Minnesota NAHRO

08/21/2026

🌟 MN NAHRO Professional Development Committee Spotlight 🌟

We're excited to continue highlighting the dedicated volunteers who help make MN NAHRO's professional development opportunities possible.

This week, we're spotlighting Shellie Rowe!

• HCV Manager of Tenant Based and Portability Vouchers, Minneapolis Public Housing Authority
• 27 years in the housing field
• 4 years involved with MN NAHRO

Shellie joined MN NAHRO to connect with housing professionals from across the state while staying current on emerging issues, best practices, and developments in affordable housing.

What Shellie enjoys most about serving on the Professional Development Committee is the opportunity to learn, grow, and collaborate with fellow housing professionals. She values working with the committee to create meaningful conferences and continuously improve the educational experience for MN NAHRO members.

Professionally, Shellie is focused on expanding her expertise in the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program. While she brings nearly three decades of housing experience, she is committed to deepening her knowledge of HCV regulations, program administration, and best practices. Through her work with MN NAHRO, she continues to build connections, gain new perspectives, and grow as a leader in affordable housing.

Thank you, Shellie, for your dedication to MN NAHRO and your commitment to advancing professional development across Minnesota.

💬 Leave a comment and say hello to Shellie!

08/17/2026

🏠 August Advocacy Week 3: Expand Affordable Housing & Revitalize Communities

Minnesota NAHRO members and housing advocates — it’s time to make our voices heard!

For Week 3 of NAHRO’s August Advocacy campaign, we’re urging Congress to support critical investments in housing and community development by providing $2 billion for HOME and $4.2 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program in FY 2027.

HOME and CDBG provide communities with flexible resources to:
🏘️ Build and preserve affordable housing
🔑 Support homeownership
🏗️ Improve neighborhoods and infrastructure
🤝 Leverage additional public and private investment
📍 Respond to local community needs

Take action: Send NAHRO’s Week 3 letter to Congress today:
https://nahro.quorum.us/campaign/168019/

⭐ Week 3 Side Quest: Protect Restore-Rebuild

NAHRO is also asking advocates to urge Congress to protect Restore-Rebuild, an important tool that helps public housing agencies use existing Faircloth authority to develop deeply affordable housing.

📣 And don’t forget to share your advocacy! Whether you meet with an elected official, host a site visit, participate in a groundbreaking, speak with local media, testify at a public meeting, or raise awareness on social media, NAHRO wants to hear about it.

August Advocacy is building toward Bring Housing Home Week, August 24–28. Let’s make sure Minnesota’s housing and community development priorities are heard in Washington and here at home.

NAHRO's Action Alert Center provides timely calls to action and resources for housing and community development advocates.

08/14/2026

🌟 MN NAHRO Professional Development Committee Spotlight 🌟

We're excited to continue highlighting the dedicated volunteers who help make MN NAHRO's professional development opportunities possible.

This week, we're spotlighting Alyssa Soderlund!

• Administration Director, Washington County CDA
• Nearly 5 years in the housing and community development field
• Nearly 5 years involved with MN NAHRO

Alyssa joined the Professional Development Committee because she wanted to contribute more meaningfully to MN NAHRO. She has been inspired by the dedication of housing professionals who are deeply committed to serving their communities, sharing their successes, and learning from one another's experiences.

What Alyssa values most about serving on the committee is its intentional focus on developing housing professionals and its commitment to continuous improvement. She appreciates how the committee stays aligned with emerging trends while responding to the evolving needs and interests of MN NAHRO members.

Professionally, Alyssa brings a broad understanding of housing, government, and organizational operations. As she likes to say, she "knows enough to be dangerous," allowing her to connect ideas across disciplines and contribute to a wide range of initiatives.

Fun fact: Alyssa loves hunting and is currently training for bear season—and it's going great!

Thank you, Alyssa, for your dedication to MN NAHRO and your commitment to supporting the growth and success of housing professionals across Minnesota.

💬 Leave a comment and say hello to Alyssa!

08/11/2026

🏠 AUGUST ADVOCACY — WEEK 2
Preserve the Affordable Housing Minnesotans Call Home

📣 Your Voice Matters — Take Action Today!

Public Housing, Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), and USDA Rural Development programs provide stable, affordable homes for families across Minnesota. Seniors, people with disabilities, and households with limited housing options depend on these programs to keep a roof over their heads.

But rising costs, aging properties, compliance challenges, and inadequate funding are making it increasingly difficult to preserve the affordable housing our communities already rely on.

