Exploring New Models for Affordable Housing
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
September 12, 2011
Frances Ferguson
Frances Ferguson Senior Manager, National Real Estate Programs, has worked with NeighborWorks America since 1998, guiding the development of national resources for nonprofit rental housing organizations who provide high quality rental homes for over 80,000 households. NeighborWorks offers grant and loan resources, access to insurance and risk management, portfolio performance benchmarking data, training and consultation. NeighborWorks is a federally chartered non-profit corporation, which supports affordable housing and community development across the county, with a special focus on its network of 235 affiliated local housing organizations. Prior to working with NeighborWorks America, Francie served from 1986-1997 as the founding executive director of Foundation Communities, acquiring and managing over 1250 affordable, service-enhanced apartment and duplex rental homes in the Austin and Dallas-Ft. Worth communities. During her tenure at Foundation Communities, she was a founding board member of the Alamo Area Mutual Housing Association and of the Texas Association of CDCs. Locally, she volunteers as President of the board of HousingWorks Austin, uniting community and business leaders around policies to support “all kinds of homes in all parts of town”. She also serves on the Board of PeopleFund/PeopleTrust and has advised Catellus on the affordable housing plan for 711-acre Mueller Redevelopment, where both inclusionary rental and shared equity homeownership have been successfully launched to sustain long term affordability in 25% of the residential stock. Francie holds her masters in business from the University of Texas at Austin, and her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College.
