alan and Ruth Stein Educational Assistance Program to further the educational and vocational goals of BRIDGE residents.  Currently, Mr. Stein is Managing Director at JMP Securities. He has also worked with Goldman Sachs, Montgomery Securities, and Weston Presidio.  He has also served as Secretary of the California Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency and Associate Dean at the Haas School of Business, UC, Berkeley.  Mr. Stein received his AB at Columbia College and his MBA at the Harvard School of Business Administration.

Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
With owner-members that include commercial banks, savings institutions and credit unions, and insurance companies, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is part of a network of (12) banks chartered by Congress in 1932 to provide low-cost credit to residential housing lenders. In its uniquely effective partnerships with local communities across California, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco commits 10% of its income annually to provide development grants in order to support affordable housing and economic development projects throughout the state.

S.H. Cowell Foundation 
Since its inception in 1956, the foundation has approved 3,539 grants and paid out over $200MM in grants to nonprofit organizations and K-12 public schools, real estate gifts, and program related investments in Northern California. Making grants, increasing liquid assets, disposing of non-income generating property, and managing the real estate have been the Foundation's major responsibilities.

California Community Foundation 
The California Community Foundation was formed in 1915 within Security Pacific Bank; in the 1980s and '90s, the foundation grew from $20 million in assets to $530 million in assets in 2000. Today, CCF's focus is in four program areas, including: arts and human development, education, health care and neighborhood revitalization. 

 

See the 2008 Housing Hall of Fame

See the 2007 Housing Hall of Fame

As part of the inauguration of the California Housing Hall of Fame, CHC has also inducted 6 individuals who over the past several years have received special recognition by CHC.

Carol Galante - President, BRIDGE Housing Corporation
Ms. Galante is the President of BRIDGE Housing Corporation, the largest nonprofit developer of affordable housing in California.  BRIDGE specializes in the development of affordable apartments and homes in an array of revitalization, transit-oriented, urban infill, and mixed-use/mixed-income developments.  BRIDGE has created over 13,000 homes serving more than 35,000 Californians.

Allan Kingston - Vice Chairman of the Board, National Community Renaissance Corporation
Mr. Kingston recently joined the board of National CORE, the non-profit successor to SoCal Housing and the National Housing Development Corporation.  Previously, for 18 years as the President/CEO of Century Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing lender, Allan helped create more than 11,000 units of affordable housing in 220 developments, located in 66 communities throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Nancy McLaughlin - Managing Director, National Lending & Housing Programs, Low Income Investment Fund
Ms. McLaughlin provides leadership for LIIF's core business operations and market strategies. Nancy is a former Executive Director of the California Housing Consortium.  She previously worked as a private consultant in housing and community development strategies, products, strategic alliances, marketing and management. Prior to consulting, Ms. McLaughlin was Vice President for Business Development for the O.N.E. Company, a women- and minority-owned development company based in Southern California.

Dianne Spaulding - Executive Director, Non Profit Housing Assn of Northern CA
Ms. Spaulding is Executive Director of the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH). Under her leadership, NPH has established a national reputation for housing advocacy efforts that have led to historic legislation and funding; and designed award-winning communications tools to build community acceptance of affordable housing. Ms. Spaulding is also a recognized statewide leader having served on the Board of Housing California for 10 years, five of those as its President.

John Stewart - founder, The John Stewart Company
Mr. Stewart incorporated The John Stewart Company with three employees in 1978, drawing on his experience in real estate development and a personal commitment to the field of affordable housing.  Mr. Stewart has provided leadership for the Company for over 25 years through its growth to over 1000 employees with a management portfolio which now exceeds 23,000 units in over 250 properties primarily throughout Northern California.

If you believe an individual and/or organization deserves the special recognition of being inducted into a future class of the California Housing Hall of Fame, please let us know by contacting CHC:

Jeffrey J. Loustau, Executive Director
California Housing Consortium
369 Pine Street, Suite 310
San Francisco, CA 94104
Ph: 415.677.4436; Fx: 415.677.4384
e-mail: jloustau@calhsng.org