Last month, our Northern California team hosted our annual Soiree by the Bay celebration in San Francisco. Presented by U.S. Bank, the event brought together over 200 community partners, supporters, and housing leaders from across California for a night of camaraderie. We were proud to recognize Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. as Community Partner of the Year and City of Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin as Changemaker of the Year. Thank you to our honorees, sponsors, and partners for your steadfast work to advance affordable housing in our regions and state for low-income families and individuals. 🙌

We all recognize the vital role that first responders play in times of crisis. But did you know that housing leaders are pre-responders in the fight against climate change? Joshua Saks from the Georgetown Climate Center shared his powerful insight during our Mid-Atlantic Resilience Academy’s recent launch. Seventeen housing developers, owners, and operators gathered in person for the start of an eight-week training program designed to equip them with the knowledge, tools, and resources to reduce climate risks in their region. https://lnkd.in/g6UBBtMq “Housing is on the front line of climate defense,” said Saks. “As climate change makes the world increasingly risky, you provide people with something that every person deserves – a safe place to call home.” Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC) A Peace of Mind Counseling Services, LLC Better Housing Coalition C.O.R.A.L. Housing Dominion Real Estate Enterprise Community Development Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services Homes for America, Inc. Homes for HOPE Juliana's Affordable Homes Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) Piedmont Housing Alliance True Ground Housing Partners Victory Housing, Inc. Villard Group Wesley Housing Yoke Management Partners

With housing and education both facing steep challenges, now is a prime time for advocates from both sectors to engage in cross-sector partnerships, according to an article in Shelterforce. Enterprise’s Alexa Rosenberg explains how different sectors often aren’t set up to work together and can face communication and collaboration barriers. “There almost needs to be a non–sector-specific frame to drive the need for them to come together,” Rosenberg said. The article highlights how the Minnesota-based Northfield Racial and Ethnic Equity Collaborative identified and responded to the housing needs of area students. Read more about how education and housing advocates can work together to accomplish shared goals: https://bit.ly/3OajbWs

Register now for our Faith-Based Development Summit on December 5! 🏘️ This year’s virtual summit will focus on faith-based development policy. You’ll hear from faith leaders and practitioners nationwide discussing progress on the policy front at the state, local, and federal level, as well as impacts on the ground. https://lnkd.in/gg4HYuUz

Recently, our Native Housing team held a two-day introduction to Building Code/Code Enforcement in collaboration with the Southwest Tribal Housing Alliance and David Jackson, an ICC preferred education provider of building code training. Thirty attendees from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas learned how building codes are developed and adopted, and studied best practices for code enforcement. A crucial way to support better building on Tribal lands is by advocating for building codes. We’re grateful to partner with tribal housing organizations and practitioners to do this work. #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth

REMINDER: we are still accepting applications from CDCs and CHDOs working in underserved urban communities for Section 4 funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Submissions will close on December 6, 2024. Apply now: https://bit.ly/487oLlE

“We tend to be more concerned about lotions we put on our face, the food we put in our mouth, but not about the flooring we walk on, or that the dust coming off those products gets inside our bodies.” Gina Ciganik is a former affordable housing developer and now CEO of Habitable, where she’s leading a science-based effort to create a healthy built environment that’s better for people and the planet. Our conversation with Gina is the latest in our Resilient 7 series paying tribute to housing leaders building a more sustainable future. https://bit.ly/3Z3Hvzz

"I don't think there is a member of Congress, really, who doesn't understand that we have a housing supply shortage.” Enterprise's Ayrianne Parks speaks with Bisnow about the urgent need to address the affordability crisis and our focus on making sure programs like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which has broad bipartisan support, are top of mind in a second Trump term. https://lnkd.in/gsgCNgyc

Our recent groundbreaking in Baltimore at Greens at Irvington Mews II and Park Heights Place goes beyond our commitment to creating 143 affordable, energy-efficient, and accessible homes for senior adults. They are homes "designed with [seniors’] needs in mind that keeps them in the same communities that they have fought to improve for decades," says Mayor Brandon M. Scott. We were glad to celebrate the groundbreaking with our partners Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, and many more.

As #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth continues, we are spotlighting 33 Native-led organizations who have been recently awarded $6.4 million in Wells Fargo Invest Native grants! These funds will help strengthen housing access and affordability, promote small business growth, and improve financial health and sustainability in Tribal communities across Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. We stand behind and beside our Native housing partners as we continue to partner with the Wells Fargo Foundation in supporting collaborative, creative, and resilient work in Indian Country. https://lnkd.in/gZEQrPdm