The NHP Foundation

The NHP Foundation
Name	The NHP Foundation
Type	nonprofit organization
Founded	1994
Founders	Solly R. Dweck
Headquarters	New York City, New York, United States
Key people	Solly R. Dweck
Focus	affordable housing, preservation, community development

The NHP Foundation

The NHP Foundation is a nonprofit real estate development and preservation organization focused on affordable housing, preservation, and community revitalization in urban areas. Founded in the mid-1990s, the organization operates across multiple states, undertaking acquisition, rehabilitation, financing, and long‑term management of multifamily residential properties. Its work intersects with federal and state housing programs, affordable housing policy, and philanthropic and municipal initiatives.

Overview

The NHP Foundation engages in acquisition and rehabilitation of multifamily properties in markets including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Miami, Houston, and Atlanta. It partners with entities such as the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, Enterprise Community Partners, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and municipal housing authorities including the New York City Housing Authority and the Chicago Housing Authority. The organization commonly uses financing tools tied to the Community Development Block Grant program, HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and historic preservation credits such as those under the National Register of Historic Places framework. Its leadership has engaged with philanthropic foundations like the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and national policy organizations such as the Urban Land Institute and the Brookings Institution.

History

Founded by Solly R. Dweck in 1994 during a period of renewed interest in urban preservation, the organization emerged amid trends shaped by policy initiatives from the Clinton administration, legislative frameworks like the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, and financing innovations involving the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit created under the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Early projects included preservation efforts in neighborhoods influenced by demographic shifts observed in cities profiled by authors such as Jane Jacobs and analysts from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. In subsequent decades, the organization expanded its portfolio during market cycles that drew the attention of investors like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, and BlackRock to affordable housing. It navigated regulatory environments influenced by the Fair Housing Act and collaborated with preservation advocates tied to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Programs and Services

Programs include acquisition, rehabilitation, asset management, resident services, and long‑term property oversight. Financial structuring draws on mechanisms employed by organizations such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. Resident services and community programs have been coordinated with partners like Service Employees International Union, United Way, AARP Foundation, and local nonprofit providers including Catholic Charities USA and Habitat for Humanity International. Preservation strategies often reference standards promoted by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and technical assistance from groups such as Preservation Maryland and the National Trust Community Investment Corporation.

Properties and Developments

Its portfolio encompasses renovated historic buildings, scattered‑site multifamily complexes, and large urban apartment communities across metropolitan regions such as Brooklyn, Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Harlem, South Bronx, Los Angeles County, Cook County, and Miami-Dade County. Projects have involved adaptive reuse typical of cases like redevelopments in SoHo, Harlem River, South Boston, and revitalization corridors comparable to work in Pilsen, Chicago and South Los Angeles. The organization has handled properties that relate to preservation case studies found in literature about the Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program and redevelopment examples linked to agencies like New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Los Angeles Housing Department.

Funding and Partnerships

Capital sources include tax credit investors, debt from banks such as Citigroup, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and public capital via municipal housing finance agencies including the New York State Housing Finance Agency and California Tax Credit Allocation Committee. The organization has received philanthropic support and engaged in programmatic partnerships with national nonprofits including Enterprise Community Partners, National Equity Fund, Housing Partnership Network, and research collaborations with academia including Columbia University and New York University. Policy collaborations and advocacy have connected it with federal offices like HUD Secretary offices, congressional staffers involved in the House Financial Services Committee, and policy centers such as the Urban Institute.

Impact and Recognition

The organization’s preserved and affordable units have been cited in discussions of urban housing resilience in reports by the Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, and research published by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Recognition includes working relationships referenced in industry awards given by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, and acknowledgments in case studies from the Urban Land Institute and National Trust for Historic Preservation. Its projects are often used as examples in civic dialogues alongside initiatives led by municipal leaders from cities like New York City Mayor's Office, Los Angeles Mayor's Office, and housing commissioners in Boston and Philadelphia.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City Category:Affordable housing in the United States