A 26 year commitment to Housing and Community Development
A track record of excellence, commitment, and success
Al Eisenberg has been fighting for Arlington County, the DC metro area, and all Americans for housing and community development issues for over 26 years.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Vice-President for Government Relations, for the Greater Washington Board of Trade; 2001 to present
- Leading the creation of two special task forces, one on affordable housing, the other to promote transit-oriented, smart growth developments,
Consultant, 2001 representing a variety of clients in housing and transportation including:
- the U.S. Millennial Housing Commission;
- A major smart growth housing and commercial development project in Jefferson County, West Virginia;
- Birmingham Green, assisted living facility owned by five governments in Northern Virginia that needed replacement with a larger facility.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation; 1999 to 2001
- Secretary's designee on the White House Community Empowerment Board, which oversaw the Enterprise Community/Empowerment Zone program.
- Served on White House Task Force on Livable Communities
- Chairman, Administration's Mississippi Delta Regional Initiative Task Force, which created the new Mississippi Delta Regional Authority to dispense funds for projects and programs in this poor section of the country.
- Chairman, U.S. DOT's Task Force on the President's New Markets Initiative, which brought Federal technical assistance and business investments to troubled rural and urban communities.
Member, Vice Chairman, Chairman, Arlington, VA, County Board; 1984 to 1999 Leader in development/evolution of the county's housing and community development policy, including:
- Creation of the county's multi-million dollar housing loan funds,
- Reform of the county's rental assistance program,
- Establishment of a local congregate housing services program for frail, low income elderly people,
- Formation of the county's homeless assistance and prevention programs,
- Establishment of the county's Advisory Commission on Housing,
- Establishment of special housing preservation zoning overlay districts, an award winning program requiring the unit for unit replacement of housing displaced by redevelopment.
- Creation of four mini-enterprise zones.
- Leadership in establishing and supporting for four economic development public/private partnerships.
- Recipient of the Washington, DC, region's highest award for public service in 1992, the Arlington Housing Corporation Housing Hall of Fame Award, and the Housing Association of Non-profit Developers Lifetime Achievement Award.
Senior Director of Federal Legislative Affairs, for the American Institute of Architects; 1982 to 1996
- Leader in conceiving and writing HUD's Consolidated Planning Process;
- Conceived of, developed with a coalition, the Commercial Revitalization Tax Credit Act for federal or state designated enterprise communities. It became a tax deduction in "new markets" legislation enacted in 2002.
- Active in the legislation that established the Enterprise Zone/Empowerment Community program.
Legislative Assistant/Staff Director, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs; 1975 to 1982 Helped develop every housing and community development authorization that Congress enacted between 1976 and 1982, with major roles in the following:
- Creation of new FHA mortgage instruments for multi-family and single-family housing, such as the graduated payment mortgage and adjusted rate mortgage.
- The Urban Development Action Grant program, especially the selection criteria that directed funds to the most distressed urban areas
- Reauthorizations of the Community Development Block Grant Program, including the special legislation that made Arlington County a recipient of funds by formula, thus automatically providing millions of dollars a year
- Conceived of, largely wrote the "Congregate Housing Services Act" to help frail elderly individuals avoid premature institutionalization.
Commissioner, Virginia Housing Development Authority
Chairman, Virginia Housing Fund
- The Fund provides grants and low-cost loans to congregate housing and homeless assistance facilities, and the Multifamily Committee, which provides low-cost loans for low-income housing construction and renovation.
Co-founder, Vice-Chairman, Washington Area Housing Partnership
- This organization promotes favorable regional housing policies and provides technical assistance and outside resources to affordable housing development.
Co-founder, Northern Virginia Housing Coalition
- Instrumental in creating the Virginia Housing Partnership Fund, which has provided funding assistance for low-income housing across the state, and the Virginia Housing Fund, noted above.
Member (current), Chairman, Northern Virginia Regional Commission
Member, Chairman, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Metropolitan Policy Development Committee
Founder, Co-chairman, Arlington County, VA, Task Force on Affordable Housing,
- This organization initiated reforms and improvements in the housing policy for Arlington County.
Chairman, Arlington County, VA, Tenant-Landlord Commission.
- Instrumental in establishing relocation payments to help displaced tenants reestablish themselves in better housing, both homeownership and rental.
Member, Arlington County, VA, Community Development Citizen's Advisory Committee
- Recommending funding for programs and projects in distressed neighborhoods.