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.”

NeighborWorks® America launched its Community Leadership Institute (CLI) this week with a commitment to resident voices, a commitment that is renewed every year. This year, 60 teams of community leaders gathered in Minneapolis, Minnesota to learn, to connect and to commit to making their communities stronger.

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.

Affordability is a priority for most Americans when looking for a home, NeighborWorks® America confirmed in a new survey, “Bridging the Missing Middle.” But so are safety, walkability and access to essential services. People are open to missing middle housing if it makes housing more affordable.
Alpresteon “Sabrina” Billings wanted to see her Mississippi neighbors living safely and comfortably. And she figured out a way to make it happen. When the single-family rental community of Roberts Estates and League Cove, originally financed through Low Income Housing Tax Credits, became available to purchase once the tax credits expired, she worked with the tenants to purchase those homes. That was the original lease-purchase agreement, she explained, and that’s what she’d envisioned from the beginning. But some residents needed a little extra help to make it across the finish line. Billings, Chief Executive Officer of Gateway CommunityAlpresteon Billings smiles in front of a home with a garage. Development Corporation, was there to provide it.
Over the past 18 months, NeighborWorks® America has partnered with seven rural-serving organizations through the USDA-funded Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI), building their capacity to tackle some of the most pressing housing and economic development challenges they identified in their communities. More than a grant program, the RCDI program offered tailored technical assistance and access to subject matter experts, helping these organizations secure critical funding, unlock new resources and implement innovative solutions with lasting impact. NeighborWorks America coordinated the program from start to finish: recruiting eligible organizations, assessing their needs, matching them with subject matter experts, managing the one-to-one dollar match and financial and narrative reporting to USDA, and providing individualized support to ensure each project advanced toward its locally determined goals.
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