Depaul USA’s Post

Great progress in the implementation of the #TulsaHousingStrategy.

All levels of housing are needed in rural and urban communities all across Kansas. The process of resolving that need is complex. The solution can only come from citizens becoming engaged in the process. There is so much to learn (acronyms for acronyms), but we all must recognize major problems require a major lift. I learned much from my first Kansas Housing Resource Corporation conference. Homework begins here: #KSHOUSING #FHRC

Why Community Land Trusts Matter for Our Future I had the chance to attend LISC San Antonio’s event on community ownership, and it really hit home how important Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are for fair and just development. Julia Duranti-Martínez from LISC NYC talked about how community ownership can give people the power to stop displacement and keep local businesses and organizations in place. It’s about helping BIPOC-led businesses, and community groups have a real shot at staying in their neighborhoods by owning affordable spaces. The panel, featuring experts like Juleny Santa Cruz, M.Ed. (ROC USA), Crystal Requejo (MEXICAN AMERICAN UNITY COUNCIL, INC), and Nadia Mavrakis (Culturingua) moderated by Julia, discussed how CLTs allow communities to protect their spaces, build wealth, and shape their own future. This conversation was a great reminder that ownership isn’t just about land or buildings—it’s about empowerment and economic justice. If we want lasting change, we need more CLTs in our communities. Emerge and Rise, Inc #CommunityLandTrust #FairDevelopment #LISCSanAntonio #CommunityOwnership #EconomicJustice

Yesterday, March 3rd, representatives of California Community Reinvestment Corporation virtually attended the National Housing Conference (NHC)’s “2024 Solutions for Housing Communications” convening. The event featured panels with pro-housing thought leaders, who joined to discuss the importance of accurate, subversive, and poignant storytelling when building public support for housing. Pro-housing advocacy must contend with the misinformed narratives on risk, public feelings of helplessness, and personal apathies that surround housing activism to mobilize all hands available to address the shortage. Outreach efforts must also take comprehensive steps to engage diverse perspectives, with the end goal being to make the fight as collective as possible.   Everyone has stock in an equitably housed nation, and engaging with solutions today will invariably improve the future for all. The creation of adequate housing supply is still tentative, but CCRC is committed to both advocacy and action in the continued fight for an equitable housing market.   Follow our work to finance affordable housing throughout the state of California on our website at e-ccrc.org/news or here on LinkedIn! #affordablehousing #NHC #SolutionsforHousingCommunications  

At Covenant House New Jersey (CHNJ), fostering a supportive community is fundamental to our mission of aiding youth facing homelessness. We provide safe spaces where young individuals can rebuild their lives and strive for a better future through various housing options like emergency shelter and transitional housing. These programs offer not just essentials like food and clothing but also vital services like education support, counseling, and job training through the Dove Learning Center (DLC). Staff are dedicated to cultivating a sense of belonging, encouraging residents to uplift each other as they journey towards stability and independence. Despite empowering youth with essential skills, securing affordable housing remains a significant challenge due to limited availability and systemic barriers. High rental costs and landlord reluctance pose hurdles, compounded by discrimination based on age, race, or source of income (e.g., rent voucher). CHNJ actively works to address these issues, applying for government vouchers and forging partnerships with landlords to expand housing options. Even after leaving CHNJ, ongoing support is crucial to prevent setbacks, emphasizing the importance of community in sustaining stable housing for youth navigating adult life for the first time.   CHNJ remains steadfast in our commitment to building community as a cornerstone of securing safe and stable housing for youth. Through collaboration with partners and ongoing support, we strive to empower young individuals, ensuring they have the resources and assistance needed to thrive beyond our programs. To learn more about our efforts, click here to watch Kenny Greer, Associate Housing Director, discuss our work in detail. You can also learn more about how the current real estate market is impacting our ability to provide housing options to our youth here.

