There was a moment during the Spenard Walking Tour in Anchorage, Alaska, when the entire purpose of the Housing Our Relatives Summit clicked for me. 

It was not during a housing finance discussion. Or even while we were talking about development during the first-of-its-kind event, which was hosted by NeighborWorks® America, Oweesta Corporation and the National American Indian Housing Council. 

At this year’s National American Indian Housing Council conference in Anchorage, Alaska, national housing leaders came together for a candid conversation about partnership, housing policy and the importance of Native-led solutions in shaping the future of Indian housing. 

NeighborWorks® America's Sustainable Business Initiative helps community-based NeighborWorks organizations strengthen their foundations and grow revenue. In 2024, the SBI provide seed grants to seven network organizations with promising earned revenue strategies. Over the next few weeks, as part of Small Business Month, NeighborWorks will highlight some of those outcomes.

At NHS of Southern Nevada, staff members and residents are breaking bread and spotlighting homeownership. 

Neighborhood Housing Services of Oklahoma is hosting a tea with a focus on strategies for financial planning. 

And in Massachusetts, Nuestra Communidad Development Corp. is hosting a Summer Fest and Resource Fair.

For many organizations across the NeighborWorks® network, housing conversations center around affordability, supply and rising costs. In Alaska, those conversations also include isolation, shrinking population, disappearing industries, extreme weather conditions and the reality that even keeping existing affordable housing ready residents can feel fragile. 

NeighborWorks® America's Sustainable Business Initiative helps community-based NeighborWorks organizations strengthen their foundations and grow revenue. In 2024, the SBI provide seed grants to seven network organizations with promising earned revenue strategies. Over the next few weeks, as part of Small Business Month, NeighborWorks will highlight some of those outcomes.

During the month of May, which Mental Health Awareness Month, people and organizations are encouraged to speak more openly about mental health. NeighborWorks® America had the chance to sit down with Kate de la Garza, executive director of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, for a wide-ranging conversation with a mental health focus. de la Garza has been at the helm of the organization, currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, since January 2024. 

The demands on housing and community development organizations are growing. 

Rising costs, increasing complexity and shifting expectations require boards to lead with clarity, adaptability and purpose. For leaders across the NeighborWorks network, the question is no longer whether governance matters; it is whether boards are equipped to meet this moment. 

For Sam Stuckey and Loaida Rodriguez, the answer is clear: Investing in governance is not optional, it is essential.