The Rental Housing Association's President's Awards Reception was held on Wednesday November 29th, 2017 at the Westin Waterfront in Boston, MA. The housing community gathered together to celebrate two deserving individuals, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Associate Director, Kate Racer and The Schochet Companies’ President Richard Henken.
Kate Racer received the 2017 Excellence in Public Service Award in recognition of more than twenty five years of service overseeing DHCD’s Division of Housing Development, where she and her team have been involved in funding more than 90,000 units of affordable housing throughout the Commonwealth. Kate’s accomplishments are universally recognized throughout all sectors of the affordable housing industry, and her work and devotion to public service are truly appreciated and admired by all!
Rick Henken received the 2017 Industry Excellence Award for his exemplary work in the affordable housing industry, including his acquisition and preservation of affordable of over 2,800 apartments in sixteen developments. In 1997 Rick joined the Schochet Companies as its Executive Vice President after more than a decade of working as an advisor to the company. He was promoted to President in 2004. Rick is active in the larger community, serving on several boards focused on improving the lives of lower income seniors and families. He is especially passionate about education, and has been a member of the Board of Directors (and past president) of the Catholic Schools Foundation for over a decade. Rick also sits on the Boards of Hebrew Senior Life, NewLease for the Homeless, and Chairs the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB), among others. Rick’s devotion to affordable housing was highlighted in a video presentation focusing on Rick’s work to reinvest in Fresh Pond Apartments, a 504-unit family community in North Cambridge provided attendees with insight into the impact of Rick’s work. The video can be found at https://youtu.be/DzKe4W47lgM.
Congratulations to both recipients on their well-deserved recognition. The hard work and dedication you have shown is greatly appreciated by members of the housing community and beyond.
A video record of the event was recreated by the Rental Housing Association and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/edruhpr2NAk.