Long Island Housing Services, Inc. (LIHS) is thrilled to announce its 55th Anniversary Gala, taking place on October 9, 2024, at the elegant Savoy Ballroom in the Long Island Hilton. This milestone event will honor Enterprise Community Partners, led by the Senior Vice President Baaba Halm, for their unwavering commitment to fair housing rights in New York State. Together, we can continue to bend the arc of history towards fair housing for all on Long Island.

"Enterprise is thrilled to be this year’s Long Island Housing Services 2024 Gala honoree" said Baaba Halm, Senior Vice President of Programs, Enterprise Community Partners. “This honor is a testament to the strong partnership between Enterprise and LIHS and our shared commitment to strengthening fair housing on Long Island and beyond. Through our work together we have strengthened source of income protections, successfully won significant increases in fair housing enforcement dollars, and fought for equitable affordable housing development. I look forward to future collaboration together to make housing more affordable and accessible for those in need.”

LIHS has been fighting for housing discrimination on Long Island for over half a century, and they want you to join them. The gala will be a night to remember, with dinner, dancing, and a chance to mingle with awesome community leaders. DJ Steezo had us dancing the night away two years ago, and he’s back. Get ready for some groovy beats and irresistible moves. The Savoy Ballroom was built for clubbing. Expect a swanky atmosphere, dazzling lights, and a dance floor that begs you to strut your stuff. Because every celebration is perfected by a sweet treat, LIHS Executive Director Ian Wilder insisted we end the night with another ice cream bar. ?

LIHS encourages individuals passionate about civil rights to purchase tickets and attend the gala. The organization also invites businesses to consider sponsorship opportunities. Sponsorship provides valuable support to LIHS, and also allows businesses to demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the community.

Enterprise's Fair Housing Work:

Enterprise New York is committed to creating equitable, inclusive and affordable communities across the State. In 2017, they launched the Affordable and Fair Housing Roundtable, co-convened with the Fair Housing Justice Center which produced the landmark Closing the Divide report and accompanying recommendations which has guided our policy work since. In partnership with members of the Roundtable, Enterprise led the successful state effort to ban source of income discrimination and continues to advocate for stronger protections and more robust enforcement. Their Making Moves Mobility Program assists voucher-holders move to the communities of their choice on Long Island and across the State.  Their Eliminating Barriers to Housing in New York program was adopted by the State and has become HCR’s impactful Fair Housing Testing Program. They have also advocated for the creation of a statewide voucher program, funded initiatives to combat appraisal bias, and provide education on the history of housing discrimination and redlining. 

Nationally, Enterprise works at all levels of government to eliminate housing discrimination for protected classes. At the state and local levels, they advocate for source-of-income protections; work to prohibit excessive application fees/security deposits and unreasonable background checks; promote a sufficient supply of disability-accessible units; and ensure that affordable housing is available in all communities, coupled with resources to build strong neighborhoods. At the federal level, they work with lawmakers and government officials to strengthen the Community Reinvestment Act, improve the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Assessment Tool, and assist HUD in developing a strategy for implementation and enforcement of the proposed AFFH rule. In addition to our policy work, their advisory team supports local and state governments in the analysis and implementation of regional Fair Housing assessments.

Halm’s Bio

Baaba Halm is the Senior Vice President of Programs for Enterprise Community Partners, a national nonprofit on a mission to make home and community places of pride, power and belonging, and platforms for resilience and upward mobility for all. Halm has two decades of experience in housing, community development, and policy, as well as a deep commitment to racial equity. Halm previous served as Enterprise's New York Market Leader and Vice President. Before coming to Enterprise, she was the executive deputy commissioner and chief diversity officer at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Over Halm’s career, she has been deeply involved with housing policy at all levels of government. Halm also brings rich experience from her work in the nonprofit sector at Covenant House New Jersey and Housing Works, where she focused on issues such as homelessness and housing discrimination.

Enterprise's Bio

Enterprise is a national nonprofit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one. They support community development organizations on the ground, aggregate and invest capital for impact, advance housing policy at every level of government, and build and manage communities ourselves. Since 1982, they have invested $72 billion and created 1 million homes across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands - all to make home and community places of pride, power and belonging. They are here for impact. They are here for change. Join them at enterprisecommunity.org.

Long Island Housing Services’ Bio

Founded in 1969, Long Island Housing Services, Inc. is a private, nonprofit HUD-qualified Fair Housing Enforcement Organization and a federally certified Housing Counseling agency. Long Island Housing Services’ mission is the elimination of unlawful discrimination and promotion of decent and affordable housing through advocacy and education. (www.LIFairHousing.org)

LIHS has been recognized by Long Island Press in 2023 as a “Real Estate Player” and for three years by City & State magazine as a “Long Island Power 100.” LIHS has also has Platinum status with Candid for its transparency.

All proceeds from this event will go to support the critical work of fulfilling Long Island Housing Services’ mission. To honor Enterprise with a sponsorship, please visit the LIHS’ website at www.lifairhousing.org  Long Island Housing Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Follow us on social media: Twitter/X and Facebook: @LIFairHousing

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