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AHF Wins Journalism Awards

Andre Shashaty displays one of two Neal Awards won by AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE magazine for business journalism in 2007.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE and Editor-in-Chief Andre Shashaty were recently recognized with two Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards, the nation's most prestigious honor for business-to-business journalism.

American Business Media (ABM), the sponsor of the awards, recognized The Trouble with HUD and How to Fix It as the best subject-related series of articles. The series, which ran in the June and July 2007 issues, was also a finalist for ABM's Grand Neal Award.

The winning series of articles detailed and analyzed allegations of corruption and inefficiency in how the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awards contracts, which total more than $1 billion per year. It revealed new information about a federal investigation into public statements by HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson that he awards contracts on the basis of the political loyalties of would-be contractors. The series went on to report on other problems with HUD, and quoted a wide range of industry experts on how to improve the agency's operations.

The June issue of AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE also took top honors as the best single issue of a magazine.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE is published by Hanley Wood. Boyce Thompson, editorial director of Hanley Wood's Builder, Multifamily, and Tech groups, received the G.D. Crain Award for editorial excellence.