36^th Annual NYHC/NHC Awards Luncheon is a Record-Breaker

 

Like a hometown hero returning from the battleground, New York’s own Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, received a standing ovation upon his arrival at the 36^th Annual New York Housing Conference/National Housing Conference Awards Luncheon on December 10. 

 

It was a year ago almost to the day that Mr. Donovan, on his way to this same annual event to speak as New York City’s housing commissioner, received a phone call from President-elect Obama asking him to be the nation’s next HUD Secretary.

 

Now, a year later – a year unlike any other -- Mr. Donovan recounted the event to the record-breaking crowd of more than1, 300 housing professionals who packed the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton New York: “It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since I spoke with you all.  It was just one day before being nominated by President Obama as our nation’s fifteenth HUD Secretary.  At that time, we were hemorrhaging 700,000 jobs a month—equivalent to the population of Vermont—our financial system was on the brink of collapse and credit was frozen solid.

 

“As Paul Krugman wrote in The New York Times, ‘Let’s not mince words:  This looks an awful lot like the beginning of the second Great Depression’ – caused, of course, by a crisis in our housing markets.  So, when President Obama asked me to be Housing Secretary, help solve the foreclosure crisis and set a new course for HUD, how could I say no?  What other challenges could there possibly be? Well, I was about to find out.”

 

Recognizing the Luncheon’s honorees, all of whom he had worked with as housing commissioner during Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s first two terms, he said, “Let me congratulate our honorees this afternoon.  I particularly want to say a word about the winner of the Clara Fox Award for Outstanding Achievement, my friend Felice Michetti. 

Felice has been more than a friend – she’s been a mentor and counsel. Her commitment to affordable housing and the City of New York is unmatched.

 

“And so we congratulate all our honorees – Felice (Michetti), Adam Weinstein, BFC Partners, Priscilla Almodovar, who we thank for her outstanding three years of service and wish her well, and Deborah Van Amerongen. Indeed, whether you are from the public, private or non-profit sector, the role each of you play in ensuring the success of housing in our communities has never been more important.”

 

Secretary Donovan also reported that HUD was charged with investing nearly $14 billion under the Recovery Act in communities across the U.S.  He said, “Three quarters of which we allocated in eight days after the President signed the bill in February.  We have now obligated over $11 billion – making good on our commitment to not just provide more resources to our partners, but to provide them faster.  All told, nearly 85 percent of HUD’s total Recovery funds are now available to communities across the country – creating jobs, making homes more energy efficient and stabilizing neighborhoods, while laying a new foundation to make America competitive in the 21st century economy.”

 

 

Master of Ceremonies and Luncheon Committee Co-Chair Robert O. Lehrman kicked off the event by thanking the Luncheon’s sponsors and benefactors, especially BNY Mellon and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.  Special mention went to the  Benefactors: AREA Property Partners, BFC Partners, Capital One, The Community Preservation Corporation, Cork Management LLC, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, NeighborWorks^® America, Omni New York LLC, Richman Housing Resources LLC and Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital; and Patrons: Atlantic Development Group, Barclays Capital, Citi Community Capital, J P Morgan Chase, Palin Enterprises/Engel & Partners, Inc., The Phipps Houses Group, PNC Real Estate, and PWB Management Corp. and the sponsors of the two professional symposiums that preceded the event, The Reznick Group and Yuco Real Estate Company, Inc.

 

Another highlight of the Luncheon was the first-ever presentation of the Clara Fox Award for Outstanding Achievement.  Ms. Fox, founder of the New York Housing Conference, passed away in 2007, and the award is named in her honor.

 

Presented by the city’s current housing commissioner, Rafael Cestero, the award’s recipient at the Luncheon was Ms. Michetti, CEO of Grenadier Real Estate Corp.  In praise of her life-ling commitment to affordable housing, Commissioner Cestero said, “Felice is the leader of a group of heroes.”  In accepting the award, Ms. Michetti said, “Clara Fox got all of us to join the fight for affordable housing.”  Ms. Michetti also personally thanked former Mayors Edward Koch and David Dinkins for bringing the need for housing to the forefront of the City’s budgetary agenda during the 1970s and 80s. 

 

Nonprofit Developer of the Year, Adam Weinstein, President & CEO, Phipps Houses, remarked that “Affordable housing is about governmental assistance.”  He hailed the tireless efforts of the career civil servants in the room.  “We stand on the shoulders of giants,” he said.

 

Private Developer of the Year, BFC Partners, was represented by Donald Capoccia, principal.  In his acceptance speech, he cited the commitment and dedication of all members of the affordable housing community.  He said, “City and state agencies allow us to build in good times and bad.”  He added, “Even though boom times, the (City) Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the (State) Division of Housing and Community Renewal retained and attracted the best talent in the best of times, when the private sector offered much more opportunity.  Lauding New York City’s resilience and spirit of perseverance, he said, “We are, and have been, the real stars of the biggest Extreme Makeover Show in the country.” Mr. Capoccia’s partners, Brandon Baron and Joseph Ferrara were included in the honor.

 

Co-recipients of the Public Service Award were Priscilla Almodovar, former President of nyhomes, and Deborah VanAmerongen, Commissioner of the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. 

 

Ms. Almodovar said, “I will be rejoining the private sector, (but) government can be smart; government can be nimble, and government can believe in customer service.”  

 

Ms. VanAmerongen said, “This is a highlight in my career in public service.” 

 

Daniel A. Nissenbaum, Chairman of the National Housing Conference, thanked all attendees for the record-breaking turn-out.  This year’s event raised almost $600,000 for the cause of affordable housing, the highest amount in its 36-year history.  Mr. Nissenbaum said, “We represent a strong constituency for public and private housing…year-in and year-out.”  He cited the NHC’s achievements during this “volatile and eventful year,” by leading a national foreclosure task force and helping to create a Neighborhood Stabilization Program with Enterprise and NeighborWorks.

 

Judith Calogero, CEO of the New York Housing Conference, said that the housing industry should redouble its efforts toward the cause of affordable housing, “recognizing a vital need for public education,” and advocacy.  “Dare we ask even ask for additional resources? I say, ‘Yes!’  We should be focused on housing and jobs. What better way to put people to work than building and renovating affordable housing for families in need?”

 

Preceding the formal ceremonies, two complimentary housing symposiums were held, each attended by 100 housing professionals. The first was the Young Leadership Council Symposium, sponsored by Reznick Group.  Speakers included  Marian Zucker, Executive Vice President, NY Homes; Sean Fitzgerald, Assistant Commissioner, NYS Division of Housing & Community Renewal; Richard Froelich, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, NYC Housing Development Corporation; and Holly Leicht, Deputy Commissioner for Development, NYC Housing Preservation & Development.  The moderator was Bill Riley of The Reznick Group.

 

The second seminar was a Federal Housing Policy Symposium, sponsored by Yuco Real Estate Company, Inc.  The speakers were Conrad Egan, President & CEO, National Housing Conference; Michael Kelly, General Manager, New York City Housing Authority; Shekar Narasimham, Managing Partner, Beekman Advisors; and Richard S. Goldstein, Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP.