Publications & Research

This case study highlights Wyoming Housing Network's innovative partnership with Native organizations to create a culturally responsive approach to homeownership and wealth-building for Native Americans. Learn how WHN is leveraging its long-standing expertise to empower Native families on the Wind River Reservation.

Place significantly impacts various aspects of our lives, prompting communities to seek equitable and sustainable solutions. NeighborWorks America® addresses this through a place-based approach called comprehensive community development (CCD), aiming to build community strength and resilience. By investing $1.7M in CCD strategies, they empower nearly 250 local organizations to foster stronger, more equitable communities. These organizations, rooted in communities nationwide, create a platform for community engagement and empowerment, driving change through a deep understanding of place. The following case studies will showcase innovative, resident-centered approaches that exemplify the positive impact of a CCD lens in fostering equitable communities across the country.

This toolkit was developed by NeighborWorks® America (NeighborWorks) in partnership with the Center for Community Investment (CCI). The toolkit was informed by the meaningful work and progress of NeighborWorks network organizations participating in the Health Partner Investment Learning Lab and the Health Partner Investment Action Lab. The Learning Lab and the Action Lab occurred over ten months and were jointly implemented by NeighborWorks and CCI. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and The California Endowment support the Center for Community Investment.

"Centering Resident Voices to Co-Create an Equitable, Thriving Future" re-imagines what is possible across healthcare, housing and community development. It shifts who is driving change and opens opportunities to center resident voices. Positioning residents as the drivers of community change is an essential and transformative foundation to advancing health equity.

In 2020, amid Boston’s housing crisis and the heightened visibility of racial injustice, the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation reimagined its mission to tackle these urgent challenges head-on.

The San Pablo Area Revitalization Collaborative is revitalizing West Oakland’s San Pablo Corridor by empowering its 10,500 residents through community leadership, arts and culture. Established in 2014, SPARC addresses disinvestment and rising crime, focusing on sustainable health and equity for long-time residents.

A lack of affordable housing units is often associated with big cities, but this issue also affects rural areas, where geographically isolated communities face unique challenges in identifying sustainable solutions. For over 50 years, GROW South Dakota (GROW SD) has successfully addressed these challenges by developing collaborative partnerships that provide access to funding and expertise.

Although GROW SD is a state-wide organization, it has focused on a new housing development initiative in its own backyard of Sisseton, integrating economic development and community engagement. Creating and sustaining growth in rural areas requires innovative approaches, and through these efforts, GROW SD has significantly improved the quality of life and economic stability in rural communities across the state.

In the Mississippi Delta, small towns often face significant economic challenges and lack the resources necessary to improve their communities. HOPE, a multi-state organization based in Jackson, Mississippi, has become a lifeline by facilitating access to essential funding and tools to communities throughout the Southern United States.

Supported by the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA), the Mission Promise Neighborhood (MPN) is a
place-based collective impact initiative in the Mission District of San Francisco, an area with a high population of Latino immigrants. MPN is part of a national network of Promise Neighborhoods, initially funded by the U.S. Department of Education that collaborates with partners to improve student outcomes by providing a continuum of support for children and families from prenatal stages through career development. To better address structural barriers preventing student achievement, three years ago, MPN was tasked with developing a report card to address how data on these barriers could be collected and analyzed.

In 2013, NeighborGood Partners, a community development organization based in Dover, Delaware, joined forces with a dedicated committee of partners to lead the Restoring Central Dover (RCD) initiative—a comprehensive revitalization effort. Funded by grants from the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation, Healthy Communities Delaware and NeighborWorks America, this initiative aimed to address critical needs such as affordable housing, economic growth, safety, and essential services.