“Housing is a spectrum,” says Mel Willie, senior director of Native American Partnerships and Strategy at NeighborWorks® America. “And we want to reach people on all parts of that spectrum.”

NeighborWorks® America’s Training Division knows collaboration is key for participants when they are learning new skills. So in Chicago last month, division leaders piloted a new course with a collaboration focus during the NeighborWorks Training Institute.

If you work in housing counseling or community development, you know the pressure is real. Renters are navigating rising costs. Funding requirements are tightening. Expectations for compliance and measurable outcomes are growing. 

You do not have time for training that feels theoretical or disconnected from your day-to-day work. 

That is where Regional Group Learning makes the difference. 

One fifth of NeighborWorks® America’s nearly 250 network organizations serve in areas that include Native land or include large Native populations. Many have meaningful partnerships.

But for organizations both in and outside the network that are interested in expanding work in Native communities – or those who have little to no experience working with Native organizations – it can be hard to find the right rhythm and footing. How do you know the best way to approach a Native organization? How can you offer help while centering the community’s vision?

At least five volunteer Santa Clauses will help Montgomery Housing Partnership, the Kensington Chamber of Commerce and the Wheaton Fire and Rescue Squad hand out gifts to residents as part of the Angels for Children Toy Drive. The program, which has been going for 27 years to get gifts to kids around holiday time, is growing. But there’s also a growing need, says Robert A. Goldman, executive director of MHP.

CHN Housing Network in Cleveland, Ohio, broke ground this month on a housing solution: The NeighborWorks network organization is building an affordable housing development devoted to veterans. Cleveland West Veterans Housing is scheduled to open next fall.

“We’ve done a lot of permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless,” explained Kevin Nowalk, president and CEO of CHN. “Within that group, disproportionally, we see veterans.”

Along with taking classes and making connections, residents attending the NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute have a chance to learn about the city they visit, and to see local community development in action. 

Inspiration and gratitude filled the room Friday night as NeighborWorks America honored five community leaders with the Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership. The ceremony took place in Minneapolis during the NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute (CLI), an event that trains community leaders to amplify their voices as they build skills to further help their communities. It also gives them a chance to connect.