Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD)

Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD)
Name	Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development
Abbreviation	ANHD
Formation	1976
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	New York City
Leader title	Executive Director

Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD) is a New York City–based nonprofit coalition of community development corporations, tenant groups, and affordable housing advocates. Founded in 1976, it coordinates neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing preservation, and community organizing across the five boroughs. The organization operates at the intersection of land use, housing finance, and civic mobilization, working with local officials, philanthropic foundations, and resident leaders.

History

The organization was established during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s alongside contemporaries such as Community Service Society, Urban Land Institute, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Habitat for Humanity International, and Enterprise Community Partners to respond to housing abandonment and mortgage foreclosures in neighborhoods like South Bronx, Harlem, and Brownsville, Brooklyn. Early collaborations included projects with New York City Housing Authority, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal, Ford Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation to secure financing mechanisms similar to Community Development Block Grant adaptations and to influence legislation such as the New York State Private Housing Finance Law. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s ANHD engaged with coalitions around issues raised by actors like Mayor Ed Koch, Mayor David Dinkins, and Mayor Rudy Giuliani, coordinating responses to programs advanced by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and municipal land-use policies emanating from City Planning Commission (New York City).

Mission and Goals

ANHD's stated mission centers on supporting neighborhood-based nonprofit organizations, promoting affordable housing preservation, and advancing equitable development policies akin to those advocated by groups like GreenThumb, Met Council on Housing, Tenants & Neighbors, New York City Housing Development Corporation, and NYU Furman Center. Goals include expanding low-income housing tax credit utilization comparable to Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, defending rent-regulated units influenced by Rent Stabilization Association of New York, and strengthening community-led planning similar to efforts by Community Board (New York City), Regional Plan Association, and New York City Council members engaged in land-use review.

Programs and Services

Programmatic offerings include capacity-building for constituency groups such as Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, technical assistance modeled on National Community Reinvestment Coalition, and training akin to services from National Low Income Housing Coalition. ANHD runs workshops touching on financing instruments like Tax Increment Financing, preservation strategies informed by Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and tenant organizing tools paralleling those used by Metropolitan Council on Housing. It facilitates collaborations among BronxWorks, Fort Greene Association, Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation, and neighborhood coalitions around acquisition finance, HUD project-based vouchers, and inclusionary zoning policies comparable to Inclusionary Housing Program (New York City).

Advocacy and Policy Work

Advocacy activities have involved campaigns around rent rules, zoning reforms, and public spending with stakeholders including New York State Assembly, New York State Senate, Governor of New York, and municipal agencies such as Department of City Planning (New York City). ANHD has filed amicus briefs and supported legislative initiatives similar to reforms under Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 and has lobbied for capital allocation processes akin to those overseen by HFA (Housing Finance Agency). Coalitions formed with organizations like Make the Road New York, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, Civic Participation Action Fund, and Tenants' Rights Project have sought to influence policy debates on rezonings proposed by developers such as Related Companies and Silverstein Properties.

Organizational Structure and Governance

ANHD is governed by a board of directors drawn from member organizations, neighborhood leaders, and housing professionals, reflecting models used by United Way of New York City, Association of Neighborhood and Housing Development (example), AARP, and community-based coalitions like Community Development Project (CDP). Staff roles include policy analysts, community organizers, and development specialists who coordinate with entities such as Enterprise Community Partners, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and municipal agencies. The organization maintains member committees mirroring structures in groups like Coalition for the Homeless and Urban Justice Center to set strategic priorities and supervise compliance with nonprofit governance standards under laws administered by New York State Attorney General.

Funding and Financials

Revenue streams combine foundation grants, member dues, program contracts, and philanthropic contributions from funders similar to Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Robin Hood Foundation. Contracts and grants may be awarded by city agencies comparable to NYC Department of Youth and Community Development and federal programs administered by HUD. Financial oversight follows accounting practices recommended by Nonprofit Finance Fund and reporting requirements enforced by Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(3) organizations, supplemented by audit processes used by community development intermediaries like Community Preservation Corporation.

Impact and Criticism

Proponents credit the organization with helping preserve thousands of affordable units through collaborations with Community Land Trusts, tenant associations, and local developers, and influencing policies similar to tenant protection laws and inclusionary zoning victories achieved in neighborhoods such as East New York, Inwood, Manhattan, and Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Critics argue that advocacy compromises with developers like Durst Organization or policy trade-offs in rezonings can produce displacement comparable to critiques leveled at New York City Economic Development Corporation and that reliance on foundation funding creates strategic constraints similar to debates involving Urban Institute and Brookings Institution. Evaluations by local research centers such as NYU Furman Center and advocacy assessments from groups like PolicyLink have been cited in discussions of ANHD's effectiveness and accountability.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City