Grounded Solutions Network’s Post

Hi LinkedIn Community! My colleagues and I have just published an article in Shelterforce highlighting both the findings in our recent report as well as the great work being done by Elevation CLT and their community. Please give it a read and share your thoughts! :) https://lnkd.in/ek_6MZcb

Worth a read: "We found that the number of CLTs and nonprofits with shared equity programs grew by 30 percent between 2011 and 2022, and the number of housing units provided by these organizations grew by 120 percent. We also found a wide variety of approaches to organizational structure, program characteristics, and unit development. These trends show a potential for scale that can help solve the nation’s housing disparities and help bridge the racial homeownership and wealth gaps."

Great article about the role of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in advancing home ownership and access to intergenerational wealth for all. #realestate #housingcrisis #affordablehousing #racialequity #wealthgap

There has rarely been more federal capital made available to cities and counties across the US, yet our experience at Camber Collective tells us that the world of federal funding often feels impenetrable to local decision-makers. The result? Significant resource continues to be left on the table, as potential recipients are lost across each stage of the user continuum (Funding Availability > Eligibility > Awareness > Application > Receipt > Usage). In parallel, we also see a governance challenge: many under-resourced localities don't enjoy the bandwidth required to lead the data collection and analysis processes required to precisely diagnose the disparities they seek to redress, and to then marry those disparities up with relevant federal funding streams. That's why I'm so pleased to see the National League of Cities release its Federal Grant Equity Dashboard. This tool enables disinvested localities to connect with critical resources and guidance to help local governments make data-informed decisions about various priorities and policies that can address disparities in their communities. Using a data-driven approach to improve family outcomes, the tool helps cities measure the vulnerability of each census track within a community focusing on priority issues such as housing, transportation, and employment. The city then receives a data assessment that can inform 2 -3 funding priorities for federal applications around basic human needs and community well-being, as well as be used as a grant narrative starting point. I'd invite all local decision-makers to visit the tool. In due course, Camber Collective will also release complementary data on the relative size of capital flowing from federal government and philanthropic institutions to support each of the 28 life experiences most proven to advance lifetime income -- which we call the Mobility Experiences (see https://lnkd.in/gpeybDPr). These two tools, together, will enable local decision-makers to track not only what funding is available and relevant to them, but also to assess how far federal funding as a whole is or is not enabling people to access economic mobility via increased lifetime income.

The City of Montgomery receives federal funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) due to its population, demographics, and available funding. The City’s Program Year (PY) begins May 1st and ends April 30th annually. In the next five (5) years, the City estimates it will receive approximately $1,700,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding; approximately $852,000 in HOME Partnerships Act (HOME) funding; and, $146,000 in Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding. The funds primarily benefit low-moderate income households and special populations (elderly, homeless, battered and abused children, etc.) and can be used for affordable housing, economic and workforce development, community facilities, neighborhood revitalization and stabilization, and services for homeless individuals/families. Needs Assessment Survey Link: http://bit.ly/MGMConPlan25 This survey is designed to collect public opinion regarding how the City of Montgomery should use its Federal funds. The survey is voluntary and all comments will be kept confidential. The survey is primarily for residents of Montgomery, Alabama, and will be available for public comment from September 23, 2024 – October 21, 2024. Please submit only one (1) survey per person. On behalf of the City of Montgomery, Community Development staff thanks you for your participation in providing valuable information!

Even if your housing is secure, there is probably someone you know who is struggling with living in #affordablehousing. Read this trend from the Johnson Center's 11 Trends in Philanthropy for 2024. #housing #HousingKent

In response to HUD’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), NCST (National Community Stabilization Trust) and the Homeownership Alliance sent a joint letter offering their comments on this program. While we celebrate the steps that have been taken to implement CDBG funding more effectively— including lessons learned from pandemic-era programs, which provided wide waiver authority and allowed expanded eligibility — our organizations fundamentally believe that if HUD seeks to maximize CDBG’s capabilities to bolster economic development, the Department must ease existing regulations around the feasibility for recipients to use the program for homeownership. Our letter outlines seven recommendations that could yield a significant increase in the number of affordable homes produced and sold to low- and moderate-income (LMI) households across the country, such as including regulatory proposals to reduce red tape, aligning definitions across HUD program offices for single-family dwelling units, and providing flexibility around household income limits for CDBG eligibility. Lastly, we are disheartened to see that implications for rural communities are not discussed in this rulemaking. The CDBG program was authorized to support both metro and non-metro areas, and excluding the rural experience from consideration amid this crucial regulatory reform opportunity will hinder economic opportunity, including affordable homeownership, in these regions. As organizations dedicated to furthering affordable homeownership, we know that regulatory action will increase the amount of LMI households the CDBG program can reach. Our recommendations would empower mission-driven affordable housing providers to build more owner-occupied units and support more LMI homebuyers, supporting economic development in distressed areas more broadly. Learn more and read our full comment at this link: https://lnkd.in/e49MU-zn 

