Build Rural Conference

One of the first grants Housing Hub applied for and was awarded was a technical assistance grant from Housing Assistance Council through its OneRural Capacity Building Program. For many years I have looked to HAC for reliable data for our area of rural Appalachia. Through coaching at HAC, Housing Hub is receiving expertise for areas in our organizational development that we hope will put us on a clear path for sustainability - which is a big deal in the world of affordable housing development nonprofits!

Even before my coaching sessions began, I was invited to a three day HAC training event in Chicago on scholarship for an intensive in the HUD housing counseling program. In my role at Housing Hub, I am leading the creation of our homebuyer pipeline which must include a robust counseling program, and this training hit just the right time.

Away to Chicago I went with my housing counselor training notebook in hand, even studying on the plane. I took the L Train from O’Hare to the conference hotel in downtown Chicago, walking distance from the Chicago River, Lake Michigan, and any type of food I desired. For the next three days I sat with other like-minded folks from across rural America who were dedicated to opening up opportunities for their neighbors through housing counseling. The folks at my table were from Kansas and West Virginia. They brought a diversity to the learning experience from their own contexts that helped me think through some of the complexities of my own situation.

Interestingly the best advice I picked up at the conference was this: chase your mission, not the money. This came from the coaches who led our sessions, experts in the field of housing counseling and working with a federal agency like HUD. Though the advice sounds highly aspirational, it struck me as reassurance, especially considering it was from folks who have spent decades in the field.

Having access to this caliber of training early on in the startup of Housing Hub and of kickstarting the homebuyer pipeline has invaluable contributed to our mission of building homes working families can afford. I soon hope to report that I’ve passed the HUD Housing Counselor exam! As I am working towards this goal, I continue to coach clients at Housing Hub on a weekly basis, putting my training to use for the sake of my neighbors. Chasing the mission, not the money!