For Week 2 of NAHRO’s August Advocacy, we’re urging Congress to fully fund Public Housing, Project-Based Rental Assistance, and Rural Development programs.

📊 Affordable housing matters across Minnesota:
🏡 More than 31,000 families rely on Project-Based Vouchers to remain stably housed.
🏢 Another 14,300 families live in Public Housing throughout Minnesota.
🌾 In Greater Minnesota, 8,700 families are housed through USDA Rural Development programs.

These Minnesotans are our neighbors. They are part of the communities we serve.

📨 TAKE ACTION — IT TAKES JUST 5 MINUTES!

Send your Week 2 letter to Congress today. You can send a letter every day, but please make your voice heard at least once each week during August Advocacy.

Want to make your message even stronger? Customize your letter by changing the subject line, adding one of Minnesota NAHRO’s talking points, or sharing a local example of how federal housing funding directly impacts your agency and community.

⭐ WEEK 2 SIDE QUEST: Make BABA Better!

You can also send NAHRO’s Side Quest letter addressing Build America, Buy America (BABA) implementation challenges. NAHRO supports strong investment in American infrastructure while advocating for workable requirements, clear guidance, and flexibility so unnecessary delays and cost increases don’t slow critical affordable housing projects.

👥 Invite others to take action!
August Advocacy is open to everyone. Share this post, forward the action alert, and encourage colleagues, commissioners, residents, community partners, and other housing advocates to make their voices heard.

Protect the affordable housing Minnesotans already call home. Take action TODAY! 🏠📣

08/07/2026

🌟 MN NAHRO Professional Development Committee Spotlight 🌟

We're excited to continue highlighting the dedicated volunteers who help make MN NAHRO's professional development opportunities possible.

This week, we're spotlighting Kacie Everman!

• Business Analyst, Metro HRA
• 10 years in the housing industry
• First year serving on the MN NAHRO Professional Development Committee

Kacie joined the Professional Development Committee to help bring a stronger voice for front-line housing professionals. She hopes to broaden conference topics to better serve staff at all levels and create learning opportunities that support professional growth throughout the housing community.

Although she's new to the committee, Kacie has enjoyed the collaboration, fellowship, and getting a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to plan a successful conference. She appreciates the committee's commitment to creating events that are educational, inclusive, and fun while bringing housing professionals together.

Professionally, Kacie has developed expertise in Housing Choice Voucher portability, PIC, reconciliation, and HUD regulations. Throughout her career with Nan McKay & Associates, the Chicago Housing Authority, Dakota CDA, and Metro HRA, she has held a variety of roles that have given her a broad understanding of housing programs and operations.

Fun facts: Kacie owns and rides a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and she grew up on Leech Lake, where her family owned a fishing resort.

Thank you, Kacie, for your dedication to MN NAHRO and your commitment to supporting housing professionals across Minnesota.

💬 Leave a comment and say hello to Kacie!

08/04/2026

August Advocacy is underway! Join housing professionals across Minnesota and the country in raising awareness about the importance of federal housing programs. This week’s focus is preserving and protecting housing vouchers. Add your voice and help show the impact housing programs have in our communities!

Welcome to August Advocacy, NAHRO’s award-winning annual grassroots campaign! Over the next 5 weeks, NAHRO Advocates from across the country will amplify the local impact of federal programs and the work that housers do in their communities every day.

Week 1 is Preserve and Protect Vouchers week. Anyone can visit www.nahro.org/august-advocacy and add their voice to this critical effort!

Your Week 1 To-Do List
✅ Send our customizable Week 1 letter to Congress
✅ Explore our four new advocacy toolkits to take your advocacy to the next level
✅ Request site-visits and meetings with lawmakers at all levels to show housing at work!

08/03/2026

🏡 August Advocacy is Here! 🏛️

August is one of the most important times of the year to make your voice heard. As Members of Congress return to their home districts, it’s the perfect opportunity to highlight the impact that housing and community development programs have in our Minnesota communities.

This week’s focus is Preserve and Protect Vouchers Week, advocating for full funding of the Housing Choice Voucher Program so it can keep pace with rising rental costs and continue serving families who depend on it.

Throughout the month, there are many ways to get involved:
✅ Send a letter to Congress
✅ Request a meeting with your elected officials
✅ Host a property tour or site visit
✅ Share your agency’s success stories
✅ Record a short advocacy video
✅ Engage local media and community partners

Every conversation and every story helps demonstrate why affordable housing and community development matter.

