President’s Message

As you may know, on April 1st I transitioned from OCCH President to an Emeritus role where I will continue to support but no longer lead the organization. Good timing as we enter our 30th year of partnership to advance affordable housing. I would like to take this opportunity to extend thanks to the so many people that have made OCCH successful over the years.

First, congratulations Peg! I am thrilled to have you take the lead and move OCCH forward.

Second, thank you OCCH Board of Directors for supporting me and staff as we have grown and faced challenges over the years! There have been some rough times and bold moves. And all along Dan Slane, Carol Peterson, and other chairs and board members before, stayed the course as we stayed true to our mission.

Third, thank you, OCCH staff for supporting me and following me since I took the helm in April 1993. You are the folks that have done the hard, tough work over the years. I know that and you know that. And that includes the great staff at Community Properties of Ohio.

But most importantly, I want to thank our partners: investors, developers, property managers, housing finance agencies, federal housing officials and everybody else that we have worked with over the years. With over $4.25 billion in capital from OCCH investors, together we have produced 46,500 units of affordable housing that has revitalized communities and transformed lives. Our job was to raise capital and provide tools and resources to developers: they did the rest. THANK YOU!!!

As we enter our 30th year, OCCH is as strong as ever:

•  Great board and staff leadership

•  Vibrant investor and developer relationships

•  Strong balance sheet

•  Growing affiliates:

Our lending arm, Ohio Capital Finance Corporation (OCFC), is diversifying and expanding its products for partners with a great track record of leveraging capital and execution.

Our philanthropic subsidiary, Ohio Capital Impact Corporation (OCIC), has significant monetary capital to invest in the human capital of our residents and communities: we have distributed close to $20 M in grants with capital from OCCH and our corporate “impact” investors.

Community Properties of Ohio (CPO), our property management and supportive services affiliate, continues to grow and maintain its clear focus on the highest quality management and resident impact.

I look forward to working with you in my new role. I will be with OCCH through the rest of this year and will continue to be engaged in affordable housing finance and policy into the future as a volunteer.

Hope to see you in May as we celebrate 30 years of partnership together!

Best,
Hal
hkeller@occh.org