The New York Housing Conference (NYHC), a broad-based coalition that advocates for decent affordable housing for all New Yorkers, and the National Housing Conference (NHC), a national coalition dedicated to helping ensure safe, decent and affordable housing for all Americans, unveiled that the 41st Annual Awards Program will take place on December 10th at Hilton New York at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. The event, entitled Reaching New Heights: Leadership, Innovation and Diversity, honors industry leaders and highlights the power of constituents to advocate for policy innovations that protect successful affordable housing programs serving people in need. It will feature symposiums, a networking reception, and an awards program that pays tribute to four industry leaders and the organizations that highlight the event theme through their work. "Our theme this year, 'Reaching New Heights,' celebrates outstanding achievement in affordable housing and recognizes our community and government partners who are working hard to improve the availability and affordability of housing for New Yorkers. We've seen unprecedented investment in affordable housing from both Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, which is spurring innovation and creativity in affordable housing and community building. We need to harness this investment to impact neighborhoods in a meaningful way and target affordability to those most in need. Our honorees this year offer exceptional examples of innovative development and community leadership while embracing the diversity for which New York is known," notes Rachel Fee, Executive Director of the New York Housing Conference. "The New York Housing Conference and the National Housing Conference are committed to ensuring safe, decent and affordable housing for all in America. We're working together to educate the new Congress as they tackle important issues like tax reform as well as the budget and funding for housing production and preservation," said Chris Estes, President and CEO of the National Housing Conference. "New York is a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing, and we hope the Awards Program will help bring the community together to engage Congress to take housing to greater heights." The four honorees are: * Alfred DelliBovi, recipient of the Clara Fox Award for Outstanding Achievement - A former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Administrator of the Urban Mass Transportation Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and New York State Assemblyman, Mr. DelliBovi most recently served as President and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY) for 21 years. During that time, he oversaw the tenfold growth of the Bank's assets to $120 billion and established the Bank's Affordable Housing Program (AHP), one of the largest private fund sources for affordable housing in the country, which has provided more than $5.2 billion in grants to projects sponsored by its members. * Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), recipient of the Nonprofit of the Year Award - Founded 40 years ago, AAFE is dedicated to enriching the lives of Asian Americans and the city's other diverse immigrant communities through housing, social service and community development initiatives. Led by Executive Director Christopher Kui, AAFE has preserved and developed 86 buildings and created more than 800 units of housing to date, including the first Low Income Housing Tax Credit project in New York City, Equality Houses, on the Lower East Side in 1985. * MacQuesten Companies, recipient of the Private Developer of the Year Award - Rella Fogliano leads the MacQuesten Companies, a woman-owned affordable housing development and construction management company based in Pelham. MacQuesten has developed 11 buildings and 1,500 units of affordable housing in New York City and Westchester County since 1992, most famously Heritage Homes in New Rochelle, a $72 million, three-phase, 228-unit housing project in partnership with the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority. * Darryl Towns, commissioner and CEO of New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), recipient of the Public Service Award - After 18 years of service in the State Assembly, Towns was appointed by Governor Cuomo in 2011 to oversee all of New York's housing and community renewal agencies. He is responsible for the $1 billion House NY Program, the largest state investment in affordable housing in nearly 20 years that will create and preserve more than 14,000 housing units over five years. Under his leadership, the state and federal governments, along with New York City, worked together to preserve affordability for 60,000 residents in Co-op City, the state's largest Mitchell-Lama development, with a $621 million refinanced loan. Since 2011, HCR has also helped finance more than 30,000 affordable units, and worked to strengthen the state's rent laws. "We stand at a critical juncture in the history of affordable housing for New York," said José R. González, the 41st Annual Awards Program Chair and President and CEO of the FHLBNY. "Thanks to the invaluable contributions of those we will honor at the Awards Program, as well as the ongoing efforts of so many others, we are headed in the right direction. We must continue to work together to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to housing they can afford." In addition to the awards ceremony, the 41st Annual Awards Program will feature six symposiums covering a range of challenges that the affordable housing industry faces, including: * What to expect from the federal government in 2015 * Housing finance opportunities and challenges at the local, state, and federal level * Development models for best practice in NYCHA partnership plans for preservation and development * How zoning changes will impact communities and development costs * Leveraging health & social service funding for housing421a policy changes advocates and industry groups are seeking Founded in 1973 by Clara Fox, an icon in the affordable housing industry, the NYHC joined the NHC as its first regional affiliate in 1976. The NYHC advocates for the housing needs of all New Yorkers through positive change in public policy and promotes adequate resources and workable regulations while raising public awareness of the need for and benefits of affordable housing. One of the largest gatherings of its kind in New York and beyond, over 1,300 of the affordable housing industry's leading professionals will attend the Annual Awards Program, including for profit and nonprofit developers, builders, architects, financial institutions, government officials, and attorneys who are at the forefront of addressing the housing needs of New York City and State. To purchase tickets to the 41st Annual Awards Program or learn more, please visit http://www.thenyhc.org/41st-Annual-Awards-Program.