Alan Zais

Executive Director, Winnebago County Housing Authority

Ridott, Illinois, United States Contact Info
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Boone County Housing Authority

Activity

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Experience

  • Executive Director

    Boone County Housing Authority

    - Present 16 years 5 months

  • President

    Winnebago Homes Association

    - Present 18 years 2 months

    Rockford, Illinois

  • Executive Director

    Winnebago County Housing Authority

    - Present 25 years 2 months

    We're happy to share the story of our Officer Residency Program in partnership with the City of Rockford Police Department. The home was purchased by WCHA and is the residence of a Rockford Police Officer and their family, and the signage gives the officer's name and phone contacts. The officer is the neighborhood first responder and keeps in continual contact with the schools and children, businesses, churches and congregations, and neighbors to help promote comfort and familiarity with the…

    We're happy to share the story of our Officer Residency Program in partnership with the City of Rockford Police Department. The home was purchased by WCHA and is the residence of a Rockford Police Officer and their family, and the signage gives the officer's name and phone contacts. The officer is the neighborhood first responder and keeps in continual contact with the schools and children, businesses, churches and congregations, and neighbors to help promote comfort and familiarity with the police. The home is located in a high crime area to impact against crime and help foster the neighborhood recovery!

  • Senior/Assisted Manager, Section 8 Coordinator

    The Housing Authority of the City of Freeport

    - 5 years 4 months

  • Account Manager

    Thorn Americas, Inc.

    - 1 year 11 months

    Rockford, Illinois

  • Manager

    Realty Managers Inc. Watertower Place

    - 1 year 3 months

    Chicago, Illinois

  • Manager

    Kerasotes Theatres, Coronado Theatre

    - 15 years 2 months

    Rockford, Illinois

Education

Licenses & Certifications

  • Hearing Officer Specialist

    Nan Mckay and Associates, Inc.

  • Housing Choice Voucher Financial Management and Reporting

    Nan McKay and Associates, Inc.

  • Low Income Housing Tax Credit Specialist

    National Association for Housing Management

  • Project Based Accounting for PHAs Specialist

    Nan McKay and Associates, Inc.

  • Public Housing Executive Management

    Nan McKay and Associates, Inc.

  • Public Housing Manager

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

  • Section 8 Housing Quality Standards Specialist

    Nan McKay and Associates, Inc.

  • Senior Professional Housing Manager

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

Honors & Awards

  • Charles A. Thompson Award for Distinguished Service

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, North Central Regional Council

  • 2018 National Award of Merit in Program Innovation for Resident and Client Services

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

    WCHA, in partnership with the City of Rockford Police Department, purchased a home in a high crime area for free residency by a Rockford Police Officer and their family. The house has a prominent sign that of the police officer's name, the program and their email and telephone contact. The police officer is the first responder to neighborhood crime and also has ongoing community contact with the schools, businesses, churches, neighborhood associations and neighbors to create safety comfort…

    WCHA, in partnership with the City of Rockford Police Department, purchased a home in a high crime area for free residency by a Rockford Police Officer and their family. The house has a prominent sign that of the police officer's name, the program and their email and telephone contact. The police officer is the first responder to neighborhood crime and also has ongoing community contact with the schools, businesses, churches, neighborhood associations and neighbors to create safety comfort and promote good will. The program is intended to help locate police officers to live within the jurisdiction and create neighborhoods of opportunity for the housing authority's programs, including safety for the housing choice voucher holders in the area.

  • National Award of Merit in Program Innovation for Public Housing for the Westport Village

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

    The Westport Village was distressed property in Freeport, Illinois. In partnership with the Debruler Company, a $30 million mixed finance program and Rental Assistance Demonstration II Conversion rehabbed the site and added new construction for seniors to create 111 affordable townhouses for families.

