Leadership Highlight: HOPE’s Asset Manager, Shay Alexander, Makes a Difference in the Lives of Our Residents
HOPE’s Asset Manager, Shay Alexander, makes HOPE on Maidstone more accessible and builds lasting relationships with community partners.
by Lauren Quijano-Gin
It takes a team of tremendous leaders to make affordable housing a reality. HOPE is constantly pursuing new ventures in the ever-changing affordable housing industry, especially to support our mission of creating stable and affordable housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Shay Alexander joined HOPE in September 2021. Her role as Asset Manager includes managing the preservation of homes and ensuring they are accessible for residents who require additional support. Shay is also responsible for the asset management team and working with our partners at various property management companies to support servicing and leasing HOPE homes.
Shay describes her leadership style as flexible, because it helps contribute to HOPE adapting to where the organization is growing in its housing portfolio. Shay says, “It is important that one has integrity when working for our residents. Together, we can build trust. This will help us be efficient and effective in accomplishing our mission while building positive relationships along the way.” She is always open to feedback and incorporates everyone’s ideas to help manifest this growth for HOPE.
“It is important that one has integrity when working for our residents. Together, we can build trust.”
Before joining HOPE, Shay worked as a Property Manager for multi-family homes in the SoCal region for 13 years. And before that, as a Regional Portfolio Manager for single-family homes across LA County. HOPE works primarily on single-family homes. During her time at HOPE, Shay has learned that not all housing models require a cookie-cutter floor plan. HOPE needs to adapt to different floor plans and renovation changes within the layouts of the different properties to make them more accessible for its residents.
For maintenance of the HOPE portfolio, Shay ensures that the asset management team is set up to be as flexible as possible, to serve the different properties whether in Long Beach or Norwalk and ensures the team is building lasting partnerships with local vendors. Shay explains, “We need to be able to adapt to different areas where we have HOPE homes. Because we serve the I/DD population, it feels incredibly rewarding to be in a position where we can support this population because there is more gratitude from the residents who previously never had a home to call their own. Our residents are happier with the kind of work that we do to support them and their various accessibility needs.”
HOPE on Banner resident and family.
The Asset Management team identified the need for accessible flooring for one of HOPE’s residents living at HOPE on Banner. Shay and the asset management team worked with the residents to identify the most accessible flooring and the vendor who could install the flooring promptly. The resident chose the flooring for the entire unit. “At first, they were concerned about how the flooring would appear. Once we completed that project, they were beyond happy with how quickly the vendors got the work done”, Shay recalls.
Shay says that her experience in affordable housing has shaped her into the leader she is today. Shay worked in property management by starting as a temporary employee in asset management, which provided her with the foundation of understanding of the day-to-day operations of property management.
Shay says, “It helps to know what you are looking for to improve the value of the property, or working on budgets or financials, and know what happens in the background of reserves and preventative maintenance. Understanding all elements of my work from this standpoint is incredibly valuable. I would love to see more organizations like HOPE grow outside Southern California to support people with I/DD in other regions.”
HOPE is ecstatic to have Shay Alexander on the team. “Working with Shay has been amazing. Asset Management and Housing+ Services interact to make the living experience for each of our residents the best experience. Her leadership makes that possible”, says Maria Bosch, Housing Services Manager. We thank Shay for her leadership and commitment to our residents.
To empower HOPE to continue making progress toward creating accessible housing for people with I/DD, contribute to this vital work today at http://www.hope-inc.net/ways-to-give/donate.