How did you come to work for HDC?
I started my career in academia studying and teaching history, but a number of personal circumstances led me to seek a career change. My interest in affordable housing came from my first year living in Washington, DC—the rents for even the most basic, subpar apartments were astronomical and it was hard to make ends meet in that market. I remember thinking how hard it was to find reasonably priced, decent housing and that I wished I could do something about it. Years later, after returning to Lancaster County where I grew up, I discovered HDC when a Development Officer position opened up. Having gained experience in project management and finance, and with a desire to do something about affordable housing in my community, I applied for the position and was delighted to be hired. I truly love the work I do—it is complex, challenging, and meaningful—and I am glad to have the opportunity to help fix a problem I once experienced firsthand.
And why do you continue to do this hard work?
Success for HDC comes when we all work together to move a project forward and either produce high-quality affordable homes that would not otherwise have existed or preserve and improve existing homes that might have otherwise been lost, were it not for our efforts.
It is deeply rewarding to see projects I have worked on with the rest of the team come out of the ground and provide homes for people. We start with nothing more than a concept and turn it into something tangible that becomes a part of a community and makes a difference. I like the ability that development provides for us to not just talk about what improvements we want to see in the world, but to take action and bring them into being directly. The extensive, enthusiastic, patient, and skillful mentoring I have received since joining the team in 2016 has made an incredible difference in my career and life at HDC. I can say in all honesty that any success I have had in my work has been due to the willingness of Claude Hicks (Director of Real Estate Development), Ian Rawhauser (Assistant Director of Real Estate Development) and Rich Ross (Senior Facilities and Construction Manager), and others to go above and beyond in their guidance of my training and career trajectory in development. We have a very approachable, easy going group of people who like to help others and solve problems—this attitude makes it possible to be upfront and ask for help when needed. That sort of collegiality and trust is special in any work environment and is my favorite part of being a member of the Real Estate Development Team.
HDC has put a strong focus on partnerships to help the organization expand its mission and serve more residents. What does this mean for your work?
We’re working on a number of truly innovative projects in our pipeline and all of them feature partnerships with other like-minded organizations, allowing us to bring our resources together to achieve results in the creation and preservation of affordable housing. Our partnership with Washington Place Equities, for the redevelopment of the West End at College Avenue, is one key example where we are working with another high-performance developer to create a mixed-income, mixed-use development in the City of Lancaster. Likewise, our partnerships with Landis Communities, Alliance for Building Communities, and the Eastern PA Down Syndrome Center on upcoming projects will help create unique housing opportunities that will support populations (including residents with special needs) that have not always been able to access high-quality affordable housing. I’m also especially excited to see the completion of Beach Run in Lebanon County (to which I have devoted considerable time to personally and for which I have a soft spot) to provide affordable housing for our neighbors and local workers in Fredericksburg. We appreciate the support we’ve received from major businesses including Bell & Evans, Sherwin-Williams and Arthur Funk & Sons Construction to bring affordable housing to Fredericksburg.
Every voice matters. At HDC, we are committed to raising up resident voices and opening doors so that residents can actively participate in the democratic process, speak out on issues important to them and their communities, and communicate how policies affect their everyday lives. We believe it is important to make the time and space to listen, and to support resident leaders in effectively using their voices. We support resident advocacy opportunities through our Resident Academy of Leadership & Inspiration, Voter Registration Drives, and holding constituent meetings and tours with elected officials.
Allentown, PA
Fredericksburg, PA
Lancaster, PA
Finding a place to live that meets one’s basic needs and budget can feel like a never-ending challenge. The complexity of lower-income families and individuals extend far beyond simply finding a safe, affordable, and welcoming place to call home. At HDC, we are committed to being an ally in speaking to issues, programs, and policies that improve quality of life of our residents. Issues that we know are important to our residents include:
We know we can’t solve the affordable housing challenge alone. We need champions to help change the conversation around what home means and why it matters. We are committed to educating elected officials to understand the needs and challenges of their constituents. We are here to provide solutions that work and offer affordable housing expertise that demonstrates the impact policy decisions have on lower-income families, seniors and those with disabilities. We work closely with and participate in alliances and coalitions to educate and advance shared policy priorities. Our advocacy partners include:
Wendy Smith serves as the Vice President of Property Management, responsible for the overall strategic direction for HDC’s management portfolio and the organization’s largest staff team. Previously, Wendy served as Asset and Operations Manager for a leading real estate firm based in New York City which owned over 11,000 affordable homes. Since 2008, Wendy has held roles in regional level operations for commercial and for-profit housing agencies. Wendy holds a degree in International Studies.
