Today we’d like to introduce you to Torie L. Haynes, MS, CPO®.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Torie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I entered Affordable Housing/Property Management simply by chance…I originally did not have my eyes set out to venture into Real Estate and make it a career.
I saw a growing need for Affordable Housing in the private sector and set out to make an impact within my community.
I grew up with parents who are active in Real Estate, my father is an investor and my mother is in property management as well – so growing up, I often tagged along with them while they worked with clients and the community.
However, it was not until my grandmother passed that I found my passion was helping Seniors find adequate, safe, and affordable housing.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road is never “smooth” in Affordable Housing…Ever!
There is a shortage of affordable housing not just for Seniors but for multifamily sector as well. Each day, I am presented with a new hurdle and I am not always able to give a potential applicant/family – the answer that he/she may want to hear.
Many people do not know that often in Affordable Housing, there is a waiting list in place and that waiting list must be open to apply for a residence.
I have seen waiting lists have a timeframe of up to 5 years or longer before the waiting list is re-opened to resume accepting applications.
Despite having a waiting list, there is the process of an applicant meeting the “tenant selection plan policy” that a property may implement. Should the applicant meet the tenant selection plan (i.e., age requirement, income limits typically not exceeding 30% of gross annual household income, etc.), he/she must wait until a unit becomes available, which can range from 6 months to over a year.
The overall process can be draining and frustrating…
Although I have made it my goal to help assist in placing Seniors, it has not always been as “smooth” as it could be.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Haynes & Co. story. Tell us more about the business.
As a Property Manager for an Affordable Housing Mid-Rise Community, I assist Seniors aged 62+ and persons with disabilities that include: HUD, Federal & State Regulations, and a Tenant Selection Plan Policy.
I am most proud of the work that I do each day – I am proud to be the voice of a population of people (Seniors) that are often forgotten about or simply not made a priority. It brings me a wealth of joy, just knowing that despite the shortage of Affordable Housing; if I am able to help at least one person each day, I am doing some good in the world.
I strive in producing excellence to each person that I meet along the way. I am usually the first person that my residents see each morning and the last face in the evening.
Not only do I light up – when I see my residents, but my residents light up as well.
Each day, I take their happiness, pain, and frustration right along with me.
Throughout the years, what has brought me great comfort, is knowing that it costs absolutely nothing – to show empathy and compassion to a person in need. I wake up with the goal each morning to be that beacon of hope for my residents and community.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The need for Affordable Housing is at an all-time high – not just for low-income wagers but for the middle class as well.
I think in the next 5-10 years, we will see more investors in the private sector venturing more extensively out into Affordable Housing and Tax Credit property development.
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