Visit NAHRO’s August Advocacy Hub to find action alerts, advocacy toolkits, and resources to help you participate:
🔗 https://nahro.quorum.us/august-advocacy/

Let’s work together to bring housing home and ensure our elected officials understand the real impact these programs have across Minnesota.

NAHRO's Action Alert Center provides timely calls to action and resources for housing and community development advocates.

07/31/2026

🌟 MN NAHRO Professional Development Committee Spotlight 🌟

We're excited to continue highlighting the dedicated volunteers who help make MN NAHRO's professional development opportunities possible.

This week, we're spotlighting Lori Lindberg!

• Executive Director, HRA of St. Cloud
• 33 years in the housing and community development field
• 20 years involved with MN NAHRO

Lori joined the Professional Development Committee because she saw it as a great opportunity to connect with other housing professionals and stay current on the policy issues impacting HRAs and PHAs across Minnesota.

What Lori enjoys most about serving on the committee is the diverse mix of experiences and perspectives represented around the table. She values learning from her colleagues and jokes that one of the committee's hidden talents is encouraging introverts like herself to "get out there!" 😊

Professionally, Lori is passionate about policy development and resolving complex compliance issues. Throughout her career, she has built expertise in interpreting regulations, connecting the dots, and helping teams stay ahead of emerging priorities. She believes the best outcomes come from understanding the original intent behind regulations and leading with integrity, sound policy, and respect for the rules.

Fun fact: Lori owns a hat that has saved her life!

Thank you, Lori, for your years of leadership, dedication to MN NAHRO, and commitment to advancing the housing profession.

💬 Leave a comment and say hello to Lori!

🔁 Coming Next Week: [Next PD Committee Member]

07/30/2026

📢 Registration Closes August 10th – Don’t Miss Out!

Looking to expand your housing knowledge and strengthen your professional skills?

Join Minnesota NAHRO and the national experts at Nan McKay for our Hearing Officer Specialist Training on August 25–26 in Woodbury, Minnesota.

This two-day, in-person training is designed for professionals involved with Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs and provides practical, hands-on instruction to help you conduct fair, effective hearings while navigating HUD requirements with confidence.

💼 Why attend?
✅ Expand your expertise and professional knowledge
✅ Help meet the growing need for trained hearing officers in Minnesota
✅ Learn directly from the national experts at Nan McKay
✅ Save on travel with a convenient Minnesota location
✅ Receive a Minnesota NAHRO member registration discount
✅ Gain skills you can immediately apply in both Public Housing and HCV proceedings

You’ll learn how to:
• Apply HUD regulations and PHA policies to real-world hearing scenarios
• Conduct fair, organized grievance procedures and appeals
• Work effectively with 504 coordinators, Legal Aid, and advocacy organizations
• Write clear, well-supported hearing decisions

Whether you’re a new hearing officer, a hearing panel member, a manager, or policy staff looking to strengthen your expertise, this training is an excellent investment in your professional development.

📅 August 25–26, 2026
📍 Woodbury, Minnesota
⏰ Registration closes September 10

👉 Register today and secure your spot before registration closes!

07/23/2026

📅 **Upcoming Minnesota NAHRO Events**

Minnesota NAHRO has several great opportunities coming up for members to learn, connect, and collaborate. Mark your calendars and register today!

🏡 **BIH Program Administrators Call on Local Implementation**
📅 August 6 at 3:00 p.m.
💻 Virtual

Our monthly local implementation call resumes on August 6. This free, members-only discussion is an opportunity to stay informed, exchange ideas, and learn how agencies across Minnesota are implementing the Bring It Home Rental Assistance Program.

🔗 Sign Up Here

⚖️ **Hearing Officer Specialist Training with Nan McKay**
📅 August 25–26
📍 Woodbury

This two-day, in-person course offers practical guidance on conducting fair and effective hearings, navigating HUD requirements, and making well-supported decisions.

The training is designed for hearing officers, hearing panel members, managers, and policy staff involved in Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher hearings.

🔗 Sign Up Here

🎰 **2026 Minnesota NAHRO Annual Conference**
📅 October 7–9
📍 Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Red Wing

Join us as Minnesota NAHRO goes **All In for Housing!**

Expand your knowledge, discover innovative solutions, and connect with housing professionals from across the state. This year’s conference will also feature a national training opportunity for maintenance staff.

🔗 Sign Up Here

Visit the Minnesota NAHRO website for registration details and additional information.