  • Agency Award of Excellence in Program Innovation - Community Revitalization for the Rockford Veteran's Drop-in Center

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

    This was a fun project where we received the donation of a foreclosed distressed home from the National Community Stabilization Trust, and in partnership with the Rockford Home Depot Store, the Home Depot Foundation, and many other valuable community partners, we were able to rehab it as the new home for the Rockford Veteran's Drop-In Center.

  • NMA Development Award

    Nan McKay and Associates, Inc.

    The Center provides supportive services to veterans and had been using shared, donated space with another nonprofit’s building. However, the Center was about to lose this space and the ability to provide services. When WCHA learned of the problem, they offered a large home recently acquired through the National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST) program as a rehab and repurposed building for the Center. The home was rehabbed over approximately 90 days, providing a like-new building with…

    The Center provides supportive services to veterans and had been using shared, donated space with another nonprofit’s building. However, the Center was about to lose this space and the ability to provide services. When WCHA learned of the problem, they offered a large home recently acquired through the National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST) program as a rehab and repurposed building for the Center. The home was rehabbed over approximately 90 days, providing a like-new building with energy-efficient appliances, located next to public transportation and within a two-block radius of a pharmacy, retail shops, banks and restaurants. The work was so well-received that the city was able to pass a special zoning use permit in just 60 days.

    http://blog.nanmckay.com/2016/09/2016-nma-housing-awards-winners/

  • NAHRO 2016 National Award of Merit in Administrative Innovation

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

    Faced with severe national administrative fee funding cuts, the Boone County Housing Authority (BCHA) had to meet the challenge of how to both retain current services and expand services to the families it serves. They found another agency facing funding loss, the Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP), and provided them with a free office share with the agreement that LSSI would maintain full weekly office operation so BCHA families could have…

    Faced with severe national administrative fee funding cuts, the Boone County Housing Authority (BCHA) had to meet the challenge of how to both retain current services and expand services to the families it serves. They found another agency facing funding loss, the Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP), and provided them with a free office share with the agreement that LSSI would maintain full weekly office operation so BCHA families could have access to the computer lab and housing authority forms, and LSSI would provide bilingual services. BCHA also partnered with Winnebago County Housing Authority (WCHA) arranging for free FSS services for residents as part of the WCHA management operation.
    “This program celebrates achievement and honors the work that our members do each and every day to ensure a safe and affordable place to call home. Showcasing the efforts of housing agencies and agency officials through NAHRO’s Awards of Merit” said, NAHRO Acting CEO John Bohm.
    “We hope that the general public, community leaders, private industry and government itself will become inspired to reform and enhance existing housing and community development programs and in addition create new ground-breaking programs and services to meet the housing needs our nation’s most vulnerable citizens.”

  • NAHRO 2016 National Award of Merit in Community Revitalization for the Veteran's Drop-In Center

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

    The Winnebago County Housing Authority has been chosen as a recipient of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Awards of Merit: Community Revitalization for Veteran’s Drop-In Center. The official presentation of the award will take place in Portland, Ore. on July 15 during NAHRO’s Summer Conference.

    “The NAHRO Awards of Merit Program was created to give national recognition to NAHRO Member organizations that have found innovative ways of making a…

    The Winnebago County Housing Authority has been chosen as a recipient of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Awards of Merit: Community Revitalization for Veteran’s Drop-In Center. The official presentation of the award will take place in Portland, Ore. on July 15 during NAHRO’s Summer Conference.

    “The NAHRO Awards of Merit Program was created to give national recognition to NAHRO Member organizations that have found innovative ways of making a difference in the communities and the lives of the people they serve” said, NAHRO President Steve Merritt.

    The Rockford Veteran's Drop-In Center, which provides supportive services for veterans, was housed in another agency's building with restrictive hours and space. They decided they needed to expand their hours, services, and building space. The Winnebago County Housing Authority (WCHA) received a donation of a large, foreclosed and distressed home from the National Community Stabilization Trust as part of WCHA's neighborhood recovery program. WCHA partnered with the Rockford Home Depot Store, which arranged for volunteers and a grant to rehab the home, and then donated it to the Veteran's Center.

    “This program celebrates achievement and honors the work that our members do each and every day to ensure a safe and affordable place to call home. Showcasing the efforts of housing agencies and agency officials through NAHRO’s Awards of Merit” said, NAHRO Acting CEO John Bohm.

  • Community Development Achievement Award, Veteran's Drop-In Center

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, North Central Regional Council

    This was a fun project where we received the donation of a foreclosed distressed home from the National Community Stabilization Trust, and in partnership with the Rockford Home Depot Store, the Home Depot Foundation, and many other valuable community partners, we were able to rehab it as the new home for the Rockford Veteran's Drop-In Center.

  • Neighborhood Stabilization Program

    National Associaton of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

    Facing the problem of a lack of affordable housing, neighborhood blight, and high school dropouts, the Winnebago County Housing Authority and the Rockford Housing Authority (co-recipients of the award) partnered to leverage the nonprofit, government, and private sectors to use the Neighborhood Stabilization Community Trust program, Youth Build, and the Project Based Section 8 Program to rehabilitate and bring housing assistance to six homes. The renovations impacted against encroaching…

    Facing the problem of a lack of affordable housing, neighborhood blight, and high school dropouts, the Winnebago County Housing Authority and the Rockford Housing Authority (co-recipients of the award) partnered to leverage the nonprofit, government, and private sectors to use the Neighborhood Stabilization Community Trust program, Youth Build, and the Project Based Section 8 Program to rehabilitate and bring housing assistance to six homes. The renovations impacted against encroaching distressed neighborhoods, expanded housing opportunities into neighboring communities, and demonstrated jurisdictional cooperation to maximize a program that rehabbed homes, gave jobs to youth and housed low income families

  • Community Development Achievement Award

    NAHRO NCRC

    This is a shared award with the Rockford Housing Authority. Under the 2014/15 pilot Neighborhood Stabilization Program WCHA received three foreclosed home donations through the National Stabilization Trust Program. WCHA selectively chose homes in a good neighborhood, where the one foreclosed home could be rehabbed and help save the rest of the neighborhood from decline. These homes and 11 others were then made affordable for families in a partnership with the Rockford Housing Authority where…

    This is a shared award with the Rockford Housing Authority. Under the 2014/15 pilot Neighborhood Stabilization Program WCHA received three foreclosed home donations through the National Stabilization Trust Program. WCHA selectively chose homes in a good neighborhood, where the one foreclosed home could be rehabbed and help save the rest of the neighborhood from decline. These homes and 11 others were then made affordable for families in a partnership with the Rockford Housing Authority where RHA applied Project Based Section 8 (PBS8) contracts. Two of these homes are in South Beloit, expanding RHA’s services to families outside Rockford in programs other than Tenant Based Section 8, and brought two RHA assisted families into the HOPE VI program. WCHA also partnered with YouthBuild for the rehab of the 15th Avenue home. It truly took real partnerships and leveraging of many resources to create this housing for so many families. The program worked so well that WCHA has since received three more homes, rehabbed them, and again partnered with RHA for PBS8 to assist families.

  • Award of Merit in Program Innovation and Community Development

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

    Home Recovery Program. Foreclosed homes are purchased and leased to the low-income homeowner at affordable rates to protect against displacement.

  • National Award of Merit, Program Innovation - Affordable Housing

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

    Shelter Care Program. The Winnebago County Housing Authority partnered with the Rockford Housing Authority (award co-recipient) and the non-profit faith based organization Shelter Care Ministries to leverage state and federal funding to create housing for homeless veterans.

  • National Award of Merit, Program Innovation - Project Design

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

    Through the creation of a land bank, the Winnebago Homes Association acquired unbuildable land parcels and demolished distressed housing, then conveying the land to adjacent property owners with restrictive use for green space.

  • Award of Merit in Housing and Community Development

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

  • Community Revitalization and Development Award

    NAHRO NCRC

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