The year was 1971. Lancaster County was in need of safe, affordable housing. Grounded in a deep commitment to service in Columbia (PA), a small group of committed Catholics founded what would become HDC MidAtlantic. What began with a single affordable housing community serving 133 seniors grew to encompass 54 communities serving over 4,000 residents, seniors and families in PA, DE, and MD and, this year, HDC MidAtlantic celebrates 50 years of operations. The longevity and success of HDC can be attributed to the vision of the leadership, the talent of the staff, the dedication of the board, the partnership of the residents and the support of the community stakeholders. Rooted in a call to service and transformed into an agent of change, HDC believes that housing is a human right that must be available to all.
With the ongoing pandemic and economic downturn, HDC has faced many challenges, from keeping residents and staff safe to moving projects forward amid financial uncertainty. HDC staff and leadership continue to confront these obstacles with determination, empathy, and passion and the organization is poised to enter its 50th year stronger than ever.
We are proud, in our 50th year to introduce new Board leadership, new board chair, Diane V. Elliott, and vice-chair, Angela Steele, two leaders whose complementary strengths and talents and dedication to HDC’s mission will support the commitment to transformational change rooted in advancing equity and impact. Working in partnership with Dana Hanchin, President & CEO, the Board will continue to respond to community and organizational needs, explore and implement creative solutions, form new partnerships, and continue to build a world where everyone has a safe, welcoming, affordable place to call home. Here’s to the next 50 years!
Please welcome Diane and Angela.
About Diane V. Elliott, Esquire
Diane is an attorney whose practice focuses on fighting for equity for those who are marginalized, helping them to find a pathway forward in their lives. She began her career as a public defender spending 20 years handling state and federal cases. Branching out into environmental law, Diane went back to school earning a master’s degree in environmental science to better represent citizens’ groups.
In December 2018, Diane retired as Executive Director of a nonprofit dedicated to serving the homeless, hungry, poor and those suffering from mental illness after almost 9 years of service. Her work included advocating for safe, secure affordable housing. In retirement, her passion and community commitments continue to focus on addressing the issues of lack of affordable housing and homelessness in the Lehigh Valley.
Diane co-founded the Lehigh Valley Research Consortium, a consortium of colleges and universities whose focus is providing the data necessary to understand the issues affecting the Lehigh Valley. She has served as Director and co-founder of Lehigh Valley Land Recycling, a nonprofit dedicated to the redevelopment of brownfields and recipient of the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in its first year; a consultant, assisting with cooperative municipal efforts by offering technical and legal assistance and facilitation to all 62 municipalities in the Lehigh Valley; and Director of Community Development for Northampton County Development Corporation. She also served on Northampton County Council. She recently joined Touchstone Theatre’s board. Her real passion are her three daughters and seven grandchildren.
About Angela Steele
Angela is a Senior Development Project Manager at Stone Sherick Consulting Group, LLC. in Philadelphia. Stone Sherick specializes in real estate development services and owner’s representative services for diverse development projects. Angela is responsible for all phases of housing development including financial underwriting, investor relations, consultant management, entitlements, construction administration and community engagement. Angela has experience with several community and economic development programs including NMTC, CDBG/HOME, LIHTC, FHLB AHP and HUD 202. Angela began her career as a Project Management Intern for Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco. Angela went on to work for BRIDGE Housing Corporation as Project Manager where she managed three occupied rehabs in the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversion program in San Francisco. At NewCourtland Senior Services, Angela served as the Deputy Director of Project Management and managed LIHTC and NMTC projects in Philadelphia.
Angela earned her BA in Cultural and Social Anthropology from Stanford University and her MBA from UC Berkeley-Haas School of Business where she completed the Interdisciplinary Certificate in Real Estate and served as Board Fellow for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation. Angela was a Fulbright Scholar for the U.S. State Department in China and is conversational in Mandarin.
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:
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.
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.
Allentown, PA
Fredericksburg, PA
Lancaster, PA
