HAPHousing Is Now Way Finders

SPRINGFIELD — HAPHousing announced it has changed its name to Way Finders. But more than a name change, Way Finders expresses the organization’s expanded purpose: to find a way to build healthy, sustainable communities.

Through the formation of two strategic partnerships and the organization’s ongoing work with a host of community collaborators and neighborhood residents, Way Finders addresses the fundamentals necessary for families and their neighborhoods to thrive. These include access to training, jobs, small-business financing, healthy food, safe streets, and engaged citizens in addition to safe, affordable housing.

Strategic partnerships with two long-standing organizations will expand Way Finders’ capacity. MBL Housing and Development, LLC is a real-estate development/consulting firm. For more than 20 years, many real-estate developers, including Way Finders, have relied on MBL to create workable financing solutions for beneficial community projects.

Common Capital Inc. (CCI) brings its experience as a community-development financial institution to Way Finders. With roots in micro-enterprise lending, CCI has grown to become a multi-million-dollar lender. The people Way Finders serves will now have greater access to home-financing options and small-business lending, and more jobs and more homeowners will lead to greater economic and social vitality.

“This is a great day for the thousands of people we serve, our employees, and this region,” said Peter Gagliardi, Way Finders CEO. “Way Finders is built on a strong foundation: our 40-plus-year history of providing high-quality, safe, affordable housing solutions for all who are in need, regardless of circumstance. This important work will continue. What’s different is the resetting of expectations: we are intent on building strong, healthy, economically and socially thriving communities.”

Way Finders, formerly HAPHousing, began as Housing Allowance Project Inc. more than 40 years ago. Over the years, the organization has evolved to become a go-to provider for a full range of housing services as well as a developer and manager of high-quality, affordable housing throughout the region. The organization has now expanded its purpose to deliver comprehensive solutions for the region’s families, neighborhoods, and communities.