I’m so pleased our sister organization PFAC (Partnerships for Affordable Cohousing) has made the leap in appointing an Executive Director. Wendy Wiesner is an excellent choice, having served on the board for many years to help shape and grow the organization’s important mission of promoting and establishing affordable cohousing. Coho/US is proud to be collaborating with PFAC. Visit http://www.affordablewww.cohousing.org/

Wendy writes on PFAC’s home page:

Welcome from the new Executive Director!

PFAC started out four years ago as an organization dedicated to bringing financial expertise, resources, and methods from the multifamily housing industry into cohousing. Special focus was placed upon affordability for three reasons: 1) affordability gives us a way to capture, measure and communicate the social, political, and economic contributions of cohousing; 2) affordability is an issue in nearly all markets where cohousing is prevalent; and 3) affordability took on new meaning and importance for both individuals and communities after the financial crisis of 2008.

Since its founding, developing affordability strategies for communities has been the most important work of PFAC. Executing these strategies requires forging partnerships with private, public and other non-profit entities on both a local and national level, and this is where PFAC finds itself today.

Up to this point, a board of PFAC experts has done this work, in a way that very much mirrors the cohousing communities that PFAC aspires to serve. With significant progress has come opportunity, and fully capitalizing upon it requires that the organization structure itself accordingly. This includes appointing an Executive Director, as well as making room for additional staff members and consultants who can support communities, funders, investors, municipalities and housing-related entities on a local level.

As we embark on this new and important phase in the development of the organization–knowing that the work we do is in service of communities and the individuals within them–we’d like to get your feedback. As a community or community member, what are your needs and values around affordability? To what extent is affordability a problem in your town or city? Do you envision that your community can be part of a bigger solution to the problem? How would you envision supporting PFAC’s work–during your project’s planning phase, upon a project’s execution? Through charitable contribution? Something else? [Wendy can be reached at wwiesner@affordablewww.cohousing.org]

Thank you for your input and your support of PFAC as it builds a bridge between cohousing and the conventional housing and finance world. This bridge is what will make it possible for more people to live in cohousing and reap its benefits, as well as for more communities that take human well-being seriously to emerge.

Wendy Wiesner
Executive Director
Partnerships for Affordable Cohousing