Research and Information
Shawn Poynter/ There Is More Work To Be Done
Areas of Interest
Rural economies, rural people, and their housing
Meet HAC’s Research & Information Team
Lance George
Director of Research and Information
Housing Assistance CouncilLance is the Director of Research and Information at the Housing Assistance Council. With more than 20 years of experience, Lance leads the organization’s research, data, and information efforts. Lance works at the intersection of housing, research, and data to help Americans who have quality and safe homes, understand and care about those who do not. Lance’s research encompasses a wide array of issues and topics related to demographics and housing.
A displaced Kentuckian, who currently splits his time between Washington DC and Minnesota, Lance embodies the adage, “North Charm and Southern Efficiency.”
Manda LaPorte
Research Associate
Housing Assistance CouncilManda LaPorte is a Research Associate at the Housing Assistance Council. Her areas of interest include farmworker housing, placemaking and community development, and rural housing policy. Prior to HAC, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer and a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Nicaragua and Guatemala, respectively. After her service, she worked for Habitat for Humanity in the Greater Charlottesville area in a variety of bilingual positions ranging from construction to financial coaching. Manda holds a B.A. in Global Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an M.S. in Political Science with a focus in Applied Community and Economic Development from Illinois State University. Her projects currently include on-going, in-depth research on farmworker housing across the country, research on Colonias Investment Areas along the U.S.-Mexico border states, and community engagement and technical assistance with our CIRD cohorts.
With an equal love for nature and the finer things, Manda’s favorite type of adventure is glamping.
Meagan Mitchell
Research Associate
Housing Assistance CouncilMeagan Mitchell is a Research Associate at the Housing Assistance Council. She came to HAC thanks to her time at Auburn University’s Rural Studio, where she lived and worked in rural Alabama. At Rural Studio, Meagan worked with three other students to design and build a single-family home, while researching the complexities of rural land tenure and family-owned properties. Meagan holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Interior Architecture from Auburn University.
Meagan owns one too many houseplants, and thinks DIY is the answer to everything.
Natasha Moodie
Research Associate
Housing Assistance CouncilNatasha Moodie is a Research Associate at the Housing Assistance Council. She came to us as a Stevenson Fellow in the Applied Community and Economic Development Program at Illinois State University, where she completed her master’s thesis on balanced opportunity in the housing market. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, where she competed as a varsity swimmer for UofM and an Olympic team member for her home country, Jamaica. After her time in Ann Arbor, Natasha began her career in secondary education. Through AmeriCorps, Natasha developed programming to increase high school graduation rates in Tampa, Florida. She then transitioned to teaching full-time as a Teach for America corps member in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Natasha developed a deep appreciation for rural America during her Teach for America commitment and subsequent years living and working in the Rio Grande Valley. She is thrilled for the opportunity to work with HAC, where she can work within her passions for housing access and community development in rural America.
Natasha is a fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and old Star Trek series, and she’s always on the lookout for good gluten-free, dairy-free, pescatarian dining options.
Keith Wiley
Senior Research Associate
Housing Assistance CouncilKeith has worked extensively with many datasets in an effort to better understand where, when, and how development patterns occur. As part of these efforts, Keith has authored a recent article in the Journal of Housing Policy Debate, entitled “The role of the CDBG program in rural America” and has written several reports analyzing rural lending activities. He also coauthored both a book chapter in The Oxford Handbook of Urban Economics and Planning and a Resources for the Future discussion paper exploring residential infill. Keith holds a Master’s in Public Policy from American University, and a PhD in Public Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
It is impossible to find Keith in his natural environment without his statistical software.