Blog Layout

Meet Ron Morris, VP of Construction and MVP to our homeownership participants!

Vivian Duran • June 1, 2021
Ron Morris, IHA’s Vice President of Construction/Development has 35+ years of experience in the construction field. He provides training and oversight for the participants of our homeownership program. He also establishes and maintains productive relationships with lenders, realtors, sponsors, public officials, vendors, and clients. We truly adore his personality and are proud to have him part of our IHA family.  

Enjoy some quotes from vendors and clients: 

“Ron Morris is absolutely wonderful to work with. He is very knowledgeable, professional, and understanding (scheduling, materials etc.) I truly wish that everyone we did work with were as great to work with as him!” – from Andy Adelsberger, Blue Line Roofing & Exteriors 

“What a pleasure to work with Mr. Ron Morris. He is the perfect example of a person with a genuine personality which demonstrates his sincere concern, dedication, appreciation, and full attention to all aspects of construction details, laws, and standards. Most of all a sincere understanding how to communicate extremely well with all kinds of personalities. We appreciated his dedication and hard work. Always wishing him the best now and forever. Thank you, Ron.” – from Vivian & Rey Delaluz   

“Ron is an amazing person, who is the backbone of the Purchase Repair Program at IHA.  He goes above and beyond to ensure that the new homeowners have the tools and resources to complete their repairs.  Ron teaches the participants about how to be a homeowner.  Ron genuinely cares for each participant deeply.  He takes a personal approach to their success.   Ron is a wonderful asset to IHA.” from Kelly Losquadro, REALTOR, ABR Long & Foster 

“We enjoyed all our contacts with Ron. He was unfailingly cheerful, brought good materials to us, and was directly helpful for many of the projects. He managed to be always available for questions, practical, and timely all the while giving the impression of being relaxed and laid back. In fact, it was Ron who was the first representative of IHA I met at a multi-vendor, multi-service housing display - I think it was at the ARC building. He was most encouraging about the possibility of entering the USDA Rural Repair Program and gave me the courage to apply. My husband and I both give him kudos for all his work with IHA. Thanks for the opportunity to sing his praises.” – from Jan Guillory 

“Easiest person to work with ever more like a friend.” – from Pat Toney, Fredericktowne Electric 

“My experience with Ron were always very good. He is a professional with solidarity, who guided me in repairs in my house. Everything was such a nice experience, that I would definitely do again. Thank you, Ron!” – from Fernando Munoz 

“Ron and I go way back to his supervisor days at Ryan homes. A true gentleman, after meeting him, and helping him with his project he was kind enough to spread the word within the company to others. What can I say, over two decades later we still have the opportunity to work for one of the largest builders in the area. So, for me all roads lead to Ron Morris!” – from Pete Pantazopoulos, Sunshine Cleaning and Restoration 

“Mr. Ron has been very cooperative, and we also benefited from his long experience in the field of work in construction. He answered all our questions and gave great advice. We are very grateful and thankful for him. Thank you for all the hard work Ron.” - from Mohammed Ibrahim &Faten Alwan  

“Ron was extremely helpful throughout this process. He was always there to help with the renovations and set up vendors to work with. He took a load off my shoulders... He was a calming factor when I got stressed which was very helpful. I appreciate Ron for all he did to help me with my dream home. His help truly was the best benefit of the program.” - from Caprice Webb 

“I have interacted with Ron Morris a number of times in my role as a Home Inspector for some of the homes in IHA’s Purchase Repair. Through those interactions, Ron has always impressed me with his knowledge and expertise of homes and how they are built, as well as by his commitment to the mission of IHA. With his efforts and assistance many individuals and families have achieved their goal of homeownership. It has been a pleasure and an honor to know Ron during my time with IHA.” – from Mark Long, Peace of Mind Home Inspections & IHA Board Member        

