CEO of local Habitat for Humanity chapter is moving on
Mike Mitchell has led Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake through one name change, two mergers and lots and lots of affordable-housing construction projects since he took the helm almost nine years ago. Now the CEO is about to head out the door.
He said he thinks the organization is well-positioned, and he's ready to do something else.
"There's been a lot of change," Mitchell said Tuesday. "I think with all of that change, I am, I guess, tired in a lot of ways -- 'tired' isn't the right word, but I'm just ready for something new. I'm actually going to take some time, and I may even change careers completely. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm excited about doing something different."
He plans to step down in mid-November. The group expects to launch a search for his replacement shortly but has already been getting inquiries from potential candidates, which tells you how fast news travels in the nonprofit community here. (It was only Friday that Mitchell told the board he intended to leave.)
Mitchell, who joined the staff after a few months as a board member, didn't come from the housing industry. His background is nonprofits and workforce development. He's run for office before (he took a three-month leave of absence from Habitat in 2006 while contending for a seat in the House of Delegates) and currently sits on the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee. So politics is a possibility for his next phase, but he says he's keeping his options open.
Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake -- like Habitat chapters worldwide -- relies on volunteer labor and donations to sell newly constructed or rehabbed homes to lower-income workers at prices they can afford. Habitat also offers no-interest mortgages, another way to keep the costs down.
"The organization is continuing to grow and thrive," said Sandra Erbe, Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake's marketing director. "We've just completed a big development on Clay Street in Annapolis. We're getting ready to dedicate another 11 homes in East Baltimore. While we consider [Mitchell's resignation] to be a great loss for the organization, we plan not to miss a beat."
Mitchell, reflecting on the group's work, noted an irony that some of you have talked about before: "Baltimore is a city that has thousands of vacant houses, and it has thousands of people in need of decent housing." Habitat, he says, tries to bridge that gap.
What else do you think could be done -- by nonprofits, businesses or city agencies -- to turn eyesore vacants into livable homes that don't cost an arm and a leg?
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Comments
I have volunteered at Habitat for about 6 years now.So ive had the privilige of knowing Mike Mitchell.So i wish him well in whatever he plans to do next
Posted by: Pete from Highlandtown | November 3, 2011 3:24 AM
As far as vacant houses are concerned, i think there are 3 different types of vacant houses that require 3 different approaches.
First of all you have the scattered vacant houses in areas like Pigtown and Highlandtown and the area right above Patterson Park.Smaller investors can be sold those properties.Or non-profits can be given them
Also, the City should bring back the Dollar House Program for those types of houses
Secondly, there are whole or half blocks full of vacants.Bigger non-profits like Habitat can handle those.and medium size and big investors can as well.But they need to rehab the whole block at once. Habitat learned long ago that they couldnt send homeowners onto blocks where half the houses were vacant.
Thirdly,you have areas where there are rows and rows of vacant houses. Right now the city is asking $80,000 for some of these houses.Thats insane.You can buy an unrehabbed house in Highlandtown or Pigtown for that price.And you can buy an unrehabbed house in Canton or Fed Hill for $100,000.Why pay $80,000 for a shell in a very bad area?
The city is taking too much of a peicemeal aproach, in my opinion. For the whole areas of rowhouses, the City needs to find large investors that will buy up to 50-200 houses at once.and are willing to invest in whole areas.
Ive done interior demolitions on over 200 rowhouses in Baltimore.And the vast majority are structually sound and dont need to be bulldozed.
The City needs to realise that they arent going to sell houses North of Fayette or West of MLK, one house at a time. They need to talk to large scale investors and work with them.By "work" i mean making sure that the areas being rehabbed are patrolled by police.Investors arent going to buy houses and reahabb them on blocks where drugs are openly being sold. If an investor is going to sink a few million dollars into an area, they want it to be safe
In short, i think the City is wrong to treat all vacants as the same.Different vacants require different approaches.And i think the City is approaching the problem in too piecemeal of a way
Thats just my humble two cents
Posted by: Pete from Highlandtown | November 3, 2011 3:40 AM
Thanks for the insight, Pete! I was just re-reading one of your comments last night about the problem with bulldozing rowhomes. (Check it out, guys: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/realestate/blog/2010/12/bidding_on_cityowned_property.html#comments)
Posted by: Jamie Smith Hopkins | November 3, 2011 7:22 AM
To further add to Pete's comment about large-scale investors -- I'd like to see affordable rents in those neighborhoods to encourage long-term tenancy. Many people rent because they choose to -- and would stay in the same place for a minimum of 5 years, if the home was affordable. Asking $1500 a month for a 2-bedroom in Pigtown or McElderry Park isn't going to encourage long-term stability -- it's going to encourage high turnover or more Section 8.
Posted by: Baltimore Slumlord Watch | November 8, 2011 9:22 PM