At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Judson Terrace Homes in 1970, ABHOW executives and board members commented on the significance of the company’s entrée into the affordable housing arena.
It was clear even then, on that beautiful fall day in San Luis Obispo, Calif., that ABHOW had taken a critical step in a new direction — one that would lead to a new calling, a broader mission, and a seemingly endless stream of challenges.
A lot can happen in 40 years. Time for buildings to go up and ribbons to come down, for plans to take shape and take root, for lives to be lived and progress to come, slowly. And somewhere along the way, time for ABHOW to become one of the nation’s most respected providers of affordable senior housing. In fact, ABHOW is the only company west of the Mississippi to receive the industry’s most prestigious national designation.
Ancel Romero, ABHOW’s senior vice president for affordable housing, says the significance of receiving the National Affordable Housing Management Association’s coveted Communities of Quality Corporate Partner designation cannot be understated.
“It deserves a moment of reflection, absolutely,” says Romero. “NAHMA is the largest, most prestigious national association for affordable housing management organizations, and the qualifications for this designation are quite stringent, so this really validates the quality of service we’re providing to our residents.”
Also impressive is the fact that, of the 11 organizations designated as a NAHMA Corporate Partner, only two are nonprofits, including ABHOW.
To be considered a Community of Quality, an affordable housing community must rise to NAHMA’s high standard of excellence with regard to the way the site is managed, the services it provides, and the experience and training of personnel, among other criteria. To be considered a Corporate Partner, more than half of the organization’s communities must be certified as Communities of Quality.
ABHOW has gone one better. Nearly three-quarters of its affordable housing communities have received the designation — most of them in the last year alone. That’s thanks in large part to the efforts of Travis Hanna, ABHOW’s director of operations for affordable housing. Hanna has worked tirelessly to qualify for the NAHMA designations, and plans to continue that push.
“It really speaks to the way we want to be seen in our industry, to the level of trust that our residents have in us, and to the reputation we’re building professionally,” says Hanna. “And it also speaks to the excellence of our affordable housing administrators, because without their dedication and hard work, none of this would be possible.”
Romero says the company’s development strategy on affordable housing has been all about smart growth, which allows ABHOW to focus on building its organizational capacity in equal measure to its community portfolio.
ABHOW will celebrate the opening of Valley Vista, its 26th affordable housing community, in San Ramon, Calif., on April 15.
About ABHOW:
Founded in 1949, ABHOW is widely known for its pioneering leadership in senior housing and health care. The company serves more than 5,000 residents in 37 retirement communities in California, Arizona, Nevada and Washington.
To learn more about ABHOW visit www.abhow.com.
This article appeared in the February 2011 issue of ABHOW Words.
