Kara Rodenhizer

Kara Anne E. Rodenhizer, Ph.D. (she/her) is the Director of Housing Initiatives at Granite United Way. In this role, Kara leads the Home for All Coalition, a diverse, multi-sector partnership of over 50 members working to address the issues of homelessness and access to affordable housing in the Greater Seacoast Region of New Hampshire and Maine. Kara also oversees GUW’s Affordable Housing Incentive Program (AHIP), which brings together landlords and service providers – to create pathways to affordable, stable housing for those who have experienced homelessness or housing instability and partners with landlords and developers to overcome barriers to providing affordable housing.

Prior to joining GUW, Kara served in multiple roles at HAVEN, New Hampshire’s largest violence prevention and support services agency. In these roles, Kara played a key role in helping secure federal funds to grow HAVEN’s Housing and Shelter programs and led a collaborative effort between HAVEN and Dover Housing Authority to develop permanent supportive housing for survivors of interpersonal violence.

Kara holds a B.A. from the University of California-Davis, an M.A. in Forensic Psychology from Marymount University, and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of New Hampshire. She serves as Vice Chair of the Portsmouth Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and remains actively involved in housing and homelessness initiatives throughout New England.