The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) recently awarded 21 prestigious Awards of Excellence to 18 housing and community development organizations for creating innovative programs that improve their communities.  

“This year’s award-winning agencies have given us innovative local solutions for increasing affordable housing stock and improving the lives of their residents,” NAHRO President Sunny Shaw said. “I am excited to honor them for their excellence.” 

The 21 award-winning programs were selected by regional juries from a pool of Awards of Merit recipients. The winning programs must improve resident outcomes, resolve problems, and be replicable by organizations of similar size. They must also produce tangible results such as cost savings, enhanced productivity, improved client services, and better service coordination. 

“NAHRO members have always been in the business of providing homes and improving lives – these awards commemorate shining examples of the vital work they do nationwide,” NAHRO CEO Adrianne Todman said. “My sincere congratulations to this year’s winners.” 

Watch for detailed coverage of each winning program in 2021.

2020 Awards of Excellence Honorees

Administrative Innovation 

• Housing Santa Barbara Day, Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara 
• Funding Scholarships Using PILOT Contributions, Housing Authority of the City of Pharr 
• Digital Initiative, Seattle Housing Authority 

Affordable Housing 

• Renaissance at Parc Grove, Fresno Housing 
• Encanto Village, National Community Renaissance 
• New Path Community Housing Partnership, Idaho Housing and Finance Association, Boise City/Ada County Housing Authorities 
• Posterity Scholar House, Fort Wayne Housing Authority 

Community Revitalization 

• Health & Wellness Programs, Nampa Housing Authority 
• Cornerstone Village – Phase II, Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 
• Garcia Street Urban Farm, San Antonio Housing Authority 

Project Design 

• New Palace Hotel Rehabilitation, San Diego Housing Commission 
• Rancho Verde, Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura 
• Sharswood Tower / Modernization / Rehab, Philadelphia Housing Authority 
• Sandstone Quarry – Phase I, Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 
• Phillis Wheatley Park, San Antonio Housing Authority 

Resident and Client Services 

• Public Housing Youth Taking Flight in Aviation, Los Angeles County Development Authority 
• Annual Backpack Giveaway, Boise City/Ada County Housing Authorities
• HYPE/TWTW Youth Employment Programs, City of Wichita Housing Authority 
• Donovan Manor Health & Wellness Partnership, Newport Housing Authority 
• The Olori Academy, Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority 
• Supported Employment Program, Yakima Housing Authority 

About the Awards 

The 2020 NAHRO Awards of Excellence winners who are recognized for outstanding achievement in housing and community development programs in five categories: Administrative Innovation recognizes innovative methods in areas such as maintenance, community relations, and interagency cooperation. Program Innovation — Affordable Housing includes special programs for homeownership, public/private partnerships, and innovative financing. Program Innovation — Community Revitalization includes innovative use of programs in areas such as economic development, neighborhood preservation, and creative financing. Program Innovation — Resident and Client Services includes innovative use of programs such as special activities for children, families, and the elderly, anti-drug programs, social services, and self-sufficiency. Project Design includes efforts such as new housing design, housing modernization, enduring design, and landscape design. 

The NAHRO Agency Awards program was created 20 years ago to recognize agencies who found innovative ways of making a difference in their communities and in the lives of the people they serve by creating affordable housing, revitalizing their neighborhoods, and developing initiatives such as job readiness programs, public-private partnerships, disaster prevention projects, and more. The selected programs were innovative in their approach to creating and utilizing creative systems to implement essential housing and community development programs. These programs can be replicated by other agencies to resolve industry-wide problems. 

About NAHRO 

NAHRO, established in 1933, is a membership organization of nearly 20,000 housing and community development agencies and professionals throughout the United States whose mission is to create affordable housing and safe, viable communities that enhance the quality of life for all Americans, especially those of low- and moderate-income. NAHRO’s membership administers more than 3 million housing units for 7.6 million people.