Meet HAC’s Research & Information Team
Lance George
Lance 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.”
Selina Coffie
Selina Coffie is a Stevenson Center Fellow on the Research and Information team at Housing Assistance Council. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Geography from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied Economics with a concentration in Applied Community and Economic Development at Illinois State University. Selina is passionate about using econometrics models to research rural development issues. Prior to joining HAC and Illinois State University, she worked as an economics teacher and gained professional experience in the financial sector, commodities trading, and shipping and logistics industry. Her interest in rural community development stems from her experience working in both rural and urban areas and witnessing firsthand the disparities between the two in terms of housing, economic opportunities, and access to social services and physical infrastructure. Her research interests focus on public policies and programs that affect the economic well-being of rural communities, particularly affordable housing, housing availability, workforce development for rural youth, microfinance, and rural credit.
Selina is just a girl who loves nature and dreams of travelling the world.
Manda LaPorte
Manda is a Senior Research Specialist at the Housing Assistance Council. 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 agricultural worker housing across the country, research on Colonias Investment Areas along the U.S.-Mexico border states, and rural evictions and housing instability.
With an equal love for nature and the finer things, Manda’s favorite type of adventure is glamping.
Blue Miller
Blue Miller is a Research Associate at the Housing Assistance Council. Blue has previously held research roles with the University of Barcelona and DC-based federal government contractors. He also has prior experience working on language access efforts for vulnerable populations in the DC area. He is constantly seeking ways to apply social science research methods to positive ends for communities in the greatest need. He holds a B.A in Political Science from James Madison University and an M.Sc from the University of Barcelona in Institutions and Political Economy.
A lifelong Virginian, Blue can help you avoid the worst of DMV traffic.
Meagan Mitchell
Meagan 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.
Keith Wiley
Keith 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.