FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2003
Contact: Carol Blymire, Fannie Mae Foundation, 202.274.8093
Amber Vazquez, MHCDC, 252.940.0174
Nonprofit Recognized for Innovation in Affordable Housing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Fannie Mae Foundation honored Metropolitan Housing & Community Development Corporation (MHCDC) with the Foundation’s Maxwell Award of Excellence for Affordable Housing at a ceremony held today in Washington, D.C. MHCDC was one of six nonprofit organizations honored at the event. MHCDC, based in Washington, N.C., will receive a $50,000 grant to support the Shalom House initiative that provides affordable housing for residents with special needs.
Shalom House is a 24-unit development in Washington, N.C., designed to address the special needs of low-income residents disabled with spinal cord injuries. The building design accommodates the needs of the physically challenged and allows residents to live as independently as possible. In addition to its proximity to a local medical center that provides access to medical care and physical rehabilitation, Shalom House also offers additional supportive services such as independent living counseling, transportation, vocational training, and personal finance and credit counseling.
"Metropolitan Housing and CDC’s Shalom House has addressed a critical need in the community and makes an invaluable contribution to affordable housing for special needs residents in North Carolina," said Fannie Mae Foundation President and CEO Stacey D. Stewart. "We are pleased to honor MHCDC’s work and are inspired by the organization’s commitment to the residents of Washington, N.C.”
"We are especially privileged as a faith-based organization to have both the vision and the strength to accomplish this,” said Reverend David L. Moore, president and CEO of MHCDC. “Shalom House is currently the only development in the state of North Carolina to have full handicap accessibility and rent subsidy."
Created in 1988, the Foundation’s Maxwell Awards program seeks to reward the outstanding work of nonprofit organizations that develop and maintain affordable housing in urban, metropolitan, and rural communities across the country. The awards are named in honor of David O. Maxwell, who retired in 1991 after 10 years of service as chairman and chief executive officer of Fannie Mae. The winners are selected for their outstanding work in the areas of homeownership, rental, special needs, and this year’s special category – affordable housing preservation.
This year, the Fannie Mae Foundation awarded Maxwell grants of $50,000 to six nonprofit organizations recommended by an independent advisory committee as having produced the best examples of affordable housing projects during the eligibility period. Maxwell award winners’ case studies will be posted on KnowledgePlex ( www.knowledgeplex.org) .
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The Fannie Mae Foundation creates affordable homeownership and housing opportunities through innovative partnerships and initiatives that build healthy, vibrant communities across the United States. The Foundation, a private nonprofit organization supported solely by Fannie Mae, has regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Pasadena and Philadelphia. For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.fanniemaefoundation.org .