Categories: Federal
04.21.2016
Ms. Crowley made enormous contributions to the affordable housing movement.
Julian Castro, Secretary of HUD; Diane Yentel, CEO of NLIHC; Sheila Crowley, former CEO of NLIHC.
After seventeen years of leadership, National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) CEO Sheila Crowley stepped down at this year’s NLIHC Forum in early April. More than 200 people including tenants , senators, and HUD Secretary Julian Castro joined together to bid farewell and honor Ms. Crowley’s enormous contributions to the affordable housing movement, crowned by the creation and funding of the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF).
Secretary Castro used the occasion to announce that the first $176 million of NHTF funding would be released this year, $9 million of which is expected to come to New York State. Secretary Castro also announced a new initiative prohibiting the blanket use of restrictions on tenancy based on criminal history in all HUD-funded buildings including Public Housing Authorities.
The forum included a retirement party for Ms. Crowley with speeches from longtime NLIHC supporter former Representative Barney Frank and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.
The new NLIHC CEO Diane Yentel most recently held the post of Policy Director for Enterprise Community Partners in Washington, D.C but noted that she started her career as a policy analyst at NLIHC.
During the conference the Network also led the New York contingent in a day of meetings with New York representatives including Senator Schumer’s and Senator Gillibrand’s staff, as well as staff from Representatives Rangel, Serrano, Velazquez, and Katko. The delegation asked legislative leaders to press for growing the trust fund, protecting HUD funding levels, improving Section 8 and passing legislation reforming the mortgage interest deduction.
The Network salutes Ms. Crowley’s extraordinary achievements and wishes her the best. We also look forward to working with Ms. Yentel in her new role.