RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – National CORE (National CORE), one of the nation’s largest nonprofit community builders, congratulates Dr. Ben Carson on his confirmation as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) 17th Secretary.
“Dr. Carson’s holistic vision of addressing affordable housing is precisely what is needed,” said Steve PonTell, President and Chief Executive Officer of National CORE. “Housing affordability and availability are keeping us from advancing as a nation – economically and socially – and preventing millions of Americans from fulfilling their dreams. As Dr. Carson stated in his confirmation hearing, we need to take a fresh look at the old model, working across the federal government’s silos to help bring health care, education, and job training to residents subsidized by HUD programs.”
In a letter to Dr. Carson following his confirmation, PonTell requested a meeting with the new Secretary “to discuss the cutting-edge approach you plan to take to help HUD achieve its full potential of lifting families out of poverty … As one of the nation’s pre-eminent nonprofit developers and managers of affordable housing, National CORE considers the priorities you articulated as basic principles that guide the way we help the families we serve.”
Dr. Carson has emphasized the need for more private-sector involvement in public and affordable housing – something National CORE is well known for. The California-based nonprofit partners with public housing agencies and local governments to develop, redevelop and manage affordable housing units and provide a wide range of supportive services to its residents. While National CORE utilizes state and federal funds to help develop and manage projects, it significantly leverages these funds through other sources of private financing.
Another distinguishing element of National CORE’s approach is its emphasis on supportive services, through its Hope through Housing Foundation. Over the past two decades, Hope through Housing has provided more than 2 million hours in supportive services to enhance quality of life, including preschool, afterschool, senior wellness and upward mobility programs.
“At National CORE properties, we don’t just house families, we specialize in linking residents to supportive services to create opportunities, including financial literacy, asset building tools, pathways to homeownership, educational resources and other self-sufficiency services,” PonTell said in his letter to Dr. Carson. “We believe that much more can be done with HUD and other federal programs to provide funding flexibility and encourage the owners of affordable housing to make helping residents a priority.”

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About National CORE
National CORE, based in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit developers of affordable housing. National CORE manages nearly 9,000 affordable, senior and market-rate units in California, Arkansas, Texas and Florida. For more information on National CORE and the Hope through Housing Foundation, please visit www.nationalcore.org.