February 14, 2020
Community Housing Partners (CHP), a nonprofit organization which provides affordable and sustainable housing throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, has received Certified Organization for Resident Engagement and Services (CORES) Certification.
This highly regarded certification recognizes organizations that have developed the necessary infrastructure to deliver high-quality resident services across their affordable housing portfolios and creates opportunities for certified organizations to qualify for financing incentives.
Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF), a network of 13 multi-state organizations that provide more than 140,000 affordable rental homes across the country, launched the CORES program in 2018 in conjunction with Fannie Mae’s Healthy Housing Rewards – Enhanced Resident Services initiative. CHP provides more than 11,000 people with stable rental housing and has been a member of SAHF since 2017.
“The CORES Certification shows that CHP is not only intentional about providing strong resident services coordination at our multifamily rental communities but also adding value to our residents and the communities we serve,” said Angie Roberts-Dobbins, Vice President of Resident Services at CHP. “The added value comes from our network of resident services coordinators, volunteers, and partners who deliver services at our multi-family communities, helping to further stabilize and support our residents in addition to creating positive health and quality of life outcomes.”
CHP Resident Services has 34 staff members in Virginia, Maryland, and Florida who work with partners and volunteers to deliver programs and services to CHP residents with a focus on education, health and wellness, financial capability, and community building and engagement. Programs and services differ for each community based on need and are informed by engaging with the larger community, mapping community assets, building stakeholder relationships, and connecting with residents. Last year, CHP invested $1.7 million in services and reached 2,878 residents at its apartment communities.
“We congratulate Community Housing Partners on becoming CORES certified! They have demonstrated capacity and competency in providing a robust system of resident services coordination. Their commitment to engaging residents, strategic implementation of resident services, and the development of systems and infrastructure necessary for success are hallmarks of the CORES Certification,” said Andrea Ponsor, President and CEO of SAHF.
The CORES Certification lasts for five years and applies across CHP’s multi-family portfolio. It also helps CHP qualify for Fannie Mae’s Healthy Housing Rewards – Enhanced Resident Services financing incentives. Through this program, borrowers with resident services infrastructure in place may be eligible for advantageous loan terms for new construction, rehabilitated, or refinanced multifamily affordable rental properties.