For 24 years, BHC President and CEO T.K. Somanath has worked tirelessly to change lives and transform communities across the Richmond region. On June 30, T.K. will retire, leaving a lasting footprint throughout our community.

“T.K. is the epitome of a servant leader, and our community is a better place because of him,” said John McCann, chairman of BHC’s Board of Directors.

“BHC is well-known for collaborating with residents to ensure that community development is focused on their needs,” adds McCann. “T.K. makes sure that BHC stays in communities as long as necessary to ensure that they stabilize, revitalize and create opportunities for residents to succeed.

“This can take years and it costs more than traditional development models,” says McCann. “T.K. has taught us that it’s the right thing to do when working with more vulnerable populations.”

T.K. has led BHC to receive national recognition for several of its communities. One of these is Winchester Greens in Chesterfield County. When BHC began redeveloping this decaying, crime-ridden community in 1997, the average income of residents was $6,000 and only 20 percent of them were working. Chesterfield police were logging 1,200 calls a year to respond to criminal activity.

Today, the average income of the original residents is $25,000, the vast majority are employed, and the police only receive about 10 calls a year. The average income of all residents – not just the original ones — is $35,000. Many young people who have participated in BHC’s after-school and summer programs have gone to college or trade schools. Teens participating in this program have had zero pregnancies, too.  

Fortunately for the Richmond community, T.K. will continue to be an active volunteer with several non-profit organizations. He also will teach at VCU’s Urban and Regional Studies and Planning program, and he plans to travel and spend time with family.

If you would like to send a message to T.K., please leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

If you would like to make a donation in T.K.’s honor and help sustain the many trails he has blazed, click here:

Upon his retirement, we will present T.K. with the names of donors and the tributes written.

Greta J. Harris

Richmond, Va. (June 5, 2013) -The Better Housing Coalition (BHC), the largest not-for-profit housing developer in the Greater Richmond region, named Greta J. Harris as its new president and CEO, effective August 5, 2013.

Harris will succeed T.K. Somanath, who is retiring June 30, 2013, after serving as BHC’s first and only president and CEO for nearly 25 years.

“Building on T.K.’s legacy is a tall order, but we are confident that Greta’s scope and breadth of experience makes her exceptionally qualified to lead BHC and fulfill its mission,” said John McCann, chairman of BHC’s Board of Directors. “She can navigate the complexities of sustainable development, and she works collaboratively with a wide variety of community partners to succeed in creating healthier, more viable communities.”

Harris most recently was vice president for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national non-profit community and economic development corporation. In this role, she provided strategic and managerial support to 10 of LISC’s local offices in southern and mid-western regions. Prior to that role, she was the senior program director for Virginia LISC, based in Richmond, which supported local organizations in developing more than $250 million in real estate in Central Virginia.

“BHC is legendary for helping to transform so many of Richmond’s neighborhoods through high-quality, affordable housing and support services,” said Harris. “The need for strategic neighborhood investments that can lead to increased economic prosperity for residents and the broader community will be critical for the foreseeable future.  I look forward to working with BHC and its partners, investors and local governments in the City of Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and Petersburg to help fulfill these needs and make our community stronger for everyone.”

Learn more about Greta: read the full press release here.

Nominations are now being accepted for the Better Housing Coalition’s prestigious Golden Hammer Awards for 2013, to honor professionals whose work enhances the Richmond region through revitalization, blight reduction and historic preservation.

BHC is seeking nominations in five categories:

• Best Single-Family Residential Renovation
• Best Commercial Renovation – Neighborhood Scale (less than 5,000 sq. ft.)
• Best Commercial Renovation – Large Scale (more than 10,000 sq. ft.)
• Best New Infill Project
• Best Neighborhood Design Project
• Green Hammer for Sustainable Design Excellence

The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at the Hotel John Marshall at 502 E. Franklin Street in Richmond.

To nominate a project for a 2013 Golden Hammer Award, click here to download the 2013 nomination form, and view 2012 winners.

Submissions are due Friday, October 4, 2013.

“Economic health and historic preservation are uniquely intertwined in Richmond,” said David Herring, vice president of BHC’s Center for Neighborhood Revitalization and founder of the awards. “Everyone who wields a hammer to create or renovate properties is enriching our community, and these awards recognize the most distinguished among them.”

Following the ceremony, honorees and guests will celebrate at BHC’s signature event, Groundbreakers. The event includes a reception, the awards ceremony and an After Party with a dinner buffet. Capital One and Dominion are title sponsors.

For more information on the awards nomination process, contact David Herring at 804-644-0546 x110.

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities for Groundbreakers, contact Andrea Butler at 804-644-0546 x119.

The Better Housing Coalition has entered into a partnership with the YWCA of Richmond to help shelter local victims of domestic and sexual violence. Through the partnership, BHC is allocating six furnished apartments to be used as safe, emergency housing by clients of the YWCA’s Domestic and Sexual Abuse programs. 

Until now, the YWCA offered victims a communal shelter that houses up to 30 individuals. By offering housing in private apartments, the YWCA will be able to support women in need who don’t use their services because they do not want to go into a communal shelter.

Mary Kay Huss, vice president of asset management for the Better Housing Coalition, said, “A big part of our mission is changing lives, and safe, affordable housing is the platform to stabilize lives and spark the change. We applaud the YWCA’s forward-thinking plan and are proud to support women in need through this program.”

The YWCA received a $100,000 grant from Impact 100 to make this new housing service possible.

