National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH)’s Post

IRELAND, WE HAVE an ideology problem, and everybody knows it. How have we come to a point in our history that we have so severely underinvested in almost everything that matters: housing, health, energy, food, skills, transport and liveability, the list goes on? This is to the serious detriment of society, nature, and culture. It is costing lives and traumatising multiple generations. Views of our director Frank O'Connor in TheJournal.ie #SystemsDesign #AuthenticLeadership #Regenerative #RestPlayWork https://lnkd.in/eyN5h-Xx

Maine Town & City Magazine features Community Heart & Soul! Heart & Soul towns across Maine are gaining attention. Maine Municipal Association, the organization serving local governments in the state, featured several municipalities’ adoption of Community Heart & Soul in Maine Town & City. Read the feature. https://lnkd.in/eJqBqrSh #CommunityHeartandSoul #whatmattersmost #involveveryone

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  

I recently had the pleasure of reading a letter from the Federation of Calgary Communities (FCC), written by Leslie Evans, the Executive Director of FCC. Imagine the difficulty of assuming the role to represent 156 community associations across the City of Calgary. The FCC provides services to community volunteer organizations to improve board governance, community building initiatives, and financial literacy among other laudable assistance programs.   The letter submitted by Leslie does not try to summarize “the perspective” of all Calgarians on the issue that will soon be voted on by City Council. The issue at stake, discussed in the Council Meeting that began on April 22nd, concerns whether to amend the planning bylaw by changing current zoning for low-density residential to allow R-CG or row housing.   Leslie Evans’ letter deserves to be read in its entirety, but I'd like to highlight a few key points that help us to think about politics, policymaking, and how we’re facing issues in the public interest today. Leslie points out:   - Confusion in terms: “the confusion between sound planning principles concerning ‘growth and change’ and the housing affordability crisis has caused division within communities”; - Absence of substantial evidence supporting the proposed rezoning; - Inconsistencies in responses across silos of various expertise, processes, and departments; - A noticeable shift away from treating communities as partners, with residents often relegated to passive roles of "listening and learning"; - Significant concerns about trust, honesty, and transparency within the planning process.   As I listen intermittently to the 5-minute presentations from residents addressing City Council on April 29th, now past 9 o'clock at night, this being the seventh day of such presentations, including a Saturday Council meeting, I'm struck by the courage of residents to speak their truth and demand a better policymaking process. #YYC #CalgaryCouncil #YYCRezoning.

Yesterday I attended a riveting conversation presented by Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) - Cape Cod and led by Amanda Converse, where Amanda delve into the critical role of advocacy and its profound impact on our local economy. Why Advocacy Matters: In today's dynamic landscape, advocating for accessible housing resources isn't just a moral imperative; it's a strategic economic move. Housing stability is the bedrock of vibrant communities, driving workforce retention, attracting talent, and fostering economic growth. Key Points of Discussion: - Community Resilience: How affordable housing initiatives bolster community resilience by providing stability to families and individuals. - Workforce Dynamics: The symbiotic relationship between housing affordability and a thriving workforce, crucial for sustaining local businesses. - Economic Ripple Effect: Exploring the ripple effect of housing advocacy on various sectors, from education to healthcare. - Innovation and Collaboration: Spotlighting innovative approaches and collaborative efforts driving impactful change in the housing landscape. As always, well done Amanda and Thank You to HAC for taking the lead on this! I look forward to continued discussions on this important topic. #advocacy #community #workforce #localeconomy #innovation #collaboration

Henry Cisneros and Steve Stivers take notice! Veteran Housing Corp applauds all efforts to build affordable housing but would challenge the US Congress and every local, state, and federal housing agency or affordable housing developer to do better in 2024 and beyond. Veteran Housing Corp demands permanent affordability for all projects receiving government funding, subsidies, tax credits, or other incentives! Veteran Housing Corp demands transparency and every local, state, and federal government agency and other stakeholders MUST provide answers to questions about the housing projects that are built with government funding, subsidies, tax credits, or incentives, including the following: 1. How much funding, federal tax credits, or government benefits or incentives from all government sources did the projects receive? 2. What is the affordability period for each project? 3. What guarantees exist that tenants will not be displaced after the "affordability period expires? Every local, state, and federal housing authority and affordable or workforce housing stakeholder should adopt the State of Vermont's "permanent affordability" policy as a model for all future government funded or subsidized housing projects or developments, no exceptions!  https://lnkd.in/eFEUC8c8 Additionally, local, state and federal housing agencies should look to the Helsinki, FINLAND MODEL of ending homelessness by providing affordable housing for all 'It’s a miracle': Helsinki's radical solution to homelessness https://lnkd.in/er9HZSQU U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development AGREES THAT adopting FINLAND'S MODEL OF ERADICATING HOMELESSNESS may be of great value to resolving the affordable housing and homelessness crises in America https://lnkd.in/gkSZWYRU

