Balfour Beatty US’ Post

Everyday I drive down this street from my home to my office. Most of the year the street lights host 2 US flags. Over 50 flags it’s wonderful. In June, the neighborhood puts up Pride flags, and every year vandals tear them down. This year it has already happened twice. And we are only halfway through this month. It breaks my heart for multiple reasons. One of those reasons is my love for community. Community is a place where we all belong and benefit from each other. It’s also where we understand our value and foster our purpose as humans. We all have multiple communities we interact with from our families to our co-workers and everything in between. Everyone you drive by or sit next to is a part of our community they are our neighbors. We literally depend on each other for our survival. This act of vandalism is disappointing. I expect more from a community thats “nice for no reason.” These actions foster isolation and a lack of trust for all the parties affected. It also leaves me wondering how access to meaningful healthcare may play a part in healing the wounds from these actions. I am also wondering how I can show up with my clients to address inclusion in their employee communities. (Because Idaho is the 12th highest in the country for suicide. We are a small state with a population less than New York City.) I am asking myself-What’s the small thing that I can do that creates a ripple effect and helps us build trust, safety, and belonging. How can I help foster an environment that invites us show up in love for each other? #employeebenefits #mentalhealth #community

🏗️ Construction starts soon on this new building at Advocates for Children Georgia, which is so very close to my heart, and marks a full circle in my journey. 🏛️ The old building on the Northside of Pittsburgh ignited my passion for community and social justice. There, amid worship and shared meals, I confronted homelessness's harsh realities. Those individuals, weathered by life's trials, have taught me resilience and hope. 🌟 Now, as construction begins on this new project, I'm reminded of the journey that led me here. This building represents not just bricks and mortar, but a beacon of hope for the future. It symbolizes our commitment to addressing pressing social issues, particularly youth homelessness. 👧🏽 Youth homelessness is a complex challenge affecting communities across the country, even rural communities. Despite the picturesque landscapes, many rural youths experience homelessness due to various factors such as poverty, family instability, and lack of affordable housing options. These challenges often go unnoticed, overshadowed by the idyllic image of rural life. I remain hopeful for a future where we can break this cycle of despair. By recognizing the specific needs of rural youth and investing in tailored solutions, we can pave the way for a brighter tomorrow. Every young person deserves a chance to thrive, regardless of their zip code. Let's work together to shine a spotlight on rural youth homelessness and create lasting change in our communities. #RuralYouthHomelessness #BrighterTomorrow #CommunitySupport

The question of "What does HOME mean to me?" can connect people to their stories, their values, as well as to what and who matters most to them. The awareness of what "home" means can also provide the compass needed for the tenacity it takes to build a new sense of home and belonging. In this video, you’ll learn about Hives for Humanity co-founder, Sarah Common, and their group's initiative to make a difference in the Dowtonwn Eastside of Vancouver to address homeless and the overdose crisis using principles from the Belonging Matters framework. https://lnkd.in/gkd_zumG

Grants Pass, Oregon, recently faced scrutiny over its anti-camping law, leading to a Supreme Court review. With around 600 homeless people, the city’s vague zoning ordinances highlighted the urgent need for more explicit land use rules and better shelter options. Like in ABQ, planners and city officials around the country are challenged to find long-term solutions. Washington County’s approach—reducing homelessness by 35% through outreach and support services—offers a promising model. Meanwhile, cities like Denver and Atlanta are exploring "micro-communities" using shipping containers for housing. This situation underscores the need for innovative, inclusive planning that addresses the needs of all community members. #HousingSolutions #HomelessnessAwareness #InclusivePlanning https://lnkd.in/gV4xSFkA

Extreme heat can be life-threatening, especially for our unhoused neighbors. We've put together a resource page to help our partners and the community prepare and respond effectively. This guide will share resources to ensure the safety and well-being of those experiencing homelessness, including a list of public cooling centers. Read and share our blog post to spread the word. https://lnkd.in/gjFuDyyp

