Leadership
National Alliance of Resident Services in Affordable and Assisted Housing ( NAR-SAAH )
National Alliance of Resident Services in Affordable and Assisted Housing ( NAR-SAAH ) provides technical assistance to employees of Resident Services and members of Resident Councils by helping to shape national housing policy , expand partnerships with community agencies , leverage funds to support resident programs , and speak on matters impacted by changing economic conditions and shifting political priorities .
A 501-C3 organized in 2002 in Baltimore , Maryland , NAR- SAAH seeks to enhance the quality of life for individuals and families living in public and assisted housing communities by promoting programs that are comprehensive , culturally competent and responsive to assessed needs . Its programmatic focus is on vulnerable populations – children living in kinship care and foster card households ; individuals with special needs ( elderly , disabled persons , medically fragile residents ); children of ex-offenders , returning Veterans , and residents of transitional housing and homeless shelters : young mothers on public assistance seeking career training , apprenticeships and job placement in growth industries ; families disenfranchised by poverty ; and individuals whose lives have been entangled by social conditions beyond their control .
Today , NAR-SAAH has members representing 21 states and 274 public housing authorities nationwide . The First international chapter , NAR-SAAH in Central America ( NICA ), was set up in Managua , Nicaragua in 2007 . Development of chapters nationally and globally is ongoing .
Leadership
Overseeing the programs and activities of NAR-SAAH is a Board of Directors comprised of distinguished leaders from the public , corporate and non-profit sectors . Board Members include two public housing residents are as follows :
Gloria Cousar – Neighborhood Associated Corporation , Community Planner , DC
John “ Jack ” Cooper – Mass Union of Public Housing Tenants , Resident Empowerment , MA
Cynthia Wiggins – Guste Homes Resident Management Corporation , LA
Keli Avery – Chicago Housing Authority Resident Services
Front Cover Feature Dr . Samuel B . Little National Alliance of Resident Services in Affordable and Assisted Housing ( NAR- SAAH ) Baltimore , Maryland July 2023
Rickie Keith – Gary Housing Authority
Gerald Turner – Real Estate Developer , LA
Madeline Owens – Montgomery Housing Authority Comptroller
Ed Moses – Retired , Economic Developer United States
Chairwoman of the Board of Directors
Cynthia Wiggins – Guste Homes Resident Management Corporation , LA