Monday night's community conversation on affordable housing, hosted by People United and The Gathering Spot, was nothing short of inspiring. 🙏🏽 As I listened to the panelists and engaged with fellow attendees, it became clear that our collective goal is to build a city that works for everyone, a city of opportunity for all. The event shed light on the remarkable progress Atlanta has made in addressing affordable housing. Over the past two years, we've delivered an impressive 5,000 units, with another 4,000 underway. 📈 This achievement is not just significant for Atlanta; it sets a powerful example for cities across America. But affordable housing is more than just numbers. 🔢 It's about creating vibrant, thriving communities where every resident has the opportunity to succeed. As Terri Lee, CEO of Atlanta Housing, aptly put it, "If we keep talking about units and don't seize the opportunity to use housing as a catalyst for economic freedom, then we've missed the mark." 💬 The conversation delved into the heart of the issue, highlighting the importance of ensuring that no one pays more than 30% of their income towards housing and transportation. This is especially critical for families earning less than $30,000 a year, who often struggle to find affordable options in today's market. Affordable housing isn't just a policy; it's a fundamental human right. It's about providing stability and security to those who need it most. And as we work towards this goal, I want to commend Mayor Andre Dickens for his unwavering commitment and leadership. Special thanks to the panelists and hosts—Ryan Wilson , Julius Thomas, Courtney English, Dr. Eloisa Klementich, CEcD, and Terri Lee—for their invaluable insights and dedication to this important cause. 👏🏽👏🏽 Let's continue this conversation and work together to ensure that every resident of Atlanta has access to safe, affordable housing. #AffordableHousing #CommunityConversation #AtlantaLeadership

The UWOR Community Needs Identification Committee (CNIC) has developed and implemented a process for analyzing data and identifying needs to drive our agency's grant making and funds allocation process. Based on that research, CNIC identified four priorities in 2023 and we will highlight each over the next several weeks. For more, download our full CNIC Report at https://lnkd.in/eQUMf-5t STABLE HOUSING ... recommended priorities: 1. Increase capacity to facilitate the prevention of eviction and the ability for rapid rehousing. 2. Increase availability of accessible housing that meets habitability standards. 3. Increase capacity for focused and coordinated housing care. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! ➡️ We are now gathering data for our 2024 report and invite you to be part of the CNIC process by making your voice heard. Complete our 5-minute community needs survey by April 26 - https://lnkd.in/gCp9vQm4 #liveunited #communityneeds #stablehousing

Terwilliger Center Advisory Committee members Henry Cisneros and Steve Stivers recently penned an excellent op-ed for Newsweek. The piece explores the unique opportunity before Congress and the administration to leverage previously appropriated funds to create a demonstration program aimed at streamlining the construction of affordable housing. The pressing need for such initiatives cannot be overstated. While estimates vary, the United States has underbuilt housing by millions of units over the past 15 years. This shortage has led to a significant rise in housing costs.    The proposed demonstration program prioritizes responsible deregulation, fostering public-private partnerships, and increasing access to affordable housing in opportunity-rich neighborhoods. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eztVd3WH  

I like this opinion piece, especially this suggestion, “Such a demonstration program would be launched in eight to 10 geographically diverse communities, selected through a multi-agency "notice of funding availability." When choosing communities, agencies would prioritize those demonstrating a significant need for more affordable homes and anticipating both job and population growth from recent federal investments. Communities that receive funding would commit to removing local regulatory barriers—such as exclusionary land use and zoning regulations, environmental impact reviews, and parking minimums—that can add to construction timelines and project costs. In turn, the federal agencies involved would streamline federal regulations that impair the swift construction of affordable housing, while maintaining those needed to ensure safety, fair housing, and accountability.” It can work. We had this opportunity as part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development when the City of Rockford Illinois was a SC2 community, but we squandered it and got too mired down in working to kill a project, vs recognizing the need to change the systems of housing. #BeTheChange #DataMatters #ResearchBased