“Ron is patient and calm. He listened to our questions about the house and how to make the repairs. He recommended businesses to complete our inspections and make the repairs we couldn't handle. We really felt like Ron was experienced and we could trust his recommendations. He was understanding and took time with us to answer our questions. I always had a long list of questions to ask him and after I talked with him, he put my mind at ease. I felt more knowledgeable to make a plan. He explained our choices and the repairs that could be made. He explained the pros and cons to sky lights in the ceiling, sump pumps in the basement, rerouting rainwater from the house foundation, do's and don'ts with insulation, who to call to inspect our chimneys, who to call to install our radon vent, best deals for window installations. The list goes on and on. I was always relieved to talk with him. We felt like he wanted to help us achieve our goals to improve our new home. It was reassuring to have Ron's eyes on our home and the repairs that needed completed. Ron is an expert at home construction/repair. He visited several houses with us we were interested in buying. He saw and told us the repairs that would be needed and what we needed to consider, which led us to make our decisions. He knew what the inspectors would see. He noticed propane tank pipes routed incorrectly from the garage to the fireplace, the asphalt skirt at the end of the driveway and the drainage underneath weren't code and would cost a lot to repair, the insulation in the walls wasn't thick enough and the heating bills would be high. Ron is laid back and easy going. While I was purchasing and repairing my home with IHA, I went through an extremely difficult event in my life. Ron understood I was overwhelmed. We were at the end of making our repairs, and I hadn't sent him my update reports. He reached out to me, excused me from writing the updates and accepted an email describing where we were in the process to share with his team. I was also working with a program who was weatherizing my home. They were running bathroom vents through the roof and fixing the attic insulation to code. Ron understood the value of this to me and extended a deadline as best as he could to accommodate us. I remember the first delivery of materials he left for us were in a Home Depot bucket. We thought "we didn't need a bucket." Boy, were we wrong!! We haven't stopped using that bucket!! Thank you, Ron, for your foresight!! Ron has a positive outlook and a great sense of humor. At one of the meetings with the moms in the program like me who were in the process of buying a home to repair, Ron reminded us, "ok ladies, so were not looking for a house with granite countertops and stainless-steel kitchens. You're looking for a home that needs repairs." We all laughed. We enjoyed working with him. As I said, talking with him was uplifting. He recently met with me to answer some of my questions about my mom's home, and I smiled big when his truck pulled in the driveway. He joked with me because my measuring tape and his were measuring differently. I decided to go with his! It was so good to see him and talk with him. Ron was one of several people at IHA who were like a team I trusted to help me make the best decisions while buying and repairing my new home. It was a relief to have Ron and the IHA staff help me through this huge process. I felt like I was in good hands, and I appreciate the work Ron does for me, my family and for others. For myself and others, Ron's work is life changing. My life and my children's lives are entirely different (better) because of Ron and IHA.” - from Heather Rice 

It is with immense gratitude that we recognize Ron Morris and his contributions to all IHA affordable housing programs: self-help housing construction, purchase repair homeownership program and, the low-income housing tax credit program. During Ron’s tenure with IHA, he acted as the construction supervisor on the building of 40 self-help housing units and 52 purchase repair units. Ron also provided construction oversight to five low-income housing tax credit rental properties adding 193 affordable rental units to the IHA portfolio.    

Sadly, Ron’s legacy at IHA is coming to an end. In February of 2021, Ron informed us that he will be retiring in 2023. Ron, we will miss hearing your cheerful whistles and “it’s Friday, it’s Friday!” singing through the office.  

IHA will be hiring a construction manager in the next year. Interested parties please contact Jodie Ostoich at jostoich@interfaithhousing.org
March 3, 2025
Gary Free grew up in Brunswick, MD. The first time he saw the Residences at Railroad Square, he knew he would love to live in the apartments. Now all he can think to himself is, “I am living here!” Gary said the day he signed his lease he was so happy! He has a picture hanging in his apartment that says, “You’re Home.” Gary looks at it often and says to himself, “I am!” He finally feels at peace. Gary feels his home is nice! He also feels one of the ways of living at Residences of Railroad Square is that he now has everything he ever wanted, asked for and needed. The only thing he feels is a concern is that most of the time he gets lonely. His goal is to try to meet people. He says, “I’m a very friendly person.” Gary says his experience living at the Residences at Railroad Square has been rather good. If he has any concerns he can talk to the office staff. He feels it can’t get any better than this!
By Crystal Thomas March 3, 2025
With excitement and anticipation, I watched the groundbreaking on June 29, 2023, with my assistant Vickie and IHA’s Supportive Services coordinator, Sandi. By the middle of September 2023 concrete walls were being set up. We watched as the roof was completed; then the windows and doors were installed. We impatiently waited for the day we received permission to see the inside of the Residences of Railroad Square property. Finally, on September 25, 2024, we had the privilege to tour the inside of this beautiful property. On the weekend of September 27, 2024, the IHA property management team along with the CEO Jodie, held a two-day in-person application event. The owners of First Stop Brunswick generously donated their space at 2. E. Baltimore Street. That lease up kick off generated 56 applications. Over the next three months, ninety more applications were submitted. Each applicant came with their own story which stirred our hearts. No matter how different their stories may have been, they all had the same wish, a place to call home for Christmas! On November 5, 2024, the first resident signed their lease and on December 23, 2024, the last empty unit was filled! Not only were we able to fulfill these residents' Christmas wishes but it also filled our hearts with joy!
March 3, 2025
In November 2024, IHA was awarded a $20,000 grant from Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. This grant supports IHA’s three workshop series: Credit Café ; Financial Freedom Bootcamp ; and Ready, Set, Go… Home! In Credit Café, participants work specifically on improving their credit. Financial Freedom Bootcamp builds critical foundational skills for financial success. Ready, Set, Go… Home! walks participants through the entire homebuying process from start to finish. IHA also received a $1,574.37 designated grant from The PNC Homeownership Fund of The Community Foundation of Frederick County. These pass-through funds will directly support low- to moderate-income (LMI) households in achieving homeownership in Frederick County. In December 2024, IHA was awarded a $29,498 grant from the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust (MAHT). MAHT is administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) through the Division of Neighborhood Revitalization. This grant program is a valuable resource for the advancement of affordable housing initiatives and will provide operational assistance to IHA’s affordable multifamily community in Cumberland, MD. In January 2025, IHA was awarded a $2,500 grant by The Natelli Communities Charitable Fund of The Community Foundation of Frederick County. These unrestricted funds will support IHA’s work across the multiple counties served by our programs and affordable rental communities.
Show More
Share by: