Profile

Sean Mock, an Associate Project Manager at The Neighborhood Developers in Chelsea, also calls this area home. Every Wednesday night, he enjoys watching the long-running reality TV show Survivor with friends. Despite moving to Chelsea during the pandemic's peak in June 2020, Sean quickly adapted to his role at The Neighborhood Developers, initially working in grant writing before transitioning to the real estate development team. Early in his role as a project manager, Sean attended MKI’s Development Decoded training, taught by Jennifer Gilbert. At this event, he reconnected with a college acquaintance (now working at a fellow CDC) and became involved in The Community Development Mentoring Program hosted by MKI and CHAPA. Since the program launch in January, Sean has gained valuable insight into real estate project management which allowed him to successfully work on 170 Cottage Street, a 66-unit affordable housing development in Chelsea.

"My passion for affordable housing revolves around the question: How do you turn a vacant lot into housing?" Sean’s interest in community development starting during his college years in Minnesota. During that time, he became aware that the state has one of the worst racial wealth gaps in the country and a significant homeownership gap between white people and people of color, particularly Black families. Learning about the legacy of redlining and the barriers to homeownership faced by numerous communities fueled his dedication to addressing these issues through affordable housing. Sean began his career at the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency during college and later Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.

Sean’s diverse background, including Initially, working as a grant writer prepared him for his role at TND. It allowed him to work with TND’s financial mobility, community building, and resident services programs. This experience has been crucial in developing a holistic approach as a project manager, helping him bring feedback and elements of those programs into the development process.

Sean spoke about his proudest accomplishment at TND: securing DHCD funding for 170 Cottage Street. This achievement is especially rewarding, as it is Sean’s first successful One Stop application and the culmination of many months spent on design development, zoning approvals, and refining the project budget.

Moreover, Sean's relationship with his mentor, David Levy, has been invaluable in navigating the complexities of the project. Their weekly meetings have become a place for Sean to work through problems, commiserate about shared struggles, and learn more about David’s path in the field. With David’s support, Sean is excited to get construction started on 170 Cottage this fall.  What’s more, the site is only a fifteen-minute walk from his home!