To read more about the program, the grant, and the partnership, see this Richmond Times Dispatch column.

Right of Passage Weekend Participants and Mentors (click to enlarge)

Thanks to a generous grant from Capital One, boys from BHC’s Winchester Greens community in Chesterfield were able to participate in the Boys to Men Mentoring program this year. BHC and the mentoring network are partnering to provide leadership training for male residents ages 12 – 17 who live in our rental communities. The program pairs adult male volunteers with the boys to provide guidance and serve as positive role models.

Learning to Trust

Through team-building exercises, activities and community service projects throughout the year, the boys learn leadership and conflict resolution skills and qualities such as integrity, accountability, respect and compassion. The adult mentors help each teen discover his own potential, and reinforce the concept of personal responsibility to self, family, and community along the way.

Nina Williams, site director at Winchester Greens, says that it has been rewarding to witness the positive changes in the young residents during the Boys to Men program. “By the end,” she says, “the participants visibly demonstrate increased self-esteem, self-confidence, and better coping skills.”

The program culminates in a rigorous three-day Rite of Passage Adventure Weekend in a wilderness setting west of Richmond. 19 boys attended last month, including four from Winchester Greens. Boys who complete the program receive the title of “Journeyman,” and receive additional skills and service training to mentor other young men entering the program.

According to a recent report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Virginia is one of the most challenging states for low-wage workers to find affordable housing. For instance, the minimum wage in Virginia is $7.25 per hour. In order to afford the Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom apartment, a typical minimum-wage earner in Virginia must work 114 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. This schedule and workload is untenable, especially for workers trying to raise families.

(Click to enlarge)

The chart at left compares median Richmond-area rents against the average annual incomes of several local minimum-wage jobs. As you can see, securing a decent apartment in Greater Richmond is out of reach for many low-income workers; and many give up hope of ever being able to buy a home and build equity (see chart below).

(Click to enlarge)

These data underscore challenges facing the lowest income renters: increasing rents, stagnant wages, and a shortage of affordable housing. One solution is to increase the number of affordable housing units for sale and rent.

“The healthiest communities are those with mixed incomes,” said Bob Newman, vice president and chief operating officer of the Better Housing Coalition. “High-quality affordable housing creates more opportunities and choices leading to stable and thriving neighborhoods.”

Fulfilling BHC’s mission takes much collaboration and partnership between state and local governments, housing organizations, and the support of corporations, foundations and individuals. On behalf of the thousands of residents who are leading better lives, thank you for your support!

BHC participated in the 2013 Earth Day Richmond Festival on Saturday, April 20th at the 17th Street Farmer’s Market. In addition to displays showing how BHC reduces blight and revitalizes Richmond-area neighborhoods, we highlighted Beckstoffer’s Seniors, our affordable “net-zero capable” apartments for seniors in Church Hill. Check out these family-friendly activities:

Help Construction Manager Jeff put the finishing touches on Beckstoffer’s Seniors Net Zero apartments.

Download the full-sized coloring page here:   Bex Net Zero Coloring Page

Can you find all the hidden words in our Net Zero word search puzzle?

Download the full-sized word-search puzzle here: BHC Earth Day Word Search

KC McGurren (l) and TK Somanath

Breaking news: BHC President and CEO TK Somanath received EarthCraft Virginia’s Visionary Award last night (Thursday, March 28^th) at the 4^th-annual Sustainable Leadership Awards ceremony. The signature event recognizes Virginia leaders in the adoption of green, sustainable housing.

Board President Sylvia Hallock presented the award. According to KC McGurren, Executive Director, EarthCraft Virginia selected Somanath for the award because “TK’s passion and leadership has helped the community become more aware that green building is a key element of affordable housing and the enhancement of our neighborhoods.”

“I was honored to receive this recognition and accepted it on behalf of everyone at BHC and our supporters who help make our green vision a reality,” said Somanath. “We share the common belief that green building goes hand-in-hand with affordable housing. For people who struggle to make ends meet, the money they can save on utility and maintenance costs can make a difference in their disposable income and their quality of life.”

BHC also was a nominee for Single Family Builder of the Year.

“We are grateful to EarthCraft for being a terrific advocate and technical advisor in all of our green endeavors,” added Somanath.

All of  BHC’s single-family homes built and renovated since 2009 are EarthCraft-certified. In addition BHC’s Lincoln Mews, Beckstoffer’s Mill Lofts, and Beckstoffer’s Seniors apartment communities are EarthCraft-certified.

Click the link below to read TK’s full acceptance remarks:

TK_EarthCraftAward_Remarks 32813

BHC will be the beneficiary of Mosaic Cafe’s Community Give Back night on Wednesday, May 1. Come support BHC while enjoying delicious food and drinks at their restaurant on River Road. Mosaic has catered many BHC events and always gets rave reviews. Just tell the hostess you’re there for Better Housing Coalition!

Mosaic will donate 13 percent of the pre-tax receipts from 5 to 9 p.m. sales to BHC. Guest bartenders will serve up the fun, and generous tips will be much appreciated…they’ll go straight to BHC!
Start Time: 17:00
Date: 2013-05-01

BHC’s Center for Neighborhood Revitalization partners with Prospect Mortgage to offer periodic workshops to help you renovate a historic home, or make substantial improvements to your current home.
Additional topics covered include:
• Tax Benefits
• Energy Efficiency
• Market Equity

…and more!
This event is free and open to the public, but kindly register via the enclosed link.

Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2013-03-27
End Time: 21:00