Andrea Ponsor is president and CEO of Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF), a nonprofit collaborative of 13 exemplary multistate nonprofit affordable housing providers who own nearly 150,000 affordable rental homes.
Prior to joining the organization, the industry veteran served as the federal policy director for the Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), where she led housing policy efforts.Ponsor shares how SAHF is changing, the housing trends she’s watching, and her favorite fictional character.
How did you get started working in affordable housing?
My interest began back in college at Tulane University. I had the chance to do some interdisciplinary work around how the HOPE VI program was being in used in New Orleans and what it might mean for the housing market and community. That led me to be thinking about how the law can be used to create better homes and communities, so I headed for law school and then began my career in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Atlanta regional office.
What was a pivotal moment in your career?
In 2015, I made the shift from practicing law and working on affordable housing transactions to policy work around affordable housing, first at LISC and then at SAHF. It was a true pivot, and I’m really grateful to have found places where policy work is so closely informed both by what really works on the ground and by the needs of the people intended to be served by the policies.
Share with us an interesting fact or statistic about SAHF:
We are data driven with information on 2,000 properties—financing, energy and water use, and resident data on more than 100,000 households. We are better able to understand and deepen our impact, which is big. SAHF members create about 19,000 jobs each year, and from our data collection we know that the service-enriched homes they build and manage provide places where people are 50% less likely to be evicted.
What will you be working on in 2022?
So many things! In addition to working with policymakers, our members, and other practitioners around implementation of American Rescue Plan, infrastructure, and, hopefully, Build Back Better funds, we are launching new work to support our members in developing strategies and goals for decarbonizing portfolios, continuing to build new partnerships to provide resources for resident service programs through our CORES (Certified Organization for Resident Engagement and Services) program and health care partnerships, and identifying ways to make communities more equitable through work around wealth building and digital inclusion.
How is SAHF changing?
SAHF member organizations are growing and working to do so in a way that is increasingly resident centered. Through our joint venture with the Low Income Investment Fund in ownership of our affiliate syndicator, the National Affordable Housing Trust, we are getting to look at not only how to support that growth and mission focus for SAHF members, but how we can use those lessons learned to support the broader industry and particularly smaller mission-driven developers.
What housing trends are you watching?
How health care actors are making capital investment in housing, opportunities for converting commercial and office space to housing, and new strategies for helping residents building wealth through homeownership and otherwise.
What’s a policy or program change that you would like to see?
We need robust new investment in affordable rental housing like what’s in the Build Back Better bill— expansion of the housing credit, project-based rental assistance, Section 202, vouchers, and funds for place-based initiatives—it all works together. We’d also really like to see HUD, lenders, and investors reach consistent policies and products that provide for resident services at all properties where they would benefit the community. We know that resident services have significant impact for residents and for property operations, but it’s too hard to consistently find sources to pay for them.
Favorite college class and why?
Southern Literature. I loved the books we read. But, more important, this class helped me really appreciate the places where I grew up, the good and the bad, and understand the incredible power of storytelling.
Favorite fictional character and why?
Hermione Granger (Harry Potter). She’s smart, hard-working, big-hearted, witty, and brave. And still makes plenty of mistakes.
What books are on your nightstand?
“Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law” by Mary Roach and “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles.
What’s next for Andrea Ponsor?
Professionally, at SAHF we’ve made a new pledge to advance racial equity so I am looking forward to challenging myself and the team on how that changes and informs our work. Personally, I’ve committed to a relay with friends, so I am picking up running/jogging again.
