Calogero outlined the NYHC’s policy agenda, noting some of the organization’s main priorities: raising FHA multifamily mortgage limits; strengthening the low-income housing tax credit program and increasing the wage limit so more families can benefit; renewing and properly funding the Section 8 housing voucher program; and reducing the financial and administrative burden on housing agencies.

The event also featured remarks from Daniel A. Nissenbaum, chairman of the NHC and chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs Bank USA’s Urban Investment Group, as well as Maureen A. Friar, president and CEO of the NHC. Friar pointed out that the “huge amount of upheaval in the affordable housing world,” namely, the foreclosure crisis, the reform of the GSEs and overall budget concerns, all leave questions lingering over the industry.

But the highlight of the event was the presentation of awards, which honored some of the leaders of New York’s affordable housing industry. The Nonprofit Developer of the Year award went to FEGS Health and Human Services System, which provides housing and related support services to some 1,300 individuals diagnosed with a mental illness, developmental disabilities or are deaf or hard of hearing, including 700 in the metro area.

The Bluestone Organization took home the Private Developer of the Year award. The company has financed, designed, built and managed a variety of housing throughout Greater New York, including affordable one, two and three family homes, and multi-family rental and homeownership buildings, market rate and mixed income rental and mixed-use buildings and luxury condominiums. It is known for its participation in public/private partnerships with the New York City Housing Partnership Development Corp., the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York City Housing Development Corp., which have resulted in the creation of more than 2,100 units of affordable housing, subsidized housing and middle-income rental apartments.

The Public Service Award went to Marc Jahr, president of the New York City Housing Development Corp. Jahr, who describes himself as a “deal junkie,” has dedicated virtually his entire career to community development and affordable housing. The HDC, along with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, works to carry out Mayor Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan, which aims to create or preserve 165,000 affordable housing units by 2014. Since 2004, HDC has financed nearly 47,521 homes through the sale of tax-exempt and taxable bonds.

The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York also received Special Recognition for the 20th Anniversary of its Affordable Housing Program. Over the past two decades, the program has provided more than $220 million in grants to over 750 affordable housing initiatives across the state, helping to create, rehabilitate or preserve more than 30,000 low-income, seniors and workforce units.

And the Clara Fox Award for Outstanding Achievement—named after the affordable housing pioneer who died in 2007—went to William R. Frey, senior vice president and eastern region executive of Enterprise Community Partners Inc. Frey, who joined ECP 23 years ago, has played a major role in nearly all of the city’s major public-private housing initiatives over the past 30 years, including the City Homes program, the New York Equity Fund, the NRP and NEP programs, the Neighborhood Restore program and the New Housing Marketplace Plan. Under his leadership, Enterprise New York has raised or invested more than $2 billion toward creating over 30,000 affordable homes for more than 100,000 people.

Closing out the event was special remarks from Rafael Cestero, commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Cevelopment. Following a video introduction by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Cestero spoke on the importance of affordable housing, and the endurance of the industry: “Despite budget cuts and challenges, elected officials and the efforts of affordable housing advocates are what kept it going.”

New York’s housing programs matter, he noted, because in an economy like we have today, they creates jobs; the NYMP itself has created about 114,000 positions. Further, it allows private sector participation—every $1 invested by the NYMP is matched with $5 in investment from the private sector. These concepts, he stressed, need to be brought to the forefront of the affordable housing debate taking place on Capitol Hill.