Nikki A. Beasley is the Executive Director of Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. She joined the organization in 2016 after retiring from a 25 year career in banking and financial services. Although new to housing, she had a strong infinity to community and service. Because of her leadership, RNHS has doubled it’s property management rental portfolio for low to moderate income families through multifamily acquisition. Nikki established the organization’s Changing the Narrative of Homeownership Initiative, started the Lender Ready program in 2017 assisting over 100 new first time home buyer‘s secure ownership, established RNHS Money Matter’s Series which the organization host monthly, and became small site infill developers in 2018.
RNHS has also become a staple in the housing conversation throughout the Bay Area and Region advocating for tenant and landlord rights, consumer affairs, fair housing, working with municipality to address zoning, and creating equable programs for it’s residents through the organization’s mission and focus to lift up homeownership as a tool to addressing housing need(s). The work was launched as RNHS launched it’s Filbert Promise Homeownership project in 2018. This acquisition started the organization’s conversation and advocacy around uncoupling race and income related to the lack of subsidy for production of homeownership projects targeting 80- 120% AMI (Area median income aka Missing Middle, Workforce Housing) addressing the wealth gap and disparity in communities of color. This development project has sparked a new initiative that Nikki has launched – the Emerging Developers program in 2020; assisting Black developers, addressing the barriers new developers face in securing projects.
Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn and follow Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services on Facebook.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Nikki’s background
- How Nikki’s former career prepared her for what she does now
- The difference between community housing and public housing
- Why there is a need for community/public housing
- The social and economic benefits affordable housing provides
- Other services Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services provides
- Where funding comes from
- How rent is calculated for tenants
- Other RNHS projects
