What We Do

Affordable Housing Programs

Affordable Housing Search

Locate affordable rental housing in Nevada.

Section 8 Tenant Resources

WAHC assists applicants and tenants of HUD Project Based Section 8 properties by ensuring that their applications and their tenancies are administered and provided in accordance with HUD requirements. Applicants and tenants should refer to these resources when experiencing problems at any of the Nevada properties WAHC oversees.

Homeless Prevention Program

The Homeless Prevention Program was created by Washoe Affordable Housing Corporation in June 2017. WAHC self-funds the program through program income from other organizational activities, and receives matching funds from the Nevada Housing Division's (NHD) Low-Income Housing Trust Fund.

Washoe Affordable Housing Corporation (WAHC) is a nonprofit entity created by the Reno Housing Authority. WAHC administers affordable housing programs to assist low-income individual and families across the state.

Since 2000, WAHC has carried out contract administration for Project Based Section 8 properties throughout Nevada. WAHC provides oversight of these affordable properties, ensuring owners and agents comply with all federal regulations. This talented, professional staff also conducts monitoring reviews and other contract responsibilities for the properties.

Additionally, in 2017 WAHC created the Homeless Prevention Program to assist low-income Washoe County families in jeopardy of homelessness due to temporary hardship, and to assist families facing high rent increases.

Board

Dr. Hilary Lopez

President

The RHA executive director packs a wallop into her 5’1” frame. Hilary Lopez, Ph.D. has an extensive background in affordable housing financing, preservation and modernization in the public and private sectors. She has worked most of her career helping housing authorities and non-profit agencies across the nation build, rehab, and maintain public housing and other affordable housing stock. She’s also originally from Brooklyn and still appreciates a good slice of pizza, but the Truckee Meadows has been home for nearly 30 years.

Dr. Lopez holds a course certificate from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bard College, a Master of Science in Resource and Applied Economics from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Geography from the University of Denver. She is also certified as a Housing Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council and is a recognized HOME Program Specialist in Administration by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Dave Aiazzi

Vice-President

Dave is a stalwart public servant with a deep love for northern Nevada and its residents. He has a lifetime of public service under his belt, having served in numerous leadership capacities throughout northern Nevada. A Sparks native, he began his public service in 1990 by taking over the Sky Tavern Junior Ski Program from the City of Reno, and transitioning it to a nonprofit organization. He also served on the board of Artown, a large culture festival hosted in Reno, for a dozen years. He was also a founding member of the Truckee Meadows Water Authority in 2002 when it was purchased from Sierra Pacific Power Company. Dave has additionally carried out duties as a longtime Reno City Councilman, from 1996 until 2012. There he was deeply involved in garnering services for homeless people, bringing art projects to the city, and open space and park improvements to his ward. At the same time Dave served on the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Governing Board and Regional Transportation Commission for a number of years.

Among the things accomplished during his time on the Reno City Council are the ReTrac Project, Aces Stadium, the Events Center, City Hall, 4th Street Transit Station, soccer fields at Moana, the Whitewater Park and more.

Mayor Hillary Schieve

Mayor Hillary Schieve

Secretary-Treasurer

Hillary brings to the Council her entrepreneurial experience as an employer and local business owner, as well as her out-of-the-box thinking which helped her businesses prosper during the economic downturn.

Hillary is the owner and operator of three businesses in the City of Reno.

She wants to use her business knowledge to help eliminate bureaucratic red tape and spur job creation.

Mark Sullivan

Trustee

Chairperson Mark Sullivan is passionate about helping those in need which is shown in his dedication and enthusiasm for the Reno Housing Authority. Mark’s background stems from the construction industry, moving quickly into local government affairs that included legislation for the Associated General Contractors (AGC) and lobbying for contractors.

In his commitment to help others, Mark was instrumental as one of the four founders of Reno’s ACE High School. The charter high school specializes in career and technical education through practical hands on applications. The school, through its students, builds a house a year and with proceeds going toward funding of additional building trade projects.

