Original Publication Date: December 14, 2020
Charlton Hamer, Senior Vice President of Habitat Affordable Group, was featured in Bisnow's article, 'This Too Shall Pass': 43 Real Estate Execs on the Biggest Lessons of 2020. See his excerpt below, and check out the full article at bit.ly/LessonsLearnedin2020
"The pandemic magnified the lack of access to fast and reliable internet service in low-income communities. As a result, future affordable housing developments must include infrastructure for families to function and prosper in the new live-work-study environment. Automating processes for certification and documentation for residents within tax credit and rental subsidy programs was underway but will be accelerated at all our sites to simplify this historically “high-touch” endeavor. Working from home will be normalized as we emerge from the pandemic. New developments will work to create more space within communities, and we will seek to create suitable coworking spaces. Cleanliness, installing disinfecting areas and hand-washing stations will continue to be standard.
Habitat has always been a diverse company, and we still believe our diversity is an advantage. However, we refuse to remain stagnant. Because of the recent attention to justifiable social grievances, we dedicated time to listen to our team members and their concerns and empathize with those aggrieved. As a result, we established internal protocols to ensure we exude respect for all humanity and continue to identify opportunities to make a positive impact on marginalized people and communities."