ROOTS, RACE & PLACE: A History of Racially Exclusionary Housing in the San Francisco Bay Area - PDF: https://lnkd.in/gYAvc99h The rampant displacement seen today in the San Francisco Bay Area is built upon a history of exclusion and dispossession, centered on race, and driven by the logic of capitalism. This history established massive inequities in who owned land, who had access to financing, and who held political power, all of which determined―and still remain at the root of deciding―who can call the Bay Area home.  To grasp what it will take to undo racial inequality in housing, we must first understand how it was established and perpetuated. In this newly released report, we trace the roots of the region’s racial exclusion in housing and find that racism reinvents itself, proving to be dynamic, generative, and fluid, yet also remarkably durable and entrenched. The historical record also reveals that while racialized housing inequality in the Bay Area is part of a national dialectic, it is not solely a function of factors outside of local control. This report focuses specifically on the local: the many tactics of exclusion and dispossession that were deeply localized in practice, driven by local actors such as homeowners’ associations and neighborhood groups, real estate agents and developers operating within the regional housing market, and institutions, such as local governments and public agencies, which collectively shape local policies and markets, thus blurring the lines between public and private action. The constellation of exclusionary tactics discussed in the report―which includes state violence and dispossession, extrajudicial violence, exclusionary zoning, racially restrictive covenants and homeowner association bylaws, racialized public housing policies, urban renewal, racial steering and blockbusting, and municipal fragmentation and white flight―show how local laws, practices, and campaigns that first took hold in the Bay Area later came to inform state politics as well as other localities throughout the country. We document this local history in order to ask: what does this mean for how we move forward as a region? As we reflect on the 400 years of resistance to slavery and injustice nationally, this examination of our local history brings questions of reparations and housing justice closer to home. How can we directly confront the roots of exclusion, provide restitution for historical racial injustices, and transform the power structures that continue to perpetuate them? How can we transform our institutions of local governance, zoning ordinances, housing markets, systems of property rights, connection to land, and relationships to our neighbors in order to fully realize racial equity and belonging? #SFBayArea #residentialsegregation #housingdiscrimination #race #placemaking #home #demographic #property #propertyrights #housing #EastBay

Discover how community land trusts and shared equity programs are empowering communities through lasting affordability! With over 15,000 homeownership units created, nearly half owned by people of color, organizations like Elevation CLT are at the forefront of the fight for equitable housing solutions. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3T7ogSM #AffordableHousing #CommunityLandTrust #Equity

A recent study by Warren County has highlighted a growing concern—local residents are increasingly being priced out of the housing market. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for affordable housing solutions in our region. https://lnkd.in/egiNuYGw At Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties (HFHNSWWC), our mission is to build homes, communities, and hope. We are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to safe, affordable housing. Our vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live, and we are working tirelessly to make this a reality in our community. Under the passionate leadership of our team, we are focused on several key initiatives: Building Affordable Homes: We are actively exploring ways to construct multiple housing units on available sites for families who meet our criteria. Our goal is to provide a path to home ownership for those who need it most, helping families achieve stability and security. Empowering Families: Our programs include financial education and support, ensuring that our partner families can thrive in their new homes. Strengthening Communities: Each home we build contributes to the economic and social fabric of our community. By fostering strong, stable families, we are helping to build a stronger, more resilient community for everyone. We cannot do this alone. Your support is crucial in helping us expand our impact and reach more families in need. Here’s how you can get involved: Donate: Every contribution makes a significant difference. Your financial support helps us purchase building materials, acquire land, and cover construction costs. Volunteer: Join us in our various programs or at our Southern Adirondack ReStore. Your time and skills are invaluable in helping us build homes and change lives. Advocate: Spread the word about the need for affordable housing and the work we do. Your voice can help raise awareness and drive action in our community. Together, we can address the housing crisis and create a brighter future for our neighbors. Let's come together to build homes, communities, and hope. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our mission.