The LOCUS member spotlight highlights a LOCUS coalition member whose past work and dedication in the real estate sector advance smart growth principles and equitable development. For this member spotlight, LOCUS is excited to feature Steering Committee member Shannon Morgan.
Shannon Morgan
Shannon Morgan is a housing expert, experienced leader, and a member of the LOCUS Steering Committee. She has a diverse real estate background specializing in residential real estate, rehabilitation, land acquisition, and development. She has received numerous awards in the smart growth and real estate development field, including being inducted into the 2021 Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame on behalf of the Midwest Real Estate Journals, the 2018 LOCUS/Smart Growth America Affordable Housing Developer of the Year, and the 2019 Center for Land Recycling and the US EPA Lifetime Achievement Award for Brownfield Redevelopment. She is Managing Partner of Renovare Development, a woman-owned social impact real estate development company based in Detroit, MI and has completed the development of over 20,000 housing units.
Q&A
The following is a brief excerpt from our Q&A with Shannon:
Tell us about your work, and how you became engaged in smart growth and triple-bottom-line real estate development.
I’ve been working in housing for 25 years and have worked on innovative projects throughout the country. In 2019, my partner Jill Ferrai and I started Renovare Development. Renovare is a woman-owned, social impact development company located in Detroit, Michigan that is focused on transformational projects that serve deep community need. We currently have seven projects underway that offer a variety of attainable housing choices and community centric commercial.
What inspired you to join LOCUS?
My mentor, Bernie Glieberman, was an original steering committee member. I was lucky to attend many of the original meetings before LOCUS was formed. I realized then that LOCUS represented the best thought leaders and visionaries in the development world and we (LOCUS) had the opportunity to utilize our projects as examples to craft meaningful policy at the federal level. Today, I can say that my experiences, mentors, and relationships through LOCUS have shaped my career.
Are there any recent or upcoming development projects you would like to share?
We’ve recently started a campaign allowing the public to invest in Renovare Development, which allows them to also invest in where they live on the woman-owned platform Small Change. Additionally, we are working with the City of Ypsilanti, Michigan on a for-sale missing middle project that will feature 46 units of townhomes, duplexes, and detached row homes. 50% of the units will be set aside for 40-120% of area median income. The site is located in the historic Depot Town and is scheduled to break ground in fall 2022.
Connect with Shannon
You can learn more about Shannon and her work in equitable real estate development by visiting her website, renovaredevelopment.com.
Join us
With the growing opportunities arising from the federal policy space, there has never been a better time to join LOCUS. LOCUS members enjoy exclusive resources, visibility, and business development, and unique leadership opportunities to guide the coalition’s strategy and influence in the real estate development sector.