BOSTON- WinnCompanies announced it has promoted Trevor Samios to Senior Vice President of a stand-alone resident services department, known as Connected Communities. For the last four years, Connected Communities has led innovations that have included first-in-the-nation programming milestones and a housing stability strategy that has drawn praise from eviction prevention policymakers.
Since joining the company in 2017, Samios has dramatically professionalized and expanded resident services capabilities of WinnResidential, growing offerings for the property management company with defined focus, an ambitious operating framework, and a 75-member team that has advanced meaningful, measurable change for communities nationwide. The resident services function had previously been housed under WinnResidential’s Operational and Support Services Department.
“Investing in improving residents’ lives is a core value for WinnCompanies and, as we mark our 50th anniversary, we are excited to double down on our commitment to this goal,” said WinnCompanies CEO Gilbert Winn. “Under Trevor’s exceptional leadership, Connected Communities will play a vital role in our growth and efficacy as our clients, investors and team members work to drive both improved social impact and sustainable business results.”
In his new role, Samios will report directly to WinnResidential President Patrick Appleby, add staff to support regional initiatives and expand the role that Connected Communities plays in new business development, client relationship management, and WinnDevelopment’s new construction and property rehabilitation projects.
“Trevor’s leadership has elevated our organization to national recognition as a best-in-class service provider as we work to expand our impact while also strengthening our relationships in communities across the country,” Appleby said. “He embodies the passion for excellence that WinnResidential team members strive for in their daily work on behalf of 61,000 mixed-income households across the country.”
Connected Communities represents a collective impact approach to true community development, focusing on “people, place and partnership” and developing collaborative strategies that drive positive outcomes in six categories: Community Engagement, Economic Mobility, Education, Employment, Health and Housing. Under Samios, it has established an expansive network of focused partnerships with more than 500 national organizations and 1,000 local and regional service providers nationwide to connect residents of WinnResidential communities to programs, services and resources with measurable results.
Highlights of its accomplishments include:
- In 2019, WinnCompanies became the nation’s first for-profit affordable housing operator to gain federal approval to launch the HUD Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS) in the company’s Boston portfolio. The FSS program supports families with low incomes to build assets and financial capacity as a pathway to greater economic opportunity. Combined with financial coaching, credit building, and career advisory services, FSS can be a catalytic tool to combat generational poverty. The WinnCompanies FSS program has since expanded into Pennsylvania and California, with continued growth planned in 2022.
- In 2020, WinnCompanies became the first for-profit affordable housing development and management organization in the U.S. to earn the Certified Organization for Resident Engagement & Services (CORES) designation from Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future and Fannie Mae for Connected Communities’ “robust commitment, capacity and competency in providing outcomes-focused resident services in affordable rental housing.”
- In 2021, after more than a year of planning led by Samios, the company launched a pioneering National Housing Stability Program that has helped more than 20,000 residents in 16 states and Washington, D.C. avoid eviction for financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Designed to cut financial evictions in half by 2025, the program offers a combination of unique early intervention strategies that led to Samios being invited to serve on a nationwide eviction prevention task force established by the Biden Administration.
A resident of Somerville, MA, Samios hold a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania and an M.A. from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He is a 2019 graduate of the Lead Boston fellowship program, the Vice Chair of the National Apartment Association’s Affordable Housing Committee, a member of the YMCA of Greater Boston Board of Directors, YouthBuild USA advisory council, B’Nai B’Rith Board of Directors management committee, and frequent lecturer at the LISC Institute, CHAM and multiple universities.
