Anybody who thinks affordable housing equates to subprime housing should attend a conference by the Southwest Affordable Housing Group.
Five hundred Southwestern affordable housing professionals crowded a hotel in Albuquerque recently for training, networking and updates from the federal agencies they get funding from. It was an impressive event, and the prevailing impression wasn’t of shady characters hoping to get a better place at the taxpayer money trough, but instead of caring and dedicated housing professionals.
Bobby Griffith is president of SWAHG, which is based in Farmington, N.M., and he’s a passionate advocate for the type of housing that can be found in SWAHG member firm’s communities. Asked his top priority going forward, the trade group head didn’t talk about what he wants done in Washington. He said improving the communities they manage is the top priority of SWAHG.
SWAHG firms (there are as many as 100 including government agencies and vendors) own and manage more than 10,000 properties in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Colorado and Utah. In many high-crime areas they are oases of safety, Griffith said.
Griffith, chief financial officer of affordable housing manager and owner JL Gray, also in Farmington, explained the group got its start at an informal gripes session at the New Mexico Governor’s Housing Summit a couple of years back. Other founding groups that share his focus on making and maintaining “exceptional communities” are Monarch Properties of Albuquerque and Medlock Southwest Management of Lubbock, Texas. Jack McGillivray of Monarch and Jeff Carnell of Medlock make up the SWAHG executive office with Griffith.
Another focus is on making better partnerships with agencies at both the federal and state levels.
Hispanics make up the majority of SWAHG residents, Griffith said, with American Indians also having a significant number, especially in the west of New Mexico near the giant Navajo Nation.
SWAHG, now in its third year, has its own version of “No Child Left Behind” in a scholarship fund open to children of residents and employees.
In 2011, seven children made qualifying applications. Number of $500 scholarships given? Seven. In 2012, there were 11 apps. Scholarships? Eleven. This year? Fifteen apps, 15 scholarships.
