Provides insight on lessons learned and the future of supportive housing
Rosanne Haggerty, President of Common Ground and Bob Guarasci, President of NJCDC
Rosanne Haggerty was the keynote speaker at Bringing it Back Home, the 10th Annual Supportive Housing Conference on Supportive Housing co-sponsored by Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) and the Supportive Housing Association (SHA). The audio of her speech is part of this post.
She is the founder and Executive Director of Common Ground, a not-for-profit housing development and management organization in New York City. Common Ground is a pioneer in the development of supportive housing and other research-based practices that end homelessness. Common Ground’s network of well designed, affordable apartments linked to the services people need to maintain their housing, restore their health, and regain their economic independence has enabled more than 4,000 individuals to overcome homelessness.
Her flagship restoration projects, converting two decaying hotels in the heart of Manhattan into more than 1,000 attractive living spaces for homeless and low-income tenants, are bold experiments in financing, developing, and managing residences – these facilities provide to the residents support, structure, and employment opportunities while simultaneously serving as a nexus for neighborhood revitalization. The Times Square and Prince George Hotel restorations exemplify the comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach that Ms. Haggerty has refined. She is a committed social service champion and determined leader who applies her expertise in real estate, finance, management, and strategic planning to address the unique challenges of housing low-income or otherwise disadvantaged urban residents. Prior to founding Common Ground in 1990, she was the coordinator of housing development at Brooklyn Catholic Charities. Ms. Haggerty is a 2001 MacArthur Foundation Fellow.
Over the next few days we will be publishing photos from the conference.
