United Housing Management receives award from MassHousing

For the third consecutive year, MassHousing presented its highest award to United Housing Management, LLC, in recognition of its multi-million dollar expenditures with minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MBE/WBE) located in Roxbury and Dorchester. United Housing Management, based in Dorchester, recently received the award at MassHousing's annual Property Management Awards ceremony. The MassHousing "Management Company Award" honors United Housing Management for exceeding the Commonwealth's MBE/WBE vendor utilization goals for their properties through its expenditures totaling more than $4 million for FY2010. John Strodder, general manager of United Housing Management LLC, said, "We appreciate MassHousing's continuing recognition of our commitment to doing business with women and minority owned businesses in our community. With our spending of more than $3 million among minority-owned businesses and more than $1 million among women-owned businesses, we have achieved the highest rate of participation with M/WBEs compared to any other large management company in MassHousing's management portfolio in Massachusetts." These figures total about 75% of United Housing Management's discretionary operating expenditures. Strodder says that if other large management companies in the Roxbury/Dorchester area were to contract with MBE's consistently and at the same high level as United Housing Management, an additional $10 million could be spent in those economically depressed areas. This would translate into more jobs for local families and an increased growth of small minority-owned and women-owned businesses, easing the burden of today's troubled economy. United Housing Management's record of strong support for local minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses in the management of its properties is reflected in the long standing relationships with two of its vendors, Dorchester-based law firm of Marius and Grandoit, and CHAPS Building Management and Maintenance Services. Marius and Grandoit has provided legal services for United Housing Management since 2003. Attorney Lucille Andrew Marius said, "United Housing Management is one of our most valued clients. The firm is very professional and respectful in managing its obligations as a landlord, while appreciating the challenges facing their tenants in this tight economy. United Housing is also very efficient and effective in dealing with their tenants, vendors, and businesses in a diverse community. We're honored to provide United Housing Management with legal representation and congratulate them on this well deserved award. We look forward to continuing our long lasting and successful relationship." United Housing Management has provided business opportunities to CHAPS Services. Culberth James, owner/vice president, CHAPS said, "CHAPS has been in the business of providing high quality janitorial and building maintenance services for 16 years and United Housing has been our most important customers for seven years. United Housing has contributed greatly to our success and helped us grow to a thriving workforce of more than 30 people. It has also been responsible for keeping many other small vendors in the community like CHAPS in business. Throughout our relationship, United Housing has been a great company to work for -- the owners and dedicated staff make it easy for us to do our job. We wish them continued success." About United Housing Management, LLC Founded in 2002, United Housing Management LLC is a professional management services company which oversees a portfolio of about 1500 affordable multi-family housing units in the primary target areas of Roxbury, and Dorchester. The mission of United Housing Management is to: preserve and create affordable housing communities that will remain affordable for working families; include the residents as a meaningful component in its management plan; and focus upon individual responsibility, as well as building a sense of pride in family, home and community. United Housing Management shares these goals with the owners and the residents: - to maintain both the affordability, safety and the physical condition of the property, - to secure resources to support each resident's social and economic needs, and - to operate the property in the most cost-effective manner.