A Message from TAAHP's President

By Nathan Kelley, TAAHP President (2024-2025)

Serving as the TAAHP’s 20242025 President has been an incredible honor. As my tenure comes to a close, I want to take this opportunity to reflect on the past year and express my deepest gratitude to all who have been there to support the organization and its efforts. I am profoundly proud of all that we have accomplished together as a community of professionals united by a shared mission: ensuring access to quality, affordable housing for Texans.

This year has been marked by both challenges and significant progress. We’ve continued to navigate an ever-changing economic and regulatory landscape, yet through it all, the resilience and dedication of our membership has never wavered. I have been consistently inspired by your commitment to creating and preserving affordable housing across the state—work that is both essential and life-changing for countless families.

One of our most important achievements this year was the continued strengthening of TAAHP’s advocacy efforts. Together, we successfully engaged with state legislators and key stakeholders to protect and improve programs vital to the affordable housing industry. Our coordinated advocacy played a critical role during the 89th legislative session, and your participation, whether through testimony, meetings, or grassroots support, was instrumental in ensuring our voice was heard. I can’t thank the members of our Government Affairs Committee led by Meghan Cano, our lobby teams including Leticia Van de Putte, Jim Keffer, Colette Vallot, Carl Richie and Buffy Crownover as well as our partners at the Texas Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (TALHFA), Rural Rental Housing Association (RRHA), Texas Association of Builders (TAB), Texas Apartment Association (TAA) and the Texas Chapter of National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (TXNAHRO) enough for their work and partnership these last few months. Equally impactful was the work of the Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) Committee. The QAP remains one of the most influential tools shaping the allocation of housing tax credits in Texas, and the Committee’s thoughtful, strategic engagement with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has had a real and lasting effect. Through extensive collaboration, data-driven feedback, and countless hours of discussion and drafting, the QAP Committee played a vital role in ensuring that the policy framework guiding affordable housing development in Texas remains responsive to the needs of communities across our state. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the QAP Committee leadership, Kathryn Saar and Karsten Lowe, and all its members for their tireless work and exceptional expertise. TAAHP continued to expand our educational initiatives, offering new webinars topics, our first ever legislative town hall, and has worked to grow the impact of our annual conference, all of which helped keep our members informed, connected, and better equipped to meet the evolving needs of our industry. The quality of these programs speaks to the expertise and professionalism that define our organization. I want to thank Darren Smith, Blair Henderson and the members of the Education Committee as well as Ellie Fanning and Nick Walsh and the members of the Conference Committee and all who contributed to these efforts for going above and beyond in providing meaningful content that adds real value to our membership.

Our members are doing truly remarkable work in communities, large and small, throughout Texas. From rural developments in underserved areas to urban revitalization projects, our members have demonstrated innovation, integrity, and impact. Whether you are a developer, lender, investor, attorney, consultant, or service provider, your work has created more than just buildings; it has created homes, opportunities, and hope.

I also want to extend a special thank you to our Executive Director and TAAHP staff. Their tireless behind-the-scenes efforts have ensured our association runs smoothly and continues to grow in influence and effectiveness. Their professionalism and passion are key to everything we do. As I transition out of this role, I do so with immense confidence in the future of TAAHP. Our organization is strong, our mission is clear, and our members are among the most dedicated and capable professionals I have ever known. Thank you for the opportunity to serve and for the work you do every day.