Cohousing-L Mailing List: Welcome to Wendy Wiesner, PFAC Executive Director

[Alice Alexander (alicecohous]

I'm so pleased our sister organization PFAC (Partnerships for Affordable
Cohousing <http://www.affordablecohousing.org/>) 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.

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 [at] affordablecohousing.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
PFAC Executive Director

-- 
Alice Alexander
Executive Director
www.cohousing.org <http://www.cohous.org>
[image: The Cohousing Association]