Michael Pires is the Power of Home’s Project Manager with over ten years’ experience in community development and not-for-profit management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in criminology from The Ohio State University and has served on numerous national community bank advisory council boards. Throughout his career, Pires has successfully implemented and managed national and statewide affordable housing programs for the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, NeighborWorks America, and HUD-approved housing counseling agencies throughout Ohio. He has experience in not-for-profit management and serving as a liaison to community partners and facilitating community engagement with various affordable housing-related projects. Pires has a demonstrated history of facilitating and managing complex agreements with external partners, innovative field experience and proven results-oriented leadership that are necessary for his role. His strong relationship and project management skills will coordinate engagement with external partners and lead the development of the home repair revolving loan fund.

Michael came to John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University because he was passionate about collaborating with Dr. Stephanie Moulton and her research on post-purchase support for new homeowners with the goal of creating an innovative solution to support distressed communities and expand the middle class through The Ohio State University Alliance for the American Dream initiative. During the peak of the housing crisis and recession, Pires served as program administrator for foreclosure prevention grant programs and worked to keep low-and-moderate-income homeowners out of default and remain in their homes after experiencing financial hardship. As the housing market recovers from the recent recession, homeownership rates among low-and-moderate-income first-time homebuyers in Ohio are on the rise; making it even more important for practitioners to develop pathways for sustainable homeownership that builds wealth and economic mobility. Through the Power of Home, there is a unique opportunity to transform the homeownership ecosystem by bringing together mission-oriented institutions with incentives aligned to facilitate sustainable homeownership—including a homeownership-focused social enterprise in Framework Homeownership and a State Housing Finance Agency. Pires is excited for this opportunity to manage a project that is committed to empowering new homeowners on the edge of the middle class with behaviorally informed decision-making tools, affordable capital to meet liquidity needs, and streamlined access to community resources, rebates, and incentives.