David Karoff

David Karoff worked in the affordable housing arena in Rhode Island for about 10 years including as the Executive Director of SWAP from 1985 -1988. In that role he shepherded in a new model for SWAP as a nonprofit affordable housing developer, doing both rehab and new construction. The organization created its own small-scale construction operation- with neighborhood workers often without extensive experience. The crew, which benefitted from extensive workforce development training, included both men and women speaking four-five languages and ranging in age from 18-67.

After SWAP David founded a nonprofit that focused on affordable non-congregate housing for people with chronic mental illness in RI.

David says housing was (and is) a vehicle for increasing the capacity and power of a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual community. “Most rewarding were the times we were able to bring very diverse groups of people together to promote and develop affordable housing that fit into the neighborhood. Most difficult – then and now – was assembling the resources necessary to make projects happen.”

Karoff has three key observations about the current housing issue in Rhode Island.

1. The State has finally begun to confront housing issues. There is a lot of work to do, and money to be spent, to make up for its years of short-sighted inaction.
2. The role of the federal government in funding housing development is critical and, unfortunately, mercurial, and unreliable.
3. Nonprofit affordable housing development is hard work. I worry about the pipeline of experienced and passionate leaders to assume the mantle of an aging workforce.
   

Karoff has some reservations and some hope for the future. “I’m certain the near-term future will be very challenging. I hope that the 50-year timeframe will, on average, even out the short-term, somewhat dire prospects. In the long run, it’s hard to imagine that affordable housing won’t continue to be a significant need in cities like Providence. SWAP, as a highly successful (and flexible) organization with a good track record in a very difficult environment, has as good a chance as any to survive and, even, thrive.  But what will it look like in 50 years?  I’d be a fool to predict.”

As for David he is semi-retired; doing organizational development consulting with local nonprofits and making metal sculpture, spending a lot of time with grandchildren and tilting at the windmill of trying to stay in shape.