Mark is a true believer in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that states our most basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter. His goal, as a RHA Board member, is to identify the housing gaps in our community and focus on filling those through the efforts of RHA. Mark is grateful for the hard work the RHA staff does and their dedication to helping others.

Jazzmeen Johnson

Trustee

A northern Nevada native, Jazzmeen has a passion for helping people. She’s worked in the medical field as a medical assistant for more than a decade. She earned an associate degree in health science and is a full-time instructor at Charter Career Academy. But there’s much more to her than that.

This commissioner also used the RHA’s Workforce Development Program to earn her esthetician license and become an entrepreneur. She owns her own beauty studio in Midtown. She also has three kids and six houseplants.

Why is that part important? Jazzmeen appreciates bringing out the good and the beautiful in every situation. That’s why her careers helping people, her home life and her commitment to the RHA Board of Commissioners is so important to her.

“I look forward to sharing my unique perspective with other members of the board,” she said, “and doing what I can to help our entire community.” Jazzmeen says anyone can make a difference in their community when they’re active.

Kathleen Taylor

Trustee

It’s tough to find someone with as much affection for northern Nevada as Kathleen Taylor. A Reno local, Kathleen is a graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno, the Reno + Sparks Chamber Leadership Program and the Reno Citizens Institute. That deep knowledge of and love for the community gives her a broad perspective on a kaleidoscope of ways the community can prosper, including affordable housing infrastructure.

Kathleen prides herself on being a team player dedicated to providing vibrant communities for everyone. A local small business owner, she previously served as a city planning commissioner where she advised the city council on economic development, natural resource conservation and enhancement, housing development and land use decisions. She has also been a member of the Building Enterprise Funding Advisory committee.

A mom of two who lives in the downtown core of Reno, Kathleen says she sees firsthand how a variety of housing results in a dynamic, energetic community, and she recognizes how stable, affordable housing impacts people’s health and quality of life.

Staff

WASHOE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION | Serving the State of Nevada

Brenda Freestone

Contract Administrator

Brenda Freestone serves as the WAHC contract administrator. In her role she oversees the organization’s and the properties’ compliance to HUD regulations. She also oversees vouchering and assists property managers and landlords with housing assistance payments, renewals and rent adjustments. Brenda holds certificates as an occupancy specialist and in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit operations.

Eugene Weight

Compliance Auditor

Eugene Weight III is the Compliance Auditor at Washoe Affordable Housing Corporation (WAHC). He has been with WAHC for eight years. He conducts Management and Occupancy Reviews for the 37 properties that WAHC oversees in their portfolio and assists with the resolution of tenant health and safety concerns. Eugene has assisted with the Homeless Prevention Program that was created by WAHC in June 2017. This program works in conjunction with other organizational activities and the Nevada Housing Division (NHD) Low-Income Housing Trust Fund. Eugene spent time with the Reno Housing Authority working in the Admissions and Housing Choice Voucher Departments. Eugene was born and raised in Reno, NV and graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno and holds an MBA from Morrison University.

Lucy King

Compliance Auditor

Lucy King brings a wealth of experience to her role as a compliance auditor. In her 22 years working in low-income housing programs, she’s served as a housing specialist, a contract administrator, and a voucher specialist for Reno and Sacramento housing authorities, and the state of Tennessee Housing Finance Agency. For WAHC, Lucy performs management and occupancy reviews, and ensures more than 3,200 unit properties are paid accurately.

Get in Touch

Washoe Affordable Housing Corporation

Find us at the office

1004 Forest Street
Reno, Nevada 89509-2705

Give us a ring

Phone: (775) 334-3199
Fax: (775) 334-3195
Toll Free: (888) 202-9036
TTY: (385) 770-7166
E-mail: inquiries@renoha.org

Mon - Fri, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM