Just a few weeks ago, we had the great privilege of welcoming our new CEO, Annissa Lambirth-Garrett, to not only Community Housing Network but also to our great city of Columbus. It has been such a delight to get to know her, and we can’t wait for our entire CHN community to meet her in the weeks and months to come.
Annissa came to CHN as a seasoned nonprofit executive with more than three decades of leadership experience in the operation and development of affordable housing. She moved to Columbus from Chicago in March, where she previously served as the Executive Director and CEO of the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund (CLIHTF). We sat down with Annissa to talk about her first few weeks in Central Ohio. Here’s what we learned!
QUESTION: Do you have a go-to coffee shop or lunch spot in Columbus yet?
ANNISSA’S ANSWER: That would have to be Northstar Café. I love the healthy food options they have—it's really good and there’s a vibe. The atmosphere is really cool.
Q: What drew you to Columbus and Community Housing Network?
A: Initially, I wasn't seeking employment when I found Community Housing Network. I was updating my LinkedIn profile, and I received a couple of notifications, a couple of ads, and then two jobs came across my screen. I looked at it, and I thought, this sounds really interesting and similar to what I do. I had been at the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund for almost 10 years, and had fulfilled that duty. I felt that my mission there was complete, and it was time for a change, so I decided to inquire further.
And before I knew it, I was in an interview and another interview and another interview, and I was thought, this is an actual option for me. It's still close to home (Indianapolis), where my whole family still lives, including both of my parents, who are in their 80s. It was a good fit in that regard, but what really drew my attention to Community Housing Network is the type of service model they had. I have worked where we provided social services. I have worked in affordable and permanent supportive housing. I've worked in housing development. But I’ve never worked where they were doing all of that under one umbrella. That's what I always wanted to do in Chicago, and I saw an opportunity to do that here.
Q: What does “community” mean to you, personally and professionally?
A: Personally, community is where people can come together, despite their differences and beliefs, and support one another and fill in the gaps for one another. I guess it just speaks to love, right? That's what community means to me, and that's how I envision it.
Professionally, it’s really the same thing—where people can work together, respect one another, support one another for the greater good, and see each other as people. So often we work together, but we don't see each other as the person that we are. And I think when you're able to see people at their core, you start to interact differently.
Q: What parallels do you see between your work in Chicago and your new work with CHN? And what are you excited to implement here?
A: Obviously, both organizations focused on providing housing to the homeless or those at risk of homelessness, as well as providing the necessary wrap-around services. Too often, we think that just putting people under a roof is enough, not realizing all the other determinants. How does someone go to work every day if they don't have a roof over their head, or if they need mental health services, addiction counseling, etc.? Being able to offer those wrap-around services to support the person gives the person a better chance at being successful. Both organizations share a similar mission.
Funding is a big challenge everyone is facing right now. But I like challenges, and as weird as it might sound, I want to win. Right now, I am finding myself in a space where I'm implementing new ways we approach and look at funding, and how we can tie into other things like sustainability, particular services, etc. So right now, I'm just trying to think, what is the next best thing that is not just obvious? And how can we position ourselves to be at the forefront of that and be a leader in that, bringing Community Housing Network out from behind the shadow of various organizations? My son always says, ‘Mom, you have to separate yourself from the crowd.’ Everyone is looking for funding, but what do we do to separate ourselves? So that's how I'm spending a lot of my nights, trying to think outside the box.
Q: What’s a book or podcast you’d recommend right now?
A: One of my favorite books to recommend is Daring Greatly by Brené Brown. Basically, it just says that when people are comfortable with who they are, they can better understand other people. Another book I love is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It’s another one of those books about empowerment and perspective.
Q: Why is it important for the community to support organizations like CHN?
A: When the people we serve go unchecked, it impacts the greater community. If we do not focus on providing housing and social services, these are the folks we're going to see in encampments. These are the people we are going to see flooding emergency rooms because they don't have the resources that they need. It all goes hand in hand. You must support community organizations like ours, so that you can help even just one of those people. At CHN, we will help many more, but if you’ve helped one person through your support, you’ve made an impact.