Good news we all need to hear. In additions to the apartments and hotels, I would like to see more Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) placed in the backyards of low & fixed income homeowners near bus routes. If we could give prebuilt ADUs to these homeowners in exchange for 10 years of below market long term rents we might address three problems: affordable housing, seniors needing financial help, and loneliness. A third party could provide a master lease to guarantee income to the host and client services to the resident. This third party could use matchmaking processes developed by the BLOCK project (Seattle) to move past traditional landlord-tenant power dynamics. Roughly $100K per pre-built ADU installed is probably more expensive than the almost $43K ($46.8M / 1135) but it could last longer using fractional ownership contracts, public-private partnerships, and social investors (bonds or shares). #accessorydwellingunit #adus #seniorliving #affordablehousing #unhoused #homelessness #housinginsecurity

At Habitat for Humanity, our mission is to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on #JohnsonVGrantsPass – which aims to punish homeless residents for sleeping outside, even when they have no place to go – is counterintuitive to building community and hope. Jailing and fining human beings who are sleeping outside only makes homelessness worse. We hope that regardless of this ruling, communities in Oregon and beyond will take a more empathetic approach to working with community members without shelter. At the top of our minds is addressing the dire lack of affordable housing. We live in a time when many Americans struggle to afford housing – and the issue is especially acute in Oregon, where there is an extreme shortage of housing units. Affordable housing helps create the conditions that free families and individuals from stress and fear, helping build stability and confidence. We are motivated by today's ruling to lean into providing more affordable homes in communities across the state — through direct homebuilding and collective advocacy. Everybody deserves a decent place to live. We invite you to join us in taking meaningful, constructive actions — driven by empathy.

P.S.A - We don't just design fabulous homes for our clients, although we're pretty good at it 😉 #HumbleBrag Our work is rooted in inspiring HOPE in our client's lives. Here's what that looks like: 👉 1. Setting The Stage We not only give our clients a fresh start with their home transformation but inspire greater hope in their lives. These transformations act as a catalyst to help our clients achieve their dreams with a solid foundation - a house turned into a home! 👉 2. Ending Homelessness We seek to disrupt the cycle of homelessness, and we do! Less than 1% of those affected by homelessness return to it after working with Humble Design Detroit. 👉 3. Uplifting & Rebuilding Community Through changing individual lives, we seek to rebuild the greater community of Detroit. So far, we've helped 10,000 individuals and we don't plan on stopping! Get involved with our mission, and help us INSPIRE HOPE by transforming houses into HOMES. 🧡 Learn more on our website! #humbledesign #welcomehome #inspirehope #communitybuilding #endhomelessness #michigancharity #detroitcharity

Join Matt and the Team on Monday 25th March at 12:30 as we host a webinar roundtable on the topic of: "Navigating the Challenges of Homelessness and Temporary Accommodation in Today's Housing Sector"

We encourage you to attend today’s County Council’s Affordable Housing Ad Hoc Committee at 5 PM at the Committee Meeting Room located at 301 University Ridge. You can also watch over the livestream from the agenda: https://lnkd.in/e2MS8D4a. Our partners LiveWell Greenville, Unity Health on Main, Greenville County Schools, and Loaves & Fishes Greenville are presenting. Thank you to Greenville County Council Chairman Dr. Ennis Fant, Sr. for your leadership of this committee. As a collective voice for people experiencing homelessness and those working to eliminate homelessness, we are fiercely committed to addressing policies and system-level change that align with our mission. Our vision is that our community will work together in Greenville County, ensuring safe, affordable housing for all with access to everything needed for a healthy and fulfilling life. As noted by Matthew Desmond, author of “Evicted” and “Poverty by America” when housing that is safe, and affordable is not accessible the rent eats first. He says, “By and large, the poor do not want a small life. They don’t want to game the system or eke out an existence; they want to thrive and contribute. Our cities have become unaffordable to our poorest families, and this problem is leaving a deep and jagged scar on our next generation.” #gvlhomes4all #greenvillesc #collectiveimpact #housingishealthcare #foodsecurity