Please join us in congratulating our very own Deputy Director and Director of Asset Management Christian Caldarone on receiving the CHAM Asset Manager of the Year award!
CHAM, the Consortium for Housing and Asset Management, is an association of owners, developers, investors and stakeholders, committed to the mission of asset management and the preservation of affordable housing. With a clear directive to advance performance in affordable housing, this esteemed award comes from a place of honor and substance.
“Asset management in a small portfolio is often harder than in a large portfolio because it is so tempting to not bother with strategic thinking and just focus on property problems,” said the president of CHAM and Senior Director of Asset Management Programs for NeighborWorks America Harold Nassau. “Christian has consistently thought about properties from a holistic organizational financial and mission perspective and has worked to link resident services, property management, and even new development, in an asset management perspective.”
Christian, who has worked diligently in the affordable housing field for over 16 years, has held a variety of positions prior to his deputy role, including Development Project Manager and Acting Director for his former CDC. Prior to working in the field, he taught high school for four years and managed small self-financed construction projects. A father of two and married to artist/photographer, Krzystyna Caldarone, Christian is also a songwriter and plays gigs around New England.
“While I enjoy the increasingly difficult challenges of the affordable housing industry, I most appreciate working with my mission-driven colleagues who inspire me daily,” Christian said. “I share this award with all the other affordable housing Asset Managers struggling to maintain their portfolios in the face of increasing challenges, but especially I share it with my incredible Asset Management team here at NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley.”
It’s been no small amount of work and effort that landed Christian this prestigious honor. From creating HousEART, an initiative that connected local and national artists to vacant houses, which provided a canvas for artwork that symbolized investment and renewal, to the preservation of existing affordable units through capital needs construction projects, Christian’s work has spanned more than a decade.
“HousEART allowed the artists to use the entire exterior of the house. The only stipulation was that each project involved local children in helping to conceive and/or create the art,” Christian said proudly of the initiative. “Several houses in the neighborhood were transformed into temporary works of art that conveyed hope, life and creativity. The project was highlighted in a few local magazines and one international art publication; attracting artists as far away as the United States pacific southwest.”
To date, NWBRV’s Eviction Prevention Team under Christian’s leadership, has also assisted their portfolio’s residents in successfully acquiring over one million dollars in COVID-related rental assistance. Most critically, it was essential in maintaining the housing stability for over 150 low-income households.
Christian has earned his CHAM designation. He has been a valued voice in the industry as a result of his deep commitment and hands on experience.”
Harold Nassau, CHAM president, and Senior Director of Asset Management Programs for NeighborWorks America
On behalf of the entire NeighborWorks staff and community, please join us in congratulating our co-worker, friend, and fellow Rhode Islander on this amazing accomplishment. Commitment like Christian’s is invaluable to NeighborWorks’ mission, and we applaud and appreciate both his dedication and CHAM’s insight with this incredible honor!
I am deeply honored and humbled to receive ‘Asset Manager of the Year’ from CHAM. This national recognition by such a prestigious professional network is a testament to the important work being done by small to mid-sized nonprofit affordable housing developers across the U.S. As stewards, Asset Managers work to preserve existing affordable units in the context of a housing market that is already woefully short on supply. Therefore, the loss of any affordable housing is a potentially devastating blow to families and individuals who have been priced out of both the rental and homeownership markets. I am proud to work in an area that supports low to moderate income households in their pursuit of success.”
NeighborWorks’ Deputy Director, Christian Caldarone