California Community Reinvestment Corporation (CCRC) was proud to sponsor San Gabriel Valley Consortium on Homelessness’s 2024 Housing Summit: "A New Season: Making Space For Affordable Housing" in San Dimas, CA! In addition to supporting the facilitation of this event, the Summit was also attended in-person by CCRC Relationship Manager Ting Xiao, who canvassed with other housing advocates to understand the implications of public policy on housing in the state of California. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s first Executive Directive, which streamlines affordable housing permitting, was a pertinent topic of discussion, as well as progress towards housing on faith-based organizations’ land and the future of the YIGBY (Yes In God’s Backyard) movement. Additionally, event attendees discussed methods of destigmatizing affordable housing within communities who oppose further developments. This advocacy work is indispensable to reversing decades of destructive narratives on affordable housing, which hurt the effort to guarantee stability and shelter to all Americans. The data on these important frameworks was made available by University of California, Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation, Alliant Strategic Development, City of Pomona and National Community Renaissance. Creative legislative and advocacy solutions continue to move the needle on the housing crisis, and events like the 2024 Housing Summit are key to understanding how best to navigate a constantly changing housing landscape. CCRC is honored to continue fighting for affordable housing alongside other leaders in the industry. #affordablehousing #SGVConsortiumonHomelessness #ExecutiveDirective1 #ED1 #YIGBY

We are disappointed, but not shocked by Mayor Sheng Thao’s new executive order ramping up encampment sweeps throughout Oakland. Emboldened by the recent Johnson v. Grants Pass Supreme Court decision, the Mayor of Oakland issued an Executive Order on September 23rd which criminalizes homelessness by directing police and other City departments to remove unhoused people from encampments, even though the City itself acknowledges that there may not be any shelter options available to them. We clearly see that directives like this will not help unhoused community members find shelter, nor will they bring additional safety to the unhoused or any other Oakland residents. Instead, they will force our unhoused neighbors out of the most visible areas of our city into other neighborhoods or more precarious living situations. At EBHO, we believe that housing is a human right. Mayor Thao’s executive order runs counter to our mission, vision, and principles of a racially and economically just East Bay where everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable home. While we understand and work within the constraints of our current economic system, we believe that human well-being should always come before property rights or investor concerns and that our policies should evolve to reflect those priorities. We will continue to fight for housing justice for all. — The East Bay Housing Organizations Team Read our full statement and join us: https://lnkd.in/g-i9_keX

In Maricopa County, a collaborative initiative offers vital resources to those facing eviction, uniting community and legal systems in support. At the Southwest Regional Justice Center, key players such as judges and legal advocates outlined available assistance, emphasizing a supportive approach over punitive actions. This effort, which includes sealing eviction cases to protect credit scores, offers individuals a fresh start and combats housing insecurity. This approach significantly benefits the community by fostering resilience and care. By ensuring that tenants have access to virtual hearings and necessary legal resources, the system is adapting to meet the needs of our community. Such measures help prevent eviction, contributing to community health by averting homelessness. They stand as a testament to the power of support in overcoming adversity and ensuring stability. A New Leaf sees this initiative as a reflection of its mission to change lives through support and opportunity. It underscores the importance of community collaboration in providing a safety net, aligning closely with A New Leaf's commitment to helping those in need navigate towards a brighter future. https://lnkd.in/giPBnBgH

Introducing the speakers for our panel on Inclusive Housing and Equitable Housing Development at the 2024 CAAP Conference: Cynthia Witman Daley Kim Dolan Vanessa Raymond-Garcia Esteban Rodriguez About this Panel: This workshop will cover three topics with the common theme of expanding housing opportunities and empowering communities to control housing outcomes. Regional Housing Legal Services' expert staff will discuss: 💠housing developments for returning citizens and tenant screening policies that support people with criminal histories 💠community land trusts and how to move housing from the speculative real estate market into community control 💠what designation as a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) means for building the capacity of community-based organizations, including Community Action Agencies.