Laura Abernathy to advance policies supporting affordable manufactured home communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. — ROC USA is pleased to announce that Laura Abernathy has been hired as Senior Vice President of Policy and Partnerships. She brings 15 years of experience and expertise creating policies and programs that prevent displacement, expand the supply of affordable housing options and support low-income families and individuals.
“Laura brings a wealth of experience in multi-family affordable housing, along with transferable skills and established relationships that will enhance awareness and underscore the importance of our cooperative resident ownership model,” said Nicholas Salerno, Chief Operating Officer.
In her role at ROC USA, Laura will advocate for and shape public policies and resources that support the growth, sustainability and affordability of manufactured home communities while empowering the residents who live in them.
“I’m excited about creating opportunities for residents in manufactured home communities and learning more about shared equity housing along the way,” she said.
Prior to joining ROC USA, Laura served as Senior Director of Housing Policy at the National Housing Trust, where she worked with policy makers across the country to preserve and improve existing multifamily affordable rental housing. In addition to being a national expert in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, Laura brings extensive experience working with communities who want to create and preserve affordable housing by providing tailored policy recommendations based on best practices from around the country. She has worked in Denver to update and pass a preservation ordinance that grants the City a right-of-first-refusal to purchase and preserve multifamily affordable rental housing, created Preservation Collaboratives in Colorado and Miami and developed a policy framework designed to preserve existing subsidized and naturally occurring affordable housing in San Diego.
Laura received her bachelor’s degree from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., and her master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Florida, in Gainesville, where she concentrated on housing and community development.
Outside of work, Laura enjoys traveling, cooking, keeping her plants alive and taking Portuguese lessons. She will work a hybrid schedule in Washington, D.C.
Contact Information:
Laura Abernathy, labernathy@rocusa.org