Affordable's Generational Change in Leadership

SAN FRANCISCO-The next generation of leaders in affordable housing and community development will bring a different perspective and embodiment of the issues and drivers than their Boomer predecessors. But have we developed the knowledge, the business models and techniques, and perspective for the next generation of leaders to manage production, new investment and portfolio in this much more complex rubric? Housing in and of itself was a far easier goal; building successful neighborhoods and communities of opportunity is a far greater challenge.

There are multiple tectonic shifts taking place in the affordable housing and community development business. The most obvious is the shrinking resources of government and the many ripples of the Great Recession (inequality, jobs, shrinking government, housing overhang). As recruiters in the business, we not only see these shifts reflected in the people side of the business, but we also see another far-reaching change with overlapping and additional impact: Our long term leaders, indeed the founders of many of our organizations, are aging baby boomers. The passing of the baton from the baby boomers to the next generation combined with the secular shifts over the coming years will be have significant, lasting impact.