Fight Forward Event Series 2026

Overview

ANHD’s annual Fight Forward event series builds power across NYC’s housing and economic development actors. Our 2026 event series provided in-person spaces to have timely, thought-provoking conversations, connect with others in the movement, and celebrate our collective power and resilience.

ANHD Member Event: Preservation

ANHD brought together 70+ members for a discussion with NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Dina Levy on advancing affordable housing preservation. The discussion centered on the challenges facing distressed, nonprofit-owned housing and the policies needed to stabilize and safeguard these homes. Members shared perspectives from their work in the field and engaged in a candid dialogue about how public agencies can support long-term affordability. The gathering also served as an opportunity to connect, reflect, and shape collective priorities.

Speaker

Dina Levy
Commissioner, NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD)

ANHD Member Event: Code Enforcement & Landlord Accountability

ANHD convened 60+ organizers and tenant leaders from our membership to meet with senior leadership from NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Together, participants discussed ways to strengthen the current code enforcement process and ensure tenants receive timely and quality repairs in their apartments. Members shared on-the-ground insights from buildings across the city and identified opportunities to build on existing systems, support more responsive approaches, and deepen collaboration in the communities most impacted.

Speakers

AnnMarie Santiago
Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement and Neighborhood Services, NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD)

Adam Phillips
First Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD)

Celeste Hornbach
Executive Advisor for Special Projects, NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD)

In Community: Merchant Power in Jackson Heights

We partnered with our member organization Chhaya CDC for a walking tour of Jackson Heights’ vibrant commercial corridors where government, nonprofit, and community development partners were able to meet immigrant merchant leaders, hear directly about the displacement pressures facing local businesses, and learn about how merchant organizing contributes to neighborhood stability, equitable economic development, and commercial corridor resilience throughout New York City. Attendees also learned how community development organizations like Chhaya are advancing this work through ANHD’s Citywide Merchant Organizing Project (CMOP).

Speakers

Annetta Seecharran – Chhaya CDC; ANHD Board of Directors

Urgen Sherpa – Chhaya CDC

Jessica Taylor – Goldman Sachs

NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kenny Minaya

Council Member Gale Brewer

Council Member Shekar Krishnan

Assembly Member Catalina Cruz

Jackson Heights small business owners

In Community: Responsible Banking & Reinvestment

As federal financial protections continue to shift, New York’s regulatory leadership is becoming even more consequential. On September 22, we held a timely conversation on how local government is stepping in to protect consumers, strengthen community reinvestment, and expand oversight amid rapid changes in the financial services sector, while supporting a strong, innovative, and inclusive financial sector.

Speakers

Mark Levine
NYC Comptroller

Senator James Sanders Jr.
Chair of the NYS Senate Committee on Banks

Brandee McHale
Head of Community Investing and Development, Citi; President of the Citi Foundation

Jamal Clayton Robinson
Executive Director, IMPACCT Brooklyn

Glenn Davis
Development Manager, Renaissance Economic Development Corporation

Series Finale Event: Building Community Power in a Pivotal Time

On Thursday, October 22nd ANHD held the culminating event of our 2026 Fight Forward series, Building Community Power in a Pivotal Time, where we brought together leaders working across the New York City community development field for conversation, celebration, and connection.

Drawing on the rich history of community development in New York City, we explored how to protect our hard-won subsidized housing, tenant protections, small business supports, and more – while building towards a New York City truly driven by community power.

The evening concluded with a networking reception where attendees were able to across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors, exchange ideas, and build the relationships that drive community development across the city, with food provided by Salsa Caterers.

Speakers

Darrick Hamilton
Henry Cohen Professor of Economics and Urban Policy; Founding Director of the Institute on Race and Political Economy, The New School

Jamaal T. Bailey
New York State Senator; Chairman of Committee on Insurance

Jeffery C. Mays
New York Times reporter

Jumaane Williams
NYC Public Advocate

Katelyn Meehan
Managing Director, Wells Fargo Community Lending & Investment

Justin Bologna
Housing Development Manager, Jericho Project

Victor Filpo
Community Development + Engagement Manager, Ascendant Neighborhood Development

Sheila Garcia
Director of Organizing, Mothers on the Move (MOM); ANHD Board of Directors

Yvonne Stennett
Executive Director, Community League of the Heights (CLOTH)

Jessica Clemente
CEO, Nos Quedamos / We Stay

Consultants, Vendors & Partners

ANHD directed 92% of 2026 Fight Forward event expenses towards vendors and consultants who identified as a nonprofit, cultural institution, and/or minority/women owned business. We encourage you to use the following consultants, vendors and partners we collaborated with to bring the Fight Forward series across NYC:

Cameron Blaylock

Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FWPA)

Gonzalez y Gonzalez

Himalayan Yak Restaurant

Luce Productions

Neighborly Events

The New York Academy of Sciences

Rodriguez Valle Creative