Education Virtual Lunch & Learn WSHFC: The Black Home Ownership Initiative
Due to scheduling conflicts, we’re moving our March WMBA/WSHFC Lunch & Learn to April 12, 2024.
We’re very excited to welcome Marty Kooistra and Michael as WSHFC Director Lisa DeBrock delves into the Black Homeownership Initiative and it’s positive impact in our communities.
The BHI, the WSHFC, and the WMBA are all committed to helping more people realize the dream of home ownership.
Join us as WSHFC teaches us about the Black Home Initiative, a network of 85 and growing, public, private and nonprofit organizations focused on generating 1,500 new first time LMI Black homeowners by the end of 2027 in South Seattle, South King County and North Pierce County. BHI is a regional effort that seeks to target the racial inequities at the core of the housing ecosystem.
Meet the Speakers:
Michael Brown | Chief Architect of Civic Commons
Michael Brown is the Chief Architect of Civic Commons, a regional civic infrastructure aimed at uniting more community voices in decision-making to advance racial and economic equity. Michael also serves as an Executive in Residence for Community Partnership at Seattle Foundation.
Michael has led efforts to elevate community voice, foster public-private partnerships and tackle complex challenges in the areas of affordable housing, economic and racial equity, and policy and system change. In his role as Seattle Foundation’s Vice President of Community Programs, he led the Foundation’s community impact efforts, strategic grantmaking initiatives, convening activities, and impact investing program. He led development of the Center for Community Partnerships, which focused directly on targeted efforts to elevate community voices to achieve greater racial and economic equity.
Michael received Grantmakers in Health’s 2018 Terrance Keenan Leadership Award in Health Philanthropy, which recognizes outstanding health grantmakers whose work is distinguished by leadership, innovation, and outstanding achievement.
Marty Kooistra | Network Weaver for Civic Commons
Marty Kooistra is a champion of coalition-based work at the intersection of community development, equity, and affordable housing serving as Network Weaver for Civic Commons. He is also a partner with Sapwood Advisors. An avid practitioner of network leadership, Marty was honored to serve as executive director and board president of the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County where he formed several coalitions and networks including Seattle for Everyone. He held several leadership roles with Habitat for Humanity locally, nationally, and globally including CEO of the Seattle-King County affiliate. He co-chairs the University of Washington’s West Coast Poverty Center Housing Roundtable and serves on the Global Washington Board. Previous appointments include the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Regional TOD Advisory Committee and Growth Management Policy Board and the NACEDA Board, Marty has a BS in Social Work & Political Science and was awarded a Bush Foundation fellowship for study at the Joint Center for Housing and Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
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