Time to Start Working on Your 2021 NAHMA Vanguard Awards Application

Alexandria, Va., Feb. 22, 2021 ― The calendar might say February, but spring is just around the corner and so, too, is the deadline for nominating a property for one of NAHMA’s 2021 Affordable Housing Vanguard Awards. The deadline is June 4. The application can be downloaded from the Vanguard Award webpage, https://www.nahma.org/awards-contests/vanguard-awards/. 

The Vanguard Award recognizes new, quality multifamily affordable housing development. The award pays tribute to developers of high-quality, affordable housing; demonstrates that exceptional new affordable housing is available across the country; reflects the creativity and innovation that must be present to create superior properties given the financing and other challenges to development; highlights results of private-public partnerships required to develop today’s affordable housing; and shares ideas for unique design and financing mechanisms with industry practitioners to further stimulate creative development in the affordable multifamily industry. 

“The Vanguard Award complements NAHMA’s Communities of Quality (COQ) National Recognition Program, through which multifamily properties are certified as having achieved a high standard of excellence in the way they are managed, the services they provide residents, the experience and training of personnel, and other criteria,” said Kris Cook, CAE, executive director of NAHMA. “The Vanguard Award was created to honor communities that are too new to meet the qualifications for the COQ program. As the properties mature, they will become eligible—and will be encouraged—to enter NAHMA’s COQ National Recognition Program.” 

Categories include: 

• New Construction, two subcategories: more than 100 units and under 100 units 

• Major Rehabilitation of an Existing Rental Housing Community 

• Major Rehabilitation of a Nonhousing Structure into Affordable Rental Housing 

• Major Rehabilitation of a Historic Structure into Affordable Rental Housing 

Affordable multifamily housing communities that are less than 4 years old―as of June 4, 2021―may apply based on the date of completing new construction or major rehab completion. Please note: A management company can submit one entry for each of the four categories; however, each entry must be a different property. 

The application and information about entry fees, judging criteria, the benefits of winning an award, and more is on NAHMA’s website at nahma.org. Click on Vanguard Award Overview. 

Winners of the Affordable Housing Vanguard Awards will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the NAHMA fall meeting in Washington, D.C., Oct. 20-22.