Pioneering Contributions
Samuel Bernard Little, PhD, MSW, is known as a powerful advocate for equitable U.S. public housing. As founding president of the National Alliance of Resident Services in Affordable and Assisted Housing (NAR-SAAH), Dr. Little served the organization for 21 years. Through NAR-SAAH he has provided technical assistance to employees of resident services and members of resident councils to help shape national housing policy, expand partnerships with community agencies, leverage funds to support resident programs, and address impacts of changing economic conditions and shifting political priorities.
Little is a seasoned administrator. He has served with distinction for three large public housing authorities in Baltimore, Maryland, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. Additionally, Little served from 1974-1992 in the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Manpower Resources as Administrator of Family Services; and as associate dean for Field Education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work (2013 – 2023). He also served as an adjunct faculty member for the Howard University School of Social Work for 10 years. Although retired from these academic roles, he continues to work with faculty and students on research related to improving the quality of life in public housing. His research interests and publications have focused on public housing, homelessness, and field education.
Career Highlights
Little’s 21-year leadership of NAR-SAAH focused on building the capacity of resident leaders to be effective in improving the quality of life in their neighborhoods. He has hosted numerous annual and regional conferences that connected leaders, residents and non-residents, to public and affordable housing organizations. There is no other, similar national organization that represents residents’ voices in affordable housing.
NARSAAH’s network encompasses some 715 individual members and 44 housing authorities. The organization trains approximately 400 leaders annually and, since its creation, has trained more than 8,400 leaders. Trainees have come from more than 20 U.S. states. Many of them have worked at housing authorities, in leadership and other roles. To this day, the training sessions continue.
In his other executive leadership positions, Little managed research on public housing projects, collaborated with foundation officials on innovative capacity-building initiatives, supervised internal departments (Office of Housing Application, Center for Workforce Development, Resident Services, and Public Affairs), and prepared testimony for Congressional hearings.
Little previously served as executive vice president for the Alliance Network, a global housing redevelopment organization based in Denver, Colorado. In this role, he developed affordable housing partnerships throughout the U.S. and Central America. He performed pivotal administrative roles with redevelopment organizations to transform blighted communities into neighborhoods of choice, while creating programs that provided access to education, health care, employment, and other human services.
Little served as co-chair of the UMB Experiential Learning Work Group to develop policies for internships for graduate schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. He worked closely with municipal agencies to coordinate services for residents needing social skills training, mental health treatment, substance abuse intervention, medication management, and psychotherapy.
Also renowned for working with municipal and non-profit agencies to obtain public housing accommodations for families with foster care children, Little facilitated care for families with medical and other special needs. He coordinated special pilots for children in crisis in partnership with foundations serving families in crisis. Little served on community boards of agencies providing services to emotionally disturbed clients and homeless families, supervised intergovernmental initiatives with public and community-based service providers, and developed evaluation models to assess governmental and nongovernmental program impacts and effectiveness.
Biographic Data
Little was born in Rockingham, North Carolina. He grew up in west Baltimore and was influenced by several prominent personalities such as Carl Murphy (AfroAmerican newspaper), Thurgood Marshall (Associate Justice of the Supreme Court), and Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. (Chief Lobbyist for the NAACP). He credits knowing them with career successes protecting vulnerable populations for 50-plus years.
Little earned his BA (1972) in Sociology from Morgan State University, Baltimore Maryland, his MSW (1974) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work, and his PhD (1986) in Social Work from the University of Maryland. Little has one daughter, Yolanda.
Significant Recognition and Awards
Known nationally for his work in higher education and affordable housing, Little is asked to speak regularly at public housing and social work conferences.
Because of his expertise, Little was asked to serve as a board member of the following organizations: (2023) Editorial Board of Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership and Governance; (2015-present) Douglas Village Housing Development Board; (2017-present) Upton-Druid Heights Strengthening Families Advisory Board; (2017-present) Serendipity Healthcare Board of Directors; and (2022) Present Sheina Parker Foundation Board of Directors.
Recent Publications
- Little, S.B., Larkins, H., Henwood, B., Fogel, S.J., Ayykanian, A., Briar- Lawson, K., Donaldson, L.P., Herman, D., Meyer-Adams, N., Padgett, D, Patchner, M. A., Streeter, C.L. (2016). Responding to the grand challenge to end homelessness: The national homelessness social work initiative. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services. 97(3), 153-159.
- Little, S.B., & Stubbs, V. (2018). Creating a brave space for difficult dialogues and critical thinking. Race and the Intersection of Abuse, Power and Control: Research and Reflections from the Black Perspective. Howard University School of Social Work. 81-83.
- Little, S.B. (2019). Competency 6: Engage with individuals, families, groups and committees. Curriculum Guide for Addressing Homelessness. Council on Social Work Education. 43-50.
- Little, S.B., Loessner, L, Ofonedu, M. (2024). Social Work Field Instruction in Modern Practice: A Handbook. National Association of Social Workers Press.