Coalition for Home Repair welcomes Freyja Harris as Executive Director

Jonesborough, T.N. –  The Board of Directors of the Coalition for Home Repair has chosen Freyja Harris as its new full-time executive director to lead the nonprofit in promoting the preservation of safe, healthy, affordable housing for all by supporting the work of home repair and rehabilitation partners nationwide.

Harris brings more than 20 years of experience in housing, grant making, policy, and community development, and will play a key role in leading the Coalition, executing programs, fundraising, and advocacy work. 

As a consultant, she supports organizations with contract development, human resources, regulatory compliance, and culture change through the integration of policies and procedures that promote greater diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Harris has served in executive roles including as executive director at Florida Coalition for the Homeless and chief administrative officer at Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation. Harris brings a unique skill set working for funding agencies with prior roles as a senior program officer at Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation and a management specialist at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Harris is a lawyer and a long-time volunteer and advocate for housing policies. She will work remotely from Michigan beginning February 6.

Freyja is uniquely qualified to help the Coalition implement its strategic plan. A few key ways are:

Seeking Funds & Investing in Home Repairs

Freyja has not only been successful with fundraising for nonprofits; she also brings perspectives from working for both private and public sector funders. This experience will be significant as we seek grants for home repairs.

As management support specialist at HUD, Freyja was the point of contact for data collection, analysis, and reporting. She anticipated challenges and developed strategies to resolve complex operational problems. This technical experience bolsters the Coalition with credibility and real-world knowledge as we explore additional federal funds seek on behalf of members. Freyja also worked as a senior program officer for Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation where she managed grantee portfolios. She assisted nonprofits with grant writing and program assessments.

Influencing Policy & Providing Advocacy Opportunities

The Coalition seeks to influence policy to keep home preservation funding readily available and increase funding levels and access to funding. 

Freyja’s policy experience will be critical as the Coalition seeks opportunities to advocate for home preservation funding and resources and build connections with legislators. As an attorney, Freyja has demonstrated success in policy and advocacy around housing issues and homelessness. She’s worked for nonprofits, policy organizations, and state and local governments across multiple states. She will take on opportunities as they arise and build advocacy opportunities for member participation.

Executive Leadership & Efficient Governance

We’ve got big goals, and it will take an experienced leader to implement them. Freyja has robust executive experience in roles including executive director at Florida Coalition for the Homeless and chief administrative officer at Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation. As a consultant, she supports organizations with contract development, human resources, regulatory compliance, and culture change by integrating policies and procedures that promote greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Freyja has implemented training programs ranging from 1-in-1 coaching to large conferences. I have confidence she can lead our programs and operations while increasing efficiency. 

Since its founding in 2013, the Coalition for Home Repair (formerly ReFrame) has been led by co-founder Becca Davis in the role of executive director. Under Davis’s leadership, the organization grew from 14 founding members to more than 120. The Coalition’s revenue has also grown 700% in the last two years. Davis is confident Harris will be adequately prepared to lead the Coalition for Home Repair through its continued growth as the organization works towards implementation of its strategic plan.

“After vetting more than 100 candidates, it was clear to me that Freyja has the unique background and characteristics that will enable her to lead the Coalition,” Davis shared. “Her extensive affordable housing and fundraising experience, as well as her charismatic personality, will help bring our vision to life as she leads the organization into its second decade.” Davis will continue working full-time for the Coalition through March 10 to provide guidance and training as executive advisor. After that, she will transition to a part-time contracted role at the Coalition while working remotely for a consulting firm that helps nonprofits implement Salesforce to manage their donations, volunteers, and programs.

The Coalition for Home Repair is the premier nonprofit organization promoting and supporting the work of home repair and rehabilitation partners nationwide. Programs include emphasis on best practices, repair techniques, aging in place, and organizational management. Members have repaired 106,000 homes and ensured 128,000 people access safer housing. The Coalition supports 100+ nonprofits with professional development, technical training, and financial resources. Most recently, the organization was awarded $1,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to repair homes for low-income veterans with disabilities.

“The Board of Directors has the utmost confidence in Freyja and her ability to implement our strategic plan. Freyja’s passion for housing has fueled a career leading diverse communications towards accomplishing big goals,” said Jessica McMurray, chair of the Coalition’s Board of Directors.

“It is an immense honor to be selected by the Board of Directors and staff of the Coalition for Home Repair to advance its mission,” said Harris. “I’m particularly grateful to work with people that share my commitment to creating possibilities for preserving affordable housing.  I look forward to learning from and partnering with members to carry forward the Coalition’s  remarkable efforts to date, while pursuing new opportunities and increased impact throughout the U.S.”

Anyone interested in meeting Harris or learning more about the Coalition’s impact is welcome to register for the Annual Impact & Benchmarking Call on Tuesday, March 7th, at 2:00 pm ET. The free webinar will showcase member impact and a vision of what’s to come in 2023. Register now.

About the Coalition for Home Repair

The Coalition for Home Repair promotes the preservation of safe, healthy, affordable housing for all by supporting the work of home repair and rehabilitation partners nationwide. We provide funding, advocacy, and educational resources to ensure the preservation of safe, healthy, affordable housing. Since its founding in 2013, Coalition members have completed more than 106,000 home repair projects at nearly 53,000 homes in 38 states, improving the quality of life for